A simple mayonnaise recipe and its nutrients

The next simple kitchen recipe that I am exploring is that of mayonnaise. I use it quite a lot in my current favourite homemade “fast food” - baked jacket potatoes with tuna, mayonnaise, corn and chives.

If a goal of mine is to become more self-sufficient, learning to make the things that I use most often is a good place to start!

Ingredients

• 1 egg yolk (at room temperature)
• 1 cup oil (neutral flavoured oil works best)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ¹/₄ tsp salt

Method

1. Whisk the egg yolk and lemon juice together in a bowl until frothy.


2. Very slowly, add the oil into the mixture while continuously whisking. Stop adding oil if it builds up too much without emulsifying and whisk until it does.


The oil is added in a slow, thin stream.

3. Continue adding all the oil while continuously whisking. The mixture will thicken more and more until the mayonnaise is ready.


Continuously whisk and the mixture will thicken while maintaining its creaminess.

4. Add the salt and the mayonnaise is ready!


When the mixture has thickened and remains stable, the mayonnaise is ready!

Nutrients

Mayonnaise is often said to have originated in Spain but has been described in many French recipes for over a few hundred years. It is likely that the original recipe used olive oil, despite modern recipes claiming olive oil has too much of an overpowering flavour.

Essential nutrients that exist in 100g of extra virgin olive oil¹ in considerable quantities include (percentages are of RDI for a 31-50 year old female according to the Nutrient Journal running Global average): 84% linoleic acid RDI and 68% alpha-linolenic acid RDI. See extra virgin olive oil’s full nutrient profile at Nutrient Journal.

Also see the chicken egg’s full nutrient profile at Nutrient Journal.

References