Lunchtime during the week must include at least one visit to the best sub shop this side of the Mississippi - Jersey Mike's. I mean, come on, they slice the meat right in front of you as your order your sandwich! Does it get any better than that?! Its true, their delectable "fresh" subs are amazing but the same can not be said about their sanitary-gloved employees. During the latest visit, our attentive "sandwich artist" asked Drew if he wanted some "white mayonnaise" on his giant bacon and pepperoni sandwich. It caught us off guard.
White mayonnaise, you say? What other colors of mayonnaise do you have behind that counter? Yellow mustard maybe. Red ketchup? Now you are pushing it. White mayonnaise? You're just talking crazy talk.
The truth is, like most people, I love mayonnaise.
Maybe not as much as this guy...
or these guys...
...but its fair to say its a very important part of my life. Although we generally reach for the Hellman's Canola Mayo for sandwiches and salads (potato, chicken, k-rab), occasionally there is a need for something a little fresher. The truth is that mayonnaise is relatively easy to make - its simply a cold emulsion of vegetable oil, egg yolks and your choice of an acid. Once you have a mayonnaise base you can literally flavor it with any ingredient - from chipotle to garlic and fresh herbs. Remind me to have a mayo contest - that would be fun.
Here is a simple mayonnaise base to get you started:
White Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
pinch of Kosher Salt (to taste)
1/3 cup of olive or avocado oil
2 egg yolks
Add the Dijon mustard to the egg yolks and beat with a whisk until slightly thickened, then slowly drizzle the oil into the egg mix. If it gets too thick, add a little vinegar or lemon juice to thin out the mix. Once all the oil is added, whisk in the remaining acid. The consistency should be that of, well, mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Store in the fridge up to one week.
Spice up your mayo! Use your imagination, for crying out loud...
Yellow Mayonnaise (Lemon)
increase lemon juice to 2 tbsp and add 1 teaspoon freshly microplaned lemon peel
Green Mayonnaise (Garlic and Herb)
1/4 cup chopped fresh soft herbs (parsley, basil, tarragon, etc.) and three cloves of roasted garlic
Orange Mayonnaise (Chipotle)
1 finely chopped chipotle chile in adobo, 1 teaspoon adobo sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Brown Mayonnaise (Ginger-Sesame)
add one finely chopped scallion, 1 tsp minced fresh ginger, 1/4 tsp toasted sesame or peanut oil and a splash of low sodium soy sauce
Conventional wisdom holds that mayonnaise was first popularized by the Persians in the third century B.C. Originally a hue of deep indigo, the condiment was adopted in the 16th century by Spanish explorers and traders, who eventually eliminated sparrow droppings as an ingredient. This “addition by subtraction” gave us mayonnaise’s familiar white color.
ReplyDeletePopular worldwide, mayonnaise has a host of regional variants: “Mayonesa” in Latin America, where it often has a lime flavoring; “aioli” in France, where the condiment is tarted up with garlic and uses an olive oil base; and “white mayonnaise” at the Jersey Mike’s sandwich shop in Orlando, where it is served alongside “yellow mayonnaise” (also called mustard), “white sprinkly mayonnaise” (otherwise referred to as salt); and “blue mayonnaise” (the original Persian recipe).