You may wonder why I consider mayonnaise to be an essential sauce for summer, but to me, it is a no-brainer. Mayonnaise is core to so many summer dishes like potato salad, elotes (Mexican-style roasted corn), and coleslaw, so keeping a healthy homemade mayo like this one on hand can turn any in-season veggie into an instant easy side dish. I would have to say my favorite summer veggie sides are pretty much anything plus mayo.
While adorning seasonal produce with mayo-based dressings may be delicious, the vast majority of store-bought mayonnaise, even many of the “natural” or organic ones, use processed oils that aren’t great for us. My version seeks to boost the healthfulness of this condiment by using olive and avocado oils rather than canola or soybean oils. Use local, pasture-raised eggs and a high-quality oils here to elevate your aioli even more.
Besides mayo-based salads like chicken salad or slaw, this aioli is also perfect for smearing on a summer-y BLT or burger. I also like to blend in a bit of other condiments with the mayo, such as BBQ sauce, pesto, chimichurri, or salsa, to create a new and tasty sauce for dipping crisp veggie sticks or roasted potatoes, complimenting a sandwich, drizzling on tacos, or using as a salad dressing.
Homemade Garlic Mayo (Aioli)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Yields about 2 cups
Ingredients:
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature (you can save the whites for another use, such as meringue or tossing into an omelette)
- 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 3/4 tsp. sea salt
- Pinch of cracked black pepper
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup avocado oil
- Optional add ins: Feel free to toss in your favorite extra seasonings like rosemary, thyme, basil, green chiles, or scallions.
Directions:
1. Put the egg yolks into a bowl or wide-mouth glass jar. Lightly whip the egg yolks until they are foamy, using either a fork or whisk.
2. Add the garlic, lemon, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper. Whisk together until well incorporated.
3. To emulsify the oil into the egg/vinegar mixture, first pour the egg mixture into a food processor or blender. Alternately, you can use an immersion blender if making your mayo in a wide-mouth glass jar. While the blender is running, pour in the olive and avocado oils, one at a time. You must pour the oils very slowly and steadily, as this allows the ingredients to combine and emulsify. It may be easier f you are a novice at this process, to use a liquid measuring cup with a pour spout to maintain a nice, thin stream as you add the oil.
4. If properly emulsified, your mayo will be thick and creamy, having a light color. Once complete, transfer the mayo to a glass jar for storage (if not already in one), and refrigerate. This will keep for about a week in the fridge.
Recipe Notes:
If your mayo “breaks,” meaning it becomes curdled, it can be fixed. Simply add one extra egg yolk to the mixture along with 2 tablespoons of room temperature water. Blend this into the broken mayo. Then add additional olive oil, one teaspoon at a time, adding it in a very slow, thin stream until the broken mayo becomes thick, light and creamy.
Laura Poeis a Registered Dietitian and traditional foods instructor. She homesteads in Wisconsin where she regular contributes to Edible Madison. Connect with Laura atLaura Poe, RD, for private practice appointments (distance consults available), upcoming classes, newsletter subscriptions, and more. Her nutrient-dense recipes can be found on Laura’s blog,Brine & Broth, and you can see what she has been cooking and creating on her Instagram @brineandbroth. Read all of Laura’s MOTHER EARTH NEWS postshere.
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