Home Made Garlic & Dill Olive Oil Mayonaise

I finally did it. Do you know how many years I have been quietly ruminating over home made mayo? Well, a lot. Of course, once I got started I got a bit cocky and added too much oil right after everything initially emulsified, so I had to start over, and go on to screw it up again. yup. Third try was the charm apparently, or maybe it was that I stopped trying to use the Cuisinart and just got out a bowl and whisk, but for whatever reason it finally worked out, and was amazing.

I'd been a bit reluctant to make the mayo partially because it is such a hallowed food to me. I didn't want to mar the sacred creamy tangy taste that peps so many dry or tired foods. I have been known to go "off" foods for months at a time through some particular bad experience that ruins them for me. Throwing up a sandwich with pickles on sourdough when I was pregnant, for example, put me off both for almost a year. So you can see why I was concerned, how would I function without mayo or olive oil it it turned out horribly wrong? As a  preventative measure James suggested I use light olive oil which at least would have a chance of being masked by other flavors, unlike the strong extra virgin stuff I use for everything else.

So, I separated 2 gorgeous orange yolks from the morning eggs (we have 2 Rhode Island Red hens in the front yard) and dumped them in the food processor. I suggest skipping this step and jumping right to the whisk and bowl, but in case you want an exact play by play I will continue... Turn food processor on, begin drizzling 1 cup of light olive oil in through lid. Jump up and down and grin like idiot as it initially emulsifies and you see globs of creamy mayo substance accumulating on sides of container. Pour too much olive oil in too quickly, and see oily goopy liquid mess. Make frowny face. repeat.

Get out a clean bowl and an electric whisk and get 2 more egg yolks into the bowl, start beating, add a teaspoon of the oily goopy liquid from the food processor. When thoroughly incorporated, add another teaspoonful. Continue in this manner, carefully doling out the contents of the food processor into the bowl, never adding more until the previous bit is completely integrated, until....voila! You have real mayonnaise!!! Add a pinch of sea salt and the juice of 2 lemons, and there you go. I nervously tasted a finger tip-full, and found it faintly olive-y tasting, but not unpleasantly so. Then add half a grated clove of garlic, and as much torn dill as you please, and I dare you not to close your eyes and hum as you lick the whisk.

I am quite confident in the freshness and healthiness of our egg yolks, but if I was not, or if I were pregnant, I might quick pasteurize the eggs by dipping in simmering water for 30 seconds or so.

I am planning lots of experiments involving various fats (bacon drippings, chicken or duck renderings, etc) and acids, and I guess if any are not really delicious I can thrown in garlic and dill so no one can tell.  ;-)

One thing I found a bit odd was how thick/stiff our mayo got. I wonder if that is normal or if it is because I ended up with lots of extra yolks by the time I got done. Anyway, the thickness sure doesn't bother anyone here!