Lunch time. I'm hungry for a ham salad sandwich but... NO MAYO?!?! I knew I forgot to get something at the grocery store yesterday.I had heard all the horror stories about making mayo at home, such as people's arms falling off, whisks disappearing into the depths of spacetime from so much centripetal motion... really? Is making mayonnaise really that difficult? It can't be... so I set off on a quest (actually, I just Googled "how to make mayo"). The first search result was an article on About.com. That's a good place to start, but how can I add my own twist? Here it goes:
- 1 egg yolk
- olive oil and/or vegetable oil
- fresh lime juice (or lemon juice. I just like lime better)
- salt
- paprika
- black pepper
- garlic powder
- Use an electric mixer or hand mixer at a low setting... or use a whisk, if you're a masochist or don't own a mixer. No blenders, no food processors.
- Beat egg yolk to get the emulsion started. Add a few drops of lime juice and mix.
- Add a tiny bit of oil and mix.
- Add another bit of oil and mix.
- Add another bit of oil... you get the picture. Repeat until the mixture has the consistency of mayo because, after all, that's what we're making. You won't need to use more than a cup of oil. I like it eggy, so I didn't use much oil at all. If you use olive oil, the mixture will be more yellow than mayo. Even vegetable oil won't be as white as commercial mayo, so don't keep adding oil because of the color -- just watch the consistency.
- When you're done, add a pinch of salt and mix.
- If you'd like to make it more "fun", add a little more lime juice, season it with your favorite spices (mine were paprika, black pepper and a hint of garlic powder) and blend them in.
As for the ham salad... well, I just chopped some ham slices in my little food processor and mixed it with the mayo. Put it on bread, top it with cheese and enjoy your lunch!
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