Mayonnaise

There are lots of contradicting stories about the origin of mayonnaise. My favourite is that it was invented by the chef of a French duke while he was conquering the balaeric island Menorca. Menorca's capital is Mahon, hence Mahonnaise, hence Mayonnaise! So satisfying!

Mayonnaise is an emulsion, which essentially means it's a blend of ingredients that tend not to want to combine (in this case oil and vinegar/lemon juice). A magic egg yolk, and serious  whisking or blending do their thing, and get the fat particles from the oil to suspend themselves in the liquid. It's all very scientific!

Making your own mayonnaise is not as daunting as it sounds.

For 300ml you need:

• 2 egg yolks (these have to be at room temperature (the same as the oil), or the mayo is likely to split)

• heaped tsp. Dijon mustard

• 300ml sunflower oil/rapeseed oil/groundnut oil (olive oil can be a little too strong in taste here)

• Lemon juice/white wine vinegar

• Salt

• Pepper

1. Thoroughly combine the egg yolks, mustard and a pinch of salt in a bowl. 

2. While whisking constantly, start to slowly add drops of oil, ensuring it is fully combined before continuing. 

3. Once you've added a third of the oil in this way, you can start to tentatively add the oil in a slow stream, still while permanently whisking.

4. If the mixture becomes thick and greasy, you can add a little vinegar, lemon juice or warm water to thin it slighly. 

5. Continue until all the oil has been added, and season with lemon juice/white wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

To make in a food processor, follow step 1 but combining in a food processor, and with the blades still running, add the oil in a very thin stream. Season as in step 5.

There are several different options available when it comes to buying mayonnaise. The most common kind available is white in colour, fairly reasonably priced - Hellmann's or Heinz sort of thing. These are great, and versatile and excellent for being flavoured. You can spend a little more on French mayonnaise or 'real' mayonnaise. This might be a little thicker, perhaps a little more yellow in colour and may have a slightly stronger taste of mustard. This is great for dipping! Finally, Kewpie mayonnaise is Japanese and made with rice vinegar. Wonderful with Japanese dishes.

You can also buy many flavoured mayonnaises, but why buy a whole bottle when you can flavour plain mayonnaise so easily, and it will always be more delicious.

• Aioli - delicious garlic mayonnaise. Simply stir crushed garlic through home made or shop bought mayonnaise. Try roasting the garlic first for a more mellow mayo.

• Tomato aioli - blitz a clove of garlic and 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper together. Heat 1 tbsp. tomato puree in a microwave for 30 secs to loosen. Add the puree to the garlic mixture with 125g mayonnaise and blend until combined. Stir through finely chopped sunblush tomatoes or sundried tomatoes.

• Tartare sauce - a wonderful accompaniment to fish. Just stir finely diced shallots, capers and gherkins through mayonnaise.

• Mustard mayonnaise - mix Dijon or wholegrain mustard through mayonnaise.

• Spicy mayo - mix Sriracha/chipotle pasta/smoked paprika through mayonnaise.

• Herby mayo - finely chop fresh herbs (flatleaf parsley/chives/basil/dill/tarragon) and stir through mayonnaise.

• Curry mayonnaise - stir ginger and curry paste through mayonnaise.