This is the basic recipe I was taught as a young apprentice chef. Now with food processors, it can be quickly whipped up in only a few minutes and unlike bought mayonnaise, it is smoother and more sauce like, with a delicious light olive oil flavour.

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tablespon vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1-1½ cups oil (use half light olive oil and half virgin olive oil)
• juice of ½ a lemon
• salt, white pepper and lemon juice to season

Method

1. Beat the egg yolks, vinegar and mustard well in a food processor. With the motor running, very gradually pour the oil down the feed tube in a thin stream.
2. Once half the oil has been added, you can pour the remaining oil in a little faster, adding enough oil to reach the texture you prefer. The more oil you add the thicker it will be.
3. Serson the mayonnaise with the lemon juice, salt and white pepper to taste. Once made, should you wish the mayonnaise to be a little thinner in consistency, add a little warm water.

Note

1. 1 cup of oil will give a pourable, sauce-like mayonnaise, while 1 ½ cups will give a thick mayonnaise. Consistency will also vary depending on whether you make by hand or in a food processor.

What to do if the mayonnaise separates

1. Should the mayonnaise separate on you, do not panic. In a clean bowl beat another egg yolk. Then gradually blend in the separated mixture bit by bit. This happens if the oil has been added too fast.

Cooks Tips

Variations: - Basil pesto mayo dip: Add 2-4 tablespoons of basil pesto to 1 cup of mayonnaise and serve garnished with a few fresh basil leaves. - Blue cheese mayo dip: Mash 50-100 grams of blue cheese to a paste and stir ino 1 cup mayonnaise. - Mustard mayo dip: Add 1 tablespoon each sugar and prepared mustard and stir well. Taste and add more mustard if required. Thin with a little warm water to make it more like an American-style mustard sauce. Tips for the perfect mayonnaise: - Any good flavourless oil can be used in place of olive oil, though it is best to avoid highly flavoured oils such as peanut. - If you do not like a strong olive oil flavour, use half canola and half olive oil or virgin olive oil. - The oil should be a room temperature. - Add the oil in the initial stages drop by drop. Once about half the oil has been added, you can add the oil in a steady gentle stream. - The proportion of oil to egg yolks should not exceed the larger amount. You will have a very heavy over oily tasting mayonnaise. - Hot water is added to act as a stabiliser. - Lemon juice is added to add flavour to what can be a bland sauce. Use white pepper, as black pepper will look like the flies have walked over it. - Mayonnaise is best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, however it is best served at room temperature. - Use home-made mayonnaise within 7 days.