- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1 cup “pure” olive oil or vegetable oil
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 to 4 tablespoons water
- Combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard, and salt in a food processor or blender. Turn the machine on and start by adding the oil very slowly, in a thin stream, and then gradually increasing the amount you add. When you’ve added all the “pure” oil and the mayonnaise starts to thicken, transfer the mayonnaise to a bowl and gently work in the extra virgin olive oil using a wooden spoon. As the mayonnaise gets very thick, add water as needed. Add more salt if needed.
- VARIATIONS:
- RED BELL PEPPER MAYONNAISE
- Yield: 1¾ cups
- 4 red bell peppers, charred, peeled, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
- 1 cup Basic Mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Combine the peppers with the Basic Mayonnaise and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- MUSHROOM MAYONNAISE
- Yield: 2 cups
- 1 pound mushrooms of any variety
- 1 cup Basic Mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Clean the mushrooms and chop by hand or in a food processor until fairly fine. Be careful if you’re using a food processor to avoid making a purée; about 10 short pulses should do it. Put the mushrooms in a small pot over medium heat. When they’ve released their water, after 1 to 2 minutes, turn the heat up to high and boil, stirring now and then, until the mixture is dry, about 10 minutes. Let cool and fold into the Basic Mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- MOREL MAYONNAISE
- Yield: 1½ cups
- Regular mushroom mayonnaise is great but dried morels give this mayonnaise a distinctive smoky flavor.
- 1 ounce dried morels, soaked in ½ cup water for 30 minutes and moved around every 5 minutes
- 1 cup Basic Mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
- Drain the morels into a bowl, squeezing any additional liquid out of them; note that you can save the liquid for sauces, but don’t add it to the mayonnaise unless you want it to be thin. Chop the morels fine by hand or in a food processor—avoid over processing and turning them into a paste—and stir them into the Basic Mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- CAPER AND HERB MAYONNAISE
- Yield: 1¾ cups
- 1 cup Basic Mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped coarse leaves from 15 sprigs fresh tarragon, chopped
- 1 small bunch parsley, large stems removed, leaves and small stems chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- Combine the Basic Mayonnaise with the other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste.