Five-minute homemade mayonnaise

I may be one of the last foodies to discover this foolproof method of making homemade mayonnaise, yet such is the difference it’s made to my cooking life out here in the bush, I felt compelled to share it with you.

The versatility of mayonnaise means that I love having it available as and when I need it. But in the past, the idea of making mayonnaise for any of my recipes drew a long, deep sigh out of me as I dragged myself to the blender, deposited the egg yolks at the bottom, and started the process of pouring an arm-achingly thin stream of oil, always crossing fingers that the mixture wouldn’t curdle.

If only I had known …

* You will need an immersion blender–what I call a whizzer stick–for this recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup light oil, like sunflower or grape seed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Colman’s hot English mustard, or 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Break the egg into a suitable container.

2. Gently pour the oil over the egg, giving it time to rise to the surface.

3. Place your whizzer stick directly over the egg yolk and start blending, slowly lifting up the stick from time to time to incorporate more and more of the oil. The end result will be a thick mayonnaise.

4. Mix in the lemon juice, mustard, and salt and pepper with a dessert spoon until well incorporated.

Here I have provided the method I make for basic mayonnaise, but feel free to experiment. You can enhance it any way you wish: incorporating chopped fresh herbs, flavored vinegars, different types of mustard, or spices like paprika, turmeric and saffron. You can also thin it out with plain yogurt, creme fraiche or sour cream.

Yield: Just over a cup of mayonnaise, or more if you thin it out with yogurt, creme fraiche, or sour cream.

Note: This recipe is made with raw egg. Make sure you use eggs that are as fresh as possible, preferably organic or free-range.

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Make sure the oil rises to the surface before blending.
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Incorporate the oil by gently moving the whizzer stick up and down.
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Five-minute mayonnaise, ready to serve.

Annabel Hughes Aston is a writer and an award-winning chef in Livingstone, Zambia. She is the creator of "bush gourmet" cuisine.

15 Comments

  • Yuuum Annabel, you’ve made mayonnaise look do-able! Here goes…

  • Good luck! This will change your cooking life, I swear. Let me know how it pans out, Dee!

  • Hi Annabel. Sounds just like the one I need after failed attempts with the traditional method! How’re you keeping otherwise? It’s been a long time since we met! X Fergus

    • Hi Ferg! Yes, it’s been too long … but I am very well, thank you. I hope you are too! This blog is all about finding the simplest ways of producing fresh, tasty food, therefore I hope you find the mayonnaise a cinch. Let me know how it goes! xo

  • Even for one who does not cook – I think I could make this! I will give it a go and if all fails will ask Bruce to make it!!

    • It might bring on a whole new dawn, Louise! Let me know what happens … and good luck!

  • Wow – that is the simplest way ever! Have tried several but never got it right… will give this a go for sure! X

    • Great, Sue! Let me know how it goes … xo

  • Can’t wait to try it Annabel – nice and quick. X

    • It really is a godsend if you like mayonnaise! Can’t wait to hear how it pans out … xo

  • Mayo mark 1 – delicious but not mayo consistency. We reckon the heavy extra virgin olive oil and un-fresh egg was the problem. All consumed on yummy salad – bowl licked Woz loved it! Tomorrow Si will try again…

  • Hi Dee … I find a light oil a key ingredient in the mayonnaise, adding only a tablespoon of olive oil for taste. It makes all the difference. Salad sounds delicious though! Let me know how it goes for Mark II. xo

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