Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise

From Vic's Recipes

Adapted from Essentials of Cooking by James Peterson

1 egg yolk at room temperature
½ to ¾ cup oil - I usually use grapeseed or grapeseed and a little olive oil*
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar (I usually use lemon juice)

Combine the egg yolk, mustard, and lemon juice or vinegar in a small bowl (Pyrex is fine), and whisk the mixture until smooth.

Put the oil in a pitcher. Pour it carefully down the side of the bowl, adding a little bit at a time - use only a teaspoon of oil at a time to begin with, and whisk it into the egg yolk mixture.

When the mayonnaise stiffens slightly, you can add the oil a little more quickly - about a tablespoon at a time. You will get the hang of it when you've done it a few times.

Continue adding oil until the mayonnaise is stiff. If the mayonnaise becomes too stiff, you can loosen it by adding a little more lemon juice., vinegar, or even water.

*I find extra virgin olive oil too strong on its own for regular mayonnaise. However, if that's what you want to use, James Peterson suggests using a wooden spoon or mortar with a pestle since using a whisk with olive oil will make the mayonnaise slightly bitter.