Basic Mayonnaise
Homemade mayonnaise needs only egg yolks, oil, mustard, salt and lemon juice or vinegar, and it tastes far fresher than anything from a jar. The method has a reputation for curdling, but the fix is simple: add the oil drop by drop at the start, and the yolks will hold it. This version also explains how to rescue a split batch, so a mistake costs you nothing.
Instructions
Put the egg yolks in a large bowl and whisk them for about a minute.
Add the mustard, the salt and half of the lemon juice or vinegar. Whisk for another minute, until the mixture thickens very slightly.
Start on the first half of the oil, adding it one drop at a time while you whisk with your other hand. Make sure each drop is fully mixed in before the next goes in.
As the mixture takes up the oil smoothly, let the drops become a thin trickle. Keep whisking until the first half of the oil has been absorbed.
Whisk in the rest of the lemon juice or vinegar until combined.
Add the remaining oil the same way, drop by drop at first, then in a thin trickle. Continue until all the oil is whisked in and the mayonnaise is thick.
Stir in flavourings such as crushed garlic if you like, or keep it plain and use it as a base for other sauces.
If the mayonnaise curdles, whisk a fresh egg yolk in a clean bowl and dribble the curdled mixture into it slowly, whisking hard the whole time. To steady the bowl, set it on a wet, wrung-out towel coiled into a ring, or use an immersion blender for the whisking.
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