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Mayonnaise Dressing

Donnie
Source: Fannie Merritt Farmer, The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, 1896, “Mayonnaise Dressing I”
Makes: just under 2 cups (about 15 fluid ounces)
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Whisking Time 15 minutes

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IngredientsMethodNotes
Donnie Dodson

Don’t lose this one.

I’ll email it to you so it’s waiting when you’re ready to cook.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp powdered sugar
  • A few grains of cayenne
  • 2 egg yolks room temperature and pasteurized
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp vinegar
  • 1½ cups olive oil at room temperature

Instructions
 

  1. Set up. Place a damp towel under a medium bowl so it does not slide. Measure the lemon juice and vinegar into a small cup so you can add them quickly later.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the mustard, salt, powdered sugar, and cayenne together in the bowl.
  3. Add the yolks. Whisk in the yolks until smooth and slightly thickened, then whisk in ½ teaspoon of the vinegar.
  4. Start the oil, drop by drop. Whisk constantly while adding the oil one drop at a time. Spend the first 4 to 5 minutes on the first ¼ cup. The mixture should turn thick, pale, and glossy.
  5. Thin and continue. When it gets very thick, whisk in a little lemon juice or vinegar. Now you can add the oil in a thin, steady stream, alternating with the remaining acid, until all of the oil and acid are used.
  6. Taste and adjust. Add salt or a few drops more lemon juice if needed.
  7. Store. Transfer to a clean jar, refrigerate right away, and use within 4 days.

Notes

  • By hand (the historical method). It works, and it teaches you what an emulsion is, but it is slow and tiring. Anchor the bowl on a damp towel so you can use both hands, and do not rush the first quarter cup. Most failures happen there.
 
  • Immersion blender (the shortcut). Put the yolks, mustard, salt, sugar, cayenne, and acid in a tall jar just wider than the blade head. Pour the oil on top, set the blender flat against the bottom, and blend without moving it for 10 to 15 seconds until white emulsion forms at the base. Then slowly tilt and lift the blender to pull in the rest of the oil. It takes about a minute and the result is nearly identical. Because Farmer’s recipe uses yolks only, the mayo will be a little looser than a whole-egg version.
 
  • Obstacles to watch for:
  • Broken or oily mayo. The oil went in too fast or the ingredients were cold. To fix it, put a fresh yolk in a clean bowl and slowly whisk the broken mixture into it, a teaspoon at a time.
  • Bitter olive oil. Strong extra-virgin olive oil can turn bitter when it is whipped hard, especially with a blender. Use a mild or “light” olive oil, or replace half of the oil with a neutral one.
  • Too thick. Whisk in a teaspoon of water or lemon juice.
  • Cold ingredients. Room-temperature yolks and oil emulsify far more easily. Pull them out 30 minutes ahead.
  • Food safety. Use pasteurized yolks, keep the mayo refrigerated at all times, and discard it after 4 days. It is not a good idea for anyone pregnant, elderly, or immunocompromised unless the eggs are pasteurized.