photo by george billard

Yet another reason why I want you to own a mortar and pestle: It’s so much fun to make your own garlicky mayonnaise. (Mayo-naze! Remember Lou Gossett Jr. hollering at Richard Gere in An Officer and a Gentleman?!) The one above is flecked with saffron, but you can have fun creating exactly the flavors you like—lemony, salty, herbal, garlicky… Hellmann’s certainly has its place (picnic potato salad, a BLT) but there’s nothing like the wonderful, satiny texture and rich taste of real homemade. What to do with it once you’ve got a cup of the glorious stuff? Make it the dipping sauce for a beautiful platter of fresh and lightly blanched seasonal vegetables. Stir it into boiled or roasted and chopped new potatoes. Dip your steamed artichoke leaves into it. Add chopped pickles, capers, parsley and a pinch of cayenne for a delicious adult tartar sauce. Pound some watercress or basil with it to make a green mayonnaise, great with cold roasted chicken or fish. Add mustard or horseradish and some pan juices and serve with a roast beef. Stir in some anchovy paste and serve with cold roast veal. Add half a teaspoon of ground cumin and slather on your lamb burger. Beginning to get the idea? You don’t really need a mortar and pestle to make this; it’s great for pounding the garlic, but not everyone wants their mayonnaise garlicky, and a bowl and whisk or fork will also work.

The most important thing to remember when making your own mayonnaise, is to START SLOWLY when you’re drizzling in the oil. If you don’t do that, it will never come together and you will be frustrated. Other than that, it’s really easy. A good rule of thumb to remember, if you want to make more than the 1 cup in this recipe, is 1 egg yolk per cup of oil. Using all olive oil can result in a very intense flavor (especially if your oil is not too mellow), so I sometimes like to use part olive oil and part some other more neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed. You can experiment and see what you like. You could even get crazy and use a little nut oil, like walnut or almond.

GARLIC MAYONNAISE

makes about 1 cup

1  clove garlic

generous pinch salt

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup olive oil & 1/2 cup expeller-pressed grapeseed oil or walnut oil

In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and the salt to form a smooth paste. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and add the egg yolk. Stir to combine. Using a cup with a spout or small pitcher, dribble a couple of drops (literally) into the mixture as you stir with a whisk. Keep going, a few drops at a time, until you see the yolk begin to absorb the oil and thicken slightly. As you go, the mixture will also lighten. As it comes together, you can increase the stream of oil, whisking all along. If, after incorporating all the oil, you find that it’s thicker than you like, simply whisk in a little warm water.

To make a plain mayonnaise, simply leave out the garlic and whisk in a teaspoon or so of lemon juice at the end.