Mayonnaise Pass and Fail

I've had an on-again off-again relationship with mayo my entire adult life.  It's not the healthiest of condiments, nor is it always the best tasting.  However, there are some things, like tuna or chicken salad, that cannot be made without it.  The problem then became how to make a mayonnaise that tastes excellent, and has some component that is healthier than Hellman's classic jar.  The answer came from, of course, Julia Child.

About three months ago I joined Amazon Prime.  I was fascinated by the idea of Amazon Instant Video.  Much like other streaming video resources (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) Amazon offers a library of movies and shows to watch instantly on your computer or internet-ready device.  To my surprise and great pleasure all ten seasons of "The French Chef" were available for free with my Prime membership.  I was in heaven when I found out.

One of the episodes Julia did in black and white was an entire show devoted to home-made mayonnaise.  She explained in intricate detail the nuances of mayo made by hand, or by machine assistance.  What really sold me on the idea of making my own mayo was the reaction she had to a taste of her creation.  The look on her face was pure bliss.

Julia's proportions were 1/2 cup oil to each egg yolk.  She started with a quarter teaspoon of dry mustard, then she added a half teaspoon of lemon juice and half teaspoon of wine vinegar and beat the three egg yolks until they started to form the famous egg ribbon.

Well...I didn't quite have all the same ingredients but I tried it out anyway.  In place of lemon juice and wine vinegar I had some Madeira wine and balsamic vinegar which I reduced.  I then beat my egg yolks with a wire whip and added the dry mustard and salt with the vinegar and wine reduction.  Then, just as Julia showed me, I added my oil in small little dribbles while beating steadily.  The end result was, to be frank, disgusting.

I only had a very fruity extra virgin olive oil, that plus the reduction of wine...it was a terrible mess that made my arm sore and my mouth sour.  So back to the drawing board.

I went and got real lemon, distilled vinegar, canola oil and tried again.  What a difference those simple ingredients made.  I used half the amount of oil that Julia recommended but did exactly the same as she instructed. The flavor I got when I made my own emulsion was like nothing I ever tasted before.  My recipe was as follows:

3 egg yolks beaten thoroughly until they become pale and start to form the ribbon
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup of canola oil beaten into the egg yolks in slow dribbles until the egg yolks "take" the oil and form a sauce-like consistency that is thick like your standard mayonnaise.

It is very important to note that egg yolks are quite particular with the beating of oil.  They will only "digest" as Julia put it, a small amount at a time.  Once the consistency has become mayo-like then you can add oil by dollops.  You also can go as much as a cup and a half of oil.  When making your own mayo you get to choose the taste and be creative; you can add more or less oil, you can mix vegetable and olive oil, you add extra herbs or spicey flavorings.  When you make it yourself, the options are endless.

I am glad to report, though, that the tuna salad I just ate for lunch was like no tuna I've had before.  I can't wait to make my own chicken salad!