They say that the measure of a great chef is in the sauces he makes. Now, we are not talking about pan gravy here (although a good pan gravy under the right circumstances can be pretty darn good!), but great sauces that are the foundation of French cooking, like a creamy hollandaise.
Perhaps France’s most famous chef, Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935), classified sauces into five “mother” sauces, meaning the sauces from which all others are derived. The five sauces are Velouté, Bechamel, Espagnole (of Spanish origins), sauce Tomat, and Hollandaise. All of these sauces are roux-based. There is some debate over whether mayonnaise (which was first made in 1756) should be a mother sauce, but as it derives from Hollandaise, most exclude it.
There is a point to this rant, and it is that mayonnaise is one of the great French sauces. It is a great pity that we have turned this wonderful sauce into “mayo.” Really, the goop that you buy at the grocery store has little relationship to the real thing.
Believe it or not, good mayonnaise is not hard to make. Once you learn the basic method, you can explore all the variations, like curry, lime ancho, herb, saffron and roasted garlic, and chipotle, or even come up with your own.
The classic recipe calls for 10 ounces of oil (a neutral oil like sunflower is good), 2 egg yolks, ½ tsp spoon of vinegar, and 1 tsp of Burgundy mustard. Combine the yolks, vinegar, and some lemon and slowly dribble the oil into the mixture as you whisk furiously. It sounds simple, but it is pretty easy to “break” the sauce, meaning that as it starts to thicken (the purpose of whisking the oil and other ingredients), it liquifies and all is lost. You have no choice but to start over again.
But I have another method that is 100% foolproof. It requires only an immersion blender and a cup that is just large enough for the head of the blender to fit inside. Add a cup of oil, an egg yolk, a pinch of salt, and a dab of mustard to the cup. Insert the immersion blender and pulse until the sauce thickens. It is that simple.
My favorite variation is aioli, and it is just as easy to make. It’s great as an accompaniment to almost any cooked vegetable, crab cakes, and French fries, to name just a few.
In the same cup described above, add 1 cup of best-quality olive oil, 1 egg yolk, crushed garlic (as much or as little as you like), and a tsp of lemon juice. I also like to add red pepper flakes. Use the immersion blender as described above, and in just a few seconds, you will have an amazing garlic mayo. It’s great on grilled steaks, fries, and on almost any sandwich you like.
So, in the future, skip the mayo aisle at the grocery store and make your own!
