Mayonnaise

MAKES 300ML INGREDIENTS

1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 tsp Dijon mustard, at room temperature

1 tbsp white wine vinegar, or as needed

250ml sunflower oil

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

Mix the egg yolk, mustard and vinegar together in a small bowl with a pinch of salt.

With a whisk or a wooden spoon, stir constantly while you trickle in the sunflower oil, drop by drop at first. After the first 10 drops have gone in, start a very thin trickle of oil and keep beating, stopping the oil if it starts pooling. It should amalgamate fully into the egg yolk mixture. Increase the rate that you’re adding the oil as you go.

Whisk in the extra virgin olive oil at the end and taste, adding a little more salt or vinegar if you like. If the mixture splits and goes runny and curdled looking, start with a fresh egg yolk and beat in the curdled mixture very slowly as before.

Store the mayonnaise in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.

HOW TO MAKE MAYONNAISE IN A BLENDER

Put a whole egg in a blender beaker, along with 1 tsp Dijon mustard and 1 tbsp vinegar.

With the motor running, trickle in 200ml sunflower oil very slowly.

Finish with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, taste and add more salt or vinegar if you like.

MORE MAYONNAISE IDEAS

Black garlic: blend three cloves of black garlic with six tablespoons of mayonnaise. This is great with a steak.

Red pepper and saffron: soak a pinch of saffron threads in one tablespoon of hot water for 10 minutes, then blend the water and saffron with a small grilled and peeled red pepper. Mix in six tablespoons of mayonnaise. Gorgeous with grilled fish or on slices of toasted baguette in a fish soup, rouille style.

Watercress and anchovy: put a large handful of watercress (40g) in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for one minute. Drain and squeeze dry, then chop finely in a mini food processor with two anchovies. Mix with six tablespoons of mayonnaise. Great with a platter of mixed veg, cold chicken and boiled eggs.