Rantings of a Chef

Mmmm, mayo. 

My sandwiches will be forever slathered in it, despite what the haters may think.  If you don’t like mayonnaise, maybe you should try to get to know it a little bit better before you dismiss it entirely from your diet.  This KCFL Quickie will give you a formal introduction to the oft-disrespected condiment, and will give you some pointers on how to make it even more delicious. 

The good stuff.

Mayonnaise is an invention usually credited to the French, but it’s likely that it originated in Spain in the town of Mahon and the recipe was brought from there to France.  (Mahon is also the home of a fantastic cheese that I recently bought at Whole Foods and I highly recommend.) 

Port of Mahon, Menorca (Spain)

In its most basic form, mayonnaise is a mixture of oil and egg yolks that is whisked together until it emulsifies.  An emulsion is formed when oil and water molecules combine together, like with vinaigrette dressings.  When you shake a bottle of oil and vinegar dressing, the two liquids combine, but only stay mixed for a short amount of time before they separate again. 

Mayo, on the other hand, is a stable emulsion, due to presence of a substance called lecithin that is found in the yolks that acts as a stabilizer.  A squirt of lemon juice is often added to provide zest, as well as a teaspoon or so of mustard (which also contains a small amount of lecithin, providing extra stabilization) and salt and pepper to taste.

The most basic set-up for homemade mayo.

Most mayo is made with a neutral-flavored oil, like canola or grapeseed, but you can use almost any oil you like.  The only exception to this that I can think of right now is sesame oil, which can be used in small amounts to flavor pre-made mayo, but not as the main component of it. 

Hellmann’s now makes a special variety of mayo that is made with extra virgin olive oil.  It has a distinct olive flavor and less bad fats, so it is actually not too unhealthy.  I’ve tried it and I love it, but I still use their regular mayonnaise, as well.  I find that there’s a time and a place for each one, so I keep both on hand regularly.  And, in case you were wondering, I always choose Hellmann’s over other brands because, to me, it’s superior. 

For the health-conscious mayo lover. 

You can even use gourmet oils to craft an even better version of mayo on your own.  Olivado makes some of the best avocado oils you can buy, and they have a line of infused avocado oils in flavors like basil, chili & bell pepper, lemon, and rosemary.  These oils are also loaded with heart-healthy omega fatty acids and other important nutrients, so you can make your mayo guilt-free. 

Olivado’s high-quality oils.

Mayo sure is great all by itself, but its smooth texture and mellow taste make it the perfect medium for carrying tons of additional flavors.  If you’ve never messed with mayo at home, you really should.  It will open up a whole new world of condiments to you that will take your eating experiences to levels only reached at fine restaurants. 

Without further ado, here are Six Ways to Maximize Your Mayo:

1. Mix it with your favorite chopped fresh or dry herbs 

Fresh thyme

There’s nothing quite like a great herb mayo.  Back at one of my old restaurant gigs, we made a five-gallon batch of herb mayo every Monday.  When I’m at home, I don’t need quite as much, probably just a cup or so to get me through a week. 

For one cup of Hellmann’s (or your favorite) mayo, add up to three teaspoons of dried herbs and just a little bit more than that if you’re using fresh (3.5 tsp or so).  Then, allow the flavors to marry for awhile in the fridge.  Wrap your mayo tightly with plastic wrap after seasoning with salt, pepper and perhaps garlic and onion powder, too. 

2. Turn it into a Thai treat.

Sweet chili sauce

Back when I worked at China Grill, my cohorts and I used to love snacking on almost anything dipped in the Sweet Chili Basil Aioli.  Sometimes I’d sneak bowls of “extra” fried calamari to the servers I actually liked, and with it they would always want “that really tasty sauce from the tofu plate.”  It was ironic that one of our tastiest sauces was used solely for one of our least popular dishes, but, then again, not much of what was done over there made much sense anyway.  The important thing is that the cooks got to make the most of its deliciousness, trying it on just about everything we could eat in that kitchen.  Now, I am going to tell you how you can prepare your own version of that really tasty sauce at home. 

Start by taking your favorite mayo and add some chopped fresh basil, about 1 to 1.5 tbsp per cup.  Then, add in some store-bought sweet chili sauce (the brand in the above photo is what we used at the restaurant, but every brand tastes pretty similar), about 1 part to every 4 parts mayo.  A splash of rice wine vinegar and some (optional) sugar, salt and pepper finish off this condiment that goes great on chicken, fish and anything fried. 

Note:  The mayo we used was Japanese mayo, which is available at some specialty stores, including Sasaya Japanese Market in the Gateway Plaza.  It tastes a bit different than traditional American mayo - more tangy due to the addition of rice wine vinegar and MSG.  You don’t need to use this, but it’s good to know that it exists and it presents you with additional options when cooking. 

3. Make it into bleu cheese dressing

St. Agur Bleu Cheese

Simply mix your favorite bleu cheese into your favorite mayo, add some black pepper and some chopped chives if you’d like, and voila!

Sure, you can buy it pre-made from an assortment of brands, but if there’s a particular artisanal bleu cheese that you really dig (you know I’m already thinking of my favorite) you can use that in your dressing and make it the best bleu cheese dressing ever.  If you’re really trying to up the ante, add in some chopped crisp-cooked bacon and then dollop over salad greens or use as a dip for buffalo wings. 

4. Aiolify it

It may look nice in that pretty packaging, but this is a certified rip-off. 

I’ve seen 6.8 ounce jars of stuff labeled “Aioli” in certain local specialty stores that shall remain nameless with price tags upward of $8.  Are they serious?!

Aioli is nothing more than garlicky-lemony mayo, but its chic name makes it seem like it’s in a class of its own.  When making it from scratch, a good way to really infuse the garlic flavor is by making a paste of fresh minced garlic cloves and coarse salt.  Rub minced garlic into the salt with the side of your blade (carefully!) and continue mincing and rubbing until a sort of paste has formed.  Whisk this paste into your favorite mayo and add a splash of lemon juice, a pinch of pepper and grated lemon zest for a gourmet touch. 

5. Transform it into remoulade

I was introduced to remoulade sauce on my first trip to New Orleans back when I was a junior in high school checking out the campus of my future alma mater, Tulane University.  My mom and I ate lunch at The Original Papa Joe’s on Bourbon Street (kinda touristy, yes, but it was my first ever trip to the Big Eaz) and got a side of remoulade to dip our fried crawfish in.  After eating all the crawfish, I ended up spooning out the remaining remoulade from its ramekin and eating it all by itself.  It was a bold move, but one I don’t regret.

If you never had it, remoulade is a mayo-based dipping sauce that’s packed with spice, tang, heat and zest from a slew of flavorful add-ins.  It’s perfect for fried seafood, but you can surely find many other uses for it in the kitchen. 

Mmmm remoulade

Start by adding some good quality grain mustard to your mayo (if you can find Zatarain’s Creole mustard, this would be the ideal one to use), about 3 tbsp for every cup of mayo.  Then, add in a dash of your favorite Louisiana hot sauce (mine is Crystal), a splash of lemon juice, a few drops of worcestershire sauce, a tsp of chopped capers, salt, pepper, and maybe even a little garlic powder to taste.  If you want more texture, a good idea is to throw in some pickle relish, and for added heat, you can put in some paprika or cayenne pepper powder (as seen in the above batch).  To round out all the flavors, I add a little bit of fresh of dry tarragon, which imparts a nice anise flavor to the background. 

It may seem like there’s a lot going on in that recipe, and that’s because there is.  But, after you let the flavors marry for an hour or so in the fridge, they balance each other out perfectly.  You’ll be dipping things you never expected into this sauce once you try it. 

6. Use it as a coating on chicken or fish and BAKE it

Never thought about baking something coated in mayo?  You’re probably not alone.  It took a bit of convincing to get me to try it out myself, but after one shot, I was hooked.  You can even stick cornmeal, breadcrumbs or even crumbled up Ritz crackers to the mayo-coated chicken or fish to create an awesome crust.  After baking, it will create a beautiful golden crust that tastes great and adds a nice texture to your protein.  As an added bonus, the mayo coating will ensure that your meat stays moist on the inside.  How can you say no to that?

Baked whitefish coated with mayo and panko

You can use plain mayo, or any flavored one you want.  I recommend using a good herb mayo on salmon or chicken breast fillets.  Simply coat your cut of meat or fish as liberally as you please, then bake in the oven until cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F for at least 15 seconds (for chicken) or to your desired doneness (for fish).  Here is a recipe for mayo and panko crusted Norwegian salmon if you’d like some inspiration for tonight’s dinner. 

Hopefully, your opinion of mayonnaise is starting to get better if it was negative prior to reading this.  There are so many other ways you can maximize your mayo that I left unmentioned, so just think creatively when you’re cooking at home.  Let mayo be your very own blank canvas which you can decorate with whatever flavors you like.  Then, use it to elevate your culinary game to the next level. 

So, got any questions, comments, thoughts, recipes or suggestions for this post and/or future KCFL Quickies?  Hit me up!  You can post a comment below, find me on twitter or facebook, and even reach me through The Official Kitchen Coach FL Website. 

Thanks for reading and come back soon for another KCFL Quickie!