Circle B Kitchen

They say that “necessity is the mother of all things homemade”, or something like that, and I definitely proved it true last week when I was just not in the mood to grocery shop. I figured that I had enough back stock and stuff in the fridge to get us through the week, but what I hadn’t figured was that we were out of mayo. I wasn’t going to make the 20-minute trip in to the store just for mayonnaise, so I did what any mayo-loving girl would do, I made my own.

Now, when I say I love mayonnaise, I have to confess that I don’t really eat that much of it, and the mayo you find here at the Circle B Kitchen would be of the “light” variety. But a week without mayo just wouldn’t do. And besides, I had this intriguing recipe I wanted to try.

I’ve tried making my own mayonnaise in the past using the blender and food processor without much success. I never really produced anything that made me want to chuck my store-bought Hellman’s. Until now, that is.

Part of the wonder of this mayonnaise is, of course, how easy it is to make, but better still, the flavor! Maybe it’s because I buy the light variety of mayonnaise, but still, I honestly think that this is what mayo is supposed to taste like. Rich, tangy, creamy… dangerous stuff.

Yes, I’m slightly ambivalent about introducing a full-fat mayo into my life, but I’ve made a pact with myself to use it sparingly, and really, it doesn’t take much to add tons of flavor to a sandwich or salad dressing.

So how do you make this ethereal condiment, you ask? Well, as you have probably gathered from the title of this post, you’re going to need a stick blender. I really hope you have one of these because truth be told, no kitchen should be without one. Barely a day goes by that I don’t grab mine to blend, puree, chop (yes, sometimes they come with a chopping attachment) and generally mix stuff (salad dressings, sauces, etc.). So if you don’t have one, you could think about ordering one here, or put it on your Amazon wish list and someone else might buy it for you. You DO have an Amazon wish list, right? And even if you don’t have a stick blender, keep reading and you’ll see how much fun you could have with one…

Grab a suitable vessel for mixing your mayo and drop in one egg, some Dijon mustard, a little vinegar, lemon juice and salt and whir it up just to mix it a little. Add the oil (I used grapeseed oil, but canola or olive oil would work fine too).

Then put the blender on the bottom of the vessel and start blending. You’ll see mayonnaise starting to form.

Slowly bring the blender up to the top; the mixture will magically become mayo as you go. Slosh it up and down a couple of times and that’s it! 10-second mayonnaise.

I’m just a little nervous about how good this stuff is. But there’s no going back now. Here’s the recipe…

Stick Blender Mayonnaise

Click here for a printable recipe

Makes almost 1 cup

1 large egg*

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

3/4 cup canola oil

Set the egg out of the refrigerator for an hour or so, allowing it to come to room temperature.

Put all ingredients but oil into a vessel that the stick blender will fit into. Whirl it around a bit.

Add the oil on top of everything.

Turn the stick back on and hold it at the bottom for about 12 seconds. If your vessel is see-through, you will see mayo forming at the bottom.

Slowly raise the stick while still blending, mayo forming magically as you go. Slosh it up and down a few more times. That’s it!

*This recipe does contain raw egg, so if you’re worried about salmonella, you could heat the egg, vinegar, and lemon juice in a double boiler, until it comes to 150 degrees, taking about one minute. Let cool