Quite a few recipes in this book include my personal “Oh WOW I didn’t know you can do that!” anecdote. Making your own mayo, which I used to despise, is one of those instances.
2–4 SERVINGS
1. The basic instructions are to blend the yolks together first, then slowly introduce the oil in a steady stream. Do NOT pour the oil too quickly. If the mixture is more liquid than mayo emulsion, stop pouring oil and continue mixing. You might have a chance to recover before you get to the point of no return, which is to say, an oil and yolk that just won’t emulsify.
2. There are four ways to do this (including the janky restaurant hack way). The first way, which is the hardest and most exhaustive, is how we used to make it when we started Starry Kitchen out of our apartment, followed by easier ways.
MIX YOLKS IN A BOWL WITH A WHISK AND NOTHING ELSE. If you do this, don’t even TRY to stream in the oil. Just add in a little bit of oil at a time, then mix until the oil is completely immersed in the mayo. When there’s no visible layer of oil, add a LITTLE bit more oil. (So tired just thinking about this way.)
MIX YOLKS IN A BOWL USING A HAND MIXER, with a constant start/stop stream of oil.
MIX IN A BOWL with a stand mixer. Run the mixer at a constant speed, allowing for the luxury of a slow, steady stream of oil.
THE JANKY WAY you probably won’t read about in any other book is how we most often do it in the restaurant. Mix yolks with an industrial food processor—we use the Robot Coupe, the most common food processor in the business—and run the blades at maximum speed! Stream in oil slowly, and watch mayo magic happen.
* Any oil works, but choose wisely, because each kind of oil will change the flavor of your mayo. If you figure out some revelatory oil combo, let us know!