Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is easy to make. I'll repeat that. Mayonnaise is easy to make. I don't know why some cookery writers make such a big deal about it, but if you follow The Greasy Spoon method, you'll soon be whizzing up your own decent mayonnaise in no time at all.

First break two egg yolks into a mixing bowl. Add a teaspoon or so of mustard (in this case, I prefer to use a milder type such as Dijon), some salt, and a splash of lemon juice or vinegar (French wine vinegar or cider vinegar is good). With a wooden spoon stir these together until they bind. Now's the time to start adding your oils. I tend to use a light oil such as sunflower, and then finish off with stronger olive oil, but if you prefer a punchier Gallic taste, it's totally fine to use olive oil for the whole shooting match. Now this is the stage where if it's going to go wrong, it's going to go wrong. It's very important to pour in the oil in small batches, otherwise your mayonnaise might curdle. The goal is to form a smooth emulsion.

Carry on pouring in the oil bit by bit, stirring at the same time. Once you've got your emulsion up and running, you can start pouring in the oil in a steady stream. Keep stirring. The more oil you add, the thicker it'll get. Towards the end of the process, I like to switch over to olive oil for the extra flavour. Anyway, you'll eventually end up with a thick, jelly-like mayonnaise, that you can plunge a spoon into upright, and it won't fall over. That's a sign that your labours are at an end.

I'm now going to let you into a secret. Stir in a tablespoon of boiling water to your finished mayonnaise. The effects are nothing short of miraculous. You will end up with a light, fluffy, creamy mayonnaise, which is slightly lighter in colour too.

So there you are. You can also break all the rules, and mix up a decent mayonnaise in your food processor, using the above method, though in practice, I find it best to use three egg yolks, as the food processor method tends to make a much thicker sauce. Oh, and if you leave your mayonnise in the ' fridge, it'll get even thicker. Spread the word!

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