Homemade Mayonnaise

This is Daniel’s recipe. He’s a PFI employee. He says that once you’ve tried homemade mayonnaise, you’ll never go back.

1 each large egg yolk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Salt to taste (at least a half teaspoon, usually a teaspoon or more – and I find I do need more when I make this in the food processor)
1 cup Maestri Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon mustard (optional)

You can make this in a food processor (with a metal blade), a blender, or in a bowl with a whisk – but my preference is in my stand mixer with the whisk attachment. The key to mayonnaise made in a food processor or blender is not to overprocess to the point that the mayonnaise heats up. If that happens, the sauce will separate. Not good. This doesn’t happen in the stand mixer scenario or when you make it by hand. I find I also get a much lighter mayonnaise when I make it in the stand mixer than when I make it in the food processor.

Whether by hand or machine, combine the first three ingredients in the bowl or blender jar just until thoroughly mixed.

With the machine running or while whisking vigorously, begin to stream the oil by drops (fairly slowly at first) into the egg/lemon mixture. As the mayonnaise begins to take shape you can add oil a little more quickly, but never much faster than a very thin stream. I find, again, that the stand mixer is the most forgiving on these points. And, remember, you don’t want the mixture to get hot or it will break.

At last, when you’ve added all your oil, taste the sauce and adjust the salt as needed. This is also the stage at which you can add flavorings – such as the mustard I mention.

Note: omit the lemon juice and add a fair amount of garlic and you’ve made a simple aioli.

Tapanade, PFI-style

2 cups Black Provincal Olives (with thyme), pitted – available at our olive counter
3 each
3 TBLSP d’Amico Capers in Salt, rinsed and dried
2 TBLSP Fresh Lemon Juice
2 or 3 cloves garlic
2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dry thyme leaves
3 TBLSP Olive Oil (French, such as Arnaud, or Sicilian, such as Partana, if you prefer a bit more bite)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the first 6 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until the mixture is well-chopped but still coarse. Add the olive oil with the food processor running. Stop processing when you have acheived a coarse paste. Salt and pepper to taste.

makes about 2 3/4 cups