Golden Garlic Mayonnaise
by Nigella. Featured in AT MY TABLEIntroduction
My very earliest kitchen memories are of making proper mayonnaise by hand under my mother’s strict instructions; making it any other way has always felt sacrilegious. Besides, the result always seemed to have more in common with mayonnaise out of a jar, so why not stick with that or make the real stuff? And then I came across J. Kenji López-Alt’s method for blender mayonnaise, and everything changed. It’s a true kitchen blessing: the one-minute mayo with the texture you can normally only get by very slowly drip-dripping oil into egg yolks and whisking by hand. I immediately adopted it to make what has become the house mayonnaise, bright with saffron and brazen with garlic.
For optimal eating pleasure, leave this in the fridge overnight before giving a good stir and dolloping it onto everything. And follow the method to the letter!
Keep covered in the fridge for no more than a week.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
My very earliest kitchen memories are of making proper mayonnaise by hand under my mother’s strict instructions; making it any other way has always felt sacrilegious. Besides, the result always seemed to have more in common with mayonnaise out of a jar, so why not stick with that or make the real stuff? And then I came across J. Kenji López-Alt’s method for blender mayonnaise, and everything changed. It’s a true kitchen blessing: the one-minute mayo with the texture you can normally only get by very slowly drip-dripping oil into egg yolks and whisking by hand. I immediately adopted it to make what has become the house mayonnaise, bright with saffron and brazen with garlic.
For optimal eating pleasure, leave this in the fridge overnight before giving a good stir and dolloping it onto everything. And follow the method to the letter!
Keep covered in the fridge for no more than a week.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Makes: approx. 250ml
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
- 2 garlic cloves (peeled and halved)
- 1 x 15ml tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon more
- ½ teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes
- 250 millilitres cold-pressed rapeseed oil or regular olive oil
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
- 2 garlic cloves (peeled and halved)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon more
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup cold-pressed rapeseed oil or regular olive oil
Method
- Put all the ingredients, except for the extra teaspoon of lemon juice, into the goblet that comes with your stick blender. You can use a small bowl but it really needs to be very snug fit around the head of your blender: it's what will make the mayo work.
- Add 1 x 15ml tablespoon of cold water to the contents of the goblet. Plant the stick blender against the bottom of the goblet and then switch it on at full power, but don't move it around just yet. Again, this is important for the mayonnaise to come together.
- Once the mayo starts to form around the head of the stick blender, foaming up a little — and this shouldn't take more than about 30 seconds — you can move the head of the blender and keep whizzing to absorb the rest of the oil, creating a smooth, thick mayonnaise.
- Transfer to a bowl, and stir in the teaspoon of lemon juice by hand, which will loosen the texture a little. Cover with cling film and leave to stand for at least 15 minutes. If you can bear to leave it for longer, so much the better: both flavour and golden hue will deepen further on standing; its true colour emerges after it has been in the fridge overnight. Stir gently before serving, dispersing the flecks of saffron.
- Put all the ingredients, except for the extra teaspoon of lemon juice, into the goblet that comes with your stick blender. You can use a small bowl but it really needs to be very snug fit around the head of your blender: it's what will make the mayo work.
- Add 1 x 15ml tablespoon of cold water to the contents of the goblet. Plant the stick blender against the bottom of the goblet and then switch it on at full power, but don't move it around just yet. Again, this is important for the mayonnaise to come together.
- Once the mayo starts to form around the head of the stick blender, foaming up a little — and this shouldn't take more than about 30 seconds — you can move the head of the blender and keep whizzing to absorb the rest of the oil, creating a smooth, thick mayonnaise.
- Transfer to a bowl, and stir in the teaspoon of lemon juice by hand, which will loosen the texture a little. Cover with cling film and leave to stand for at least 15 minutes. If you can bear to leave it for longer, so much the better: both flavour and golden hue will deepen further on standing; its true colour emerges after it has been in the fridge overnight. Stir gently before serving, dispersing the flecks of saffron.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Refrigerate, within 2 hours of making, in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Refrigerate, within 2 hours of making, in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
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Show more commentsI have to admit I was a little skeptical... It's simply amazing. The mayonnaise comes together in mere seconds. Will make again and again.
At 54 I thought I’d done with changing… but Nigella, you’ve changed my life! How have I never made this before? I’m never buying garlic mayo again.
Such a quick and simple recipe. Thank you so much.
Just in time for artichoke season! Thanks, Nigella!
Foolproof recipe….also works without the garlic and saffron (I always add some mustard) and with a tin of anchovies for Vitello Tonnata ‘with a twist’
Delicious, light and so easy to make. Left out saffron as I didn't have any. Used to make potato salad with freshly dug new potaoes and chives. Would be very easy to tweak or dffierent flavours but best to use a neutral tasting oil (rapeseed).
Love this recipe. So quick. I've even made with sunflower oil. Delicious.
What a great recipe, have just purchased a immersion blender and have been searching for a garlic mayonnaise recipe to use it on. This was so easy to do and resulted in a very tasty , light and smooth taste goes great with some sausage rolls that have just been cooked
Oooh this would work well with my fermented garlic that I have been making. It mellows the garlic, and of course has added benefits. Will try this method, first saw it on Aussie Masterchef! Brilliant.