Mayonnaise
The beliefMayonnaise is assumed to be a gamble that usually splits.
The truthOne yolk binds 200 ml of oil. The only reason it splits is adding the oil too fast.
How to make it
What you need
- 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- 200 ml sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon of mustard
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar, and salt
How the engine read this list (5 lines)
| 50 g | Egg yolk | egg |
| 182 g | Sunflower oil | sunflower-oil |
| — | Mustard | mustard-seed |
| 15 g | Lemon juice or vinegar | lemon |
| — | Salt | salt |
An empty weight means that line could not be turned into grams — either the amount is open ("to taste") or the ingredient has no record here. Neither enters the sum as zero; they do not enter it at all.
Whisk the yolk, mustard and salt in a bowl. The mustard is not only flavour but a second emulsifier, and it makes the mayonnaise markedly more stable.
Add the oil drop by drop at first. The first 50 ml is the critical part: the emulsion either forms here or not at all.
Once it thickens and turns glossy, move to a thin steady stream, whisking without pause.
Add the lemon juice once the oil is in. The acid lifts the taste and loosens the texture a little; a spoon of warm water does the same if it is too stiff.
Taste, adjust the salt and refrigerate straight away.
The others that work the same way
Hazelnut spread
The truthRoasted hazelnuts, ground long enough, release their own oil and turn to cream on their own. The rest is cocoa and sugar.
Tahini
The truthGrind roasted sesame for long enough and it releases its own oil. You add nothing.
Mustard
The truthThe heat is not in the seed: an enzyme creates it when the crushed seed meets water. The temperature of that water decides how fierce it gets.