Erin Isaac - The Mayonnaise Cookbook : 50 Savory and Sweet Recipes Starring the Worlds Best Condiment

The Mayonnaise Cookbook

50 Savory and Sweet Recipes Starring the Worlds Best Condiment

Erin Isaac

Mayonnaise, also called mayo, is the creamy white condiment that so many people like me just cannot get enough of. It is the most popular condiment in the United States, with sales greater than $2 billion annually, outselling even ketchup and barbecue sauce! Mayo is the most versatile condiment of them all and can be used for so much more than sandwiches. You will find mayo in foods from crab cakes all the way to cupcakes.

So why do we call mayo, mayo? Well, I could bore you with the complex history of mayonnaise, but even after my research I cannot say that I have a straight answer. There are so many different origins. My research took me down a huge rabbit hole, and I ended up somewhere on YouTube watching someone using mayonnaise as a musical instrument. So when you have time to look up the origin of mayonnaise for yourself, choose the scenario that you like best and store it with your other fun facts.

According to Larousse Gastronomique, also known as The Worlds Greatest Culinary Encyclopedia, mayonnaise can simply be described as this: A cold sauce of which the basic ingredients are egg yolks in oil blended into an emulsion. In other words, mayonnaise is created by the chemical process of emulsification. I will go into more detail on what emulsification looks like and how to make it later in the cookbook.

When you go to the condiment aisle in the grocery store, you will see many brands of the same product. Mayo is no different. In my local grocery store, there are more than 25 different types of mayo (yes, I counted), all of which have been commercially prepared to withstand the duration of waiting to be picked up, checked out, and taken to their new home, someones kitchen. These commercially prepared mayonnaises are composed of the same ingredients as homemade mayo, except they include preservatives, which increase shelf life.

Although all the brands are considered mayonnaise, each is unique. Here is a list and description of the mayonnaise brands I prefer and used while creating this cookbook.

In my opinion, Dukes mayonnaise has the most neutral and balanced flavor. Dukes can be easily combined with practically any flavor you want, which is why I used it for most of the recipes in this cookbook. Think of Dukes as an empty canvas. Adding a little of this ingredient and a little of that can create a masterpiece. It is also an exceptional substitute ingredient to use in cakes or cupcakes when you do not have any eggs or oil. Dukes is the most versatile of the brands, so you might want to keep it on hand.

The texture of Hellmanns (known as Best Foods west of the Rockies) is distinctly different from other types of mayo. It has a light, fluffy, and jiggly texture, almost like Jell-O. Hellmanns has more of a savory taste, which is likely from the amount of mustard it contains. It also seems to be the saltiest of the mayonnaises, which makes it perfect to use to make sauces.

Out of the three brands of mayonnaise, Kewpie is the tangiest and tastes the strongest. According to Kewpie, there are four egg yolks in every pound of its product, which gives Kewpie a super-rich flavor. This mayonnaise would be best used for making special sauces like the one found on your favorite fast-food burger or in many Asian recipes. (See the .)

Miracle Whip, created in the 1930s, was developed as a contrast to mayonnaise and so is not technically a mayonnaise. Miracle Whip is considered to be a whipped dressing as it is much sweeter than mayo. According to the FDA, a certain level of fat content must be present to be considered mayonnaise. Miracle Whip does not meet this criterion; therefore, it is not a mayonnaise. Instead of the fat that mayonnaise has, Miracle Whip contains sugar, ground mustard, and spices, giving it a taste of sweetness with a little spice. Its great for adding sweetness and balance to dishes with strong aromas or flavors, such as tuna salad or egg salad.

Although mayo, Miracle Whip, and aioli can be used interchangeably in most dishes, they have different ingredients, which could change the outcome of your dish.

MayonnaiseThis has a thicker consistency and is made of egg yolks, a neutral oil, such as canola oil, and an acidic component, such as lemon juice, vinegar, or sometimes both. You can make your own easily or use Hellmanns, a reliable store-bought option.

Miracle WhipThis whipped dressing contains sugar, ground mustard, and spices. The distinct difference here is a higher sugar content.

AioliA strongly flavored, garlicky version of mayonnaise, aioli uses more potently flavorful oils, such as extra-virgin olive oil, with roots tracing back to the mid-nineteenth century.

Mayonnaise is made of three ingredients: egg yolk, oil, and some type of acidic component, such as vinegar or lemon. When making homemade mayonnaise, it is important to use a room temperature egg and whisk the egg yolk with the acidic component before adding in the olive oil. The acid will help break down the protein in the egg yolk, which will create a better emulsification. The emulsion process forces the oil and acid to mix together.

MAKES: cup | PREP TIME: 5 minutes

• 1 large pasture-raised egg at room temperature
• juice from lemon
• 1 cup canola oil
• teaspoon ground mustard
• teaspoon salt
• teaspoon white pepper

1. Separate the egg yolk from the egg white. Set the egg white aside and add the yolk and lemon juice to a food processor. Pulse continuously until the yolk and lemon juice are well combined.
2. While pulsing, add the oil in a continuous stream. Keep pulsing until the mixture begins to thicken. Then add the ground mustard, salt, and white pepper, and blend until well combined. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed.

Pro Tip: Save your egg white for future use. Place the whites into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week. Use the whites for egg salad, tuna fish, or even scrambled egg whites.