Let me tell you something that might be provocative — mayonnaise is a sauce that is really easy to make. You don’t need an immersion blender or special equipment. You simply need a whisk, some oil, an egg (plus a few other ingredients), and a sense of possibility. My chef at culinary school would regularly tell us that his 6 year old daughter could make this sauce with her eyes closed. Je pense (I think) if this young child can, so can you.

If you don’t care to read, here is a how to video of me making mayo in two minutes and 48 seconds.

Recipe Type: Quick and Easy, Condiment, Sauce

Time: 5 min

Ingredients

1 super fresh high quality egg yolk at room temperature

Around 3/4 cup grape seed oil (or any other neutral oil)

2-3 tablespoons high quality olive oil

Salt/Pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ Lemon or apple cider vinegar

Equipment

Mixing bowl

Jar to store

Whisk

Dishtowel

Instructions

Separate an egg yolk and place into the mixing bowl. Set the mixing bowl on top of a dishtowel to provide stability to the bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Whisk to incorporate.
Then, gradually add the neutral oil to the eggs while whisking to incorporate. Start with a very small amount (like a teaspoon at a time) at a time until the sauce begins to emulsify.
Once the sauce begins to emulsify, you can gradually add more oil while whisking vigorously. The sauce will thicken the more oil you add and the more you whisk. One egg yolk will hold around 3/4 cup to 1 cup of oil. Be careful not to add too much oil or the sauce will break.
The final texture of the mayonnaise should resemble that of a pudding. When the mayonnaise is nearly the texture that you want, add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil at the end for flavor.
Once the texture of mayonnaise is to your liking, stop adding oil, and add 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar), salt, and pepper to taste.
Store the mayonnaise in a jar in the fridge for up to five days.