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Mayonnaise

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mayonnaise is a thick sauce made primarily from vegetable oil and egg yolks.^[1] Generally whitish-yellow in color, it is a stable emulsion formed from the oil and yolks and is generally flavored with mustard, salt, pepper, vinegar, and/or lemon juice. Numerous other sauces can be created from it by adding additional seasonings

Traditional recipe

The traditional French recipe is essentially the same as the basic one described above, but it uses top-quality olive oil and sometimes vinegar or lemon juice. Some nouvelle cuisine recipes specify safflower oil. It is considered essential to constantly beat the mayonnaise using a whisk while adding the olive oil a drop at a time, fully incorporating the oil before adding the next tablespoon. Experienced cooks can judge when the mayonnaise is done by the emulsion's resistance to the beating action. Mayonnaise made this way may taste too strong or sharp to people accustomed to commercial products.

Composition

Homemade mayonnaise can approach 85% fat before the emulsion breaks down; commercial mayonnaises are more typically 70-80% fat. "Low fat" mayonnaise products contain starches, cellulose gel, or other ingredients to simulate the texture of real mayonnaise.

Commercial producers either pasteurize the yolks, freeze them and substitute water for most of their liquid, or use other emulsifiers. For homemade mayonnaise it is recommended using the freshest eggs possible. Some stores sell pasteurized eggs for home use. The eggs can also be coddled in 170°F (77°C) water, after which the hot yolks, now slightly cooked, are removed from the whites. Homemade mayonnaise will generally only keep under refrigeration for three to four days. A lower-fat version can be made with silken tofu.

Homemade mayonnaise can also be made using raw egg whites, with no yolks at all, if it is done at high speed in a food processor. The resulting texture appears to be the same, and – if seasoned, for example, with salt, pepper, mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, and a little paprika – the taste is similar to traditional mayonnaise made with egg yolks.

Mayonnaise has a pH between 3.8 and 4.6, making it an acidic food. There is a misconception that foods like potato salad can make a person sick if left out in the sun, due to the mayonnaise spoiling. This is false; the pH of mayonnaise prevents harmful bacteria from growing in it. Left out of refrigeration, mayonnaise will develop an unappetizing taste and smell, due to other types of bacteria and molds that can spoil it; but will not make one sick. ^[4]

I always make my own Mayonnaise. My children says it's a lot tastier and I use either Canola or Safflower oil. It's a good base for potato salads, tuna mayo, dips, tartare sauce, thousand island, cocktail sauce, etc, etc. The list is endless!

The recipe is very simple if you maintain one very important point. Add the oil bit by bit gradually until it stabilizes.

The recipe:
1.
2 large (Fresh) egg yolks "A"
1/2 tsp French or English mustard
1 tbsp vinegar
250 ml Canola or Safflower or Olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp boiling water

2. Put egg yolks into Kenwood mixer with "K" beater.
3. Beat until egg yolks turn pale.
4. Add teaspoon by teaspoon oil and beat at high speed.
5. Half way through adding the oil, add vinegar and
mustard and continue beating.
6. After adding all the oil, add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Last beat in 1-2 tablespoon of boiling water, this will help
to stabilize and whiten the mayonnaise.
8. Viola!! Beautiful, tasty mayonnaise.