Making mayonnaise

What do paint and mayonnaise have in common? Preferably not much, except that both are emulsions, combinations of two liquids that do not mix.

Emulsions form due to amphiphiles, fundamental structural components of all living systems. Thus, as science writer Harold J. Morowitz points out, the microstructures of both living cells and salad dressings depend on a class of molecules every bit as important as DNA. They are central to the very origin of life.

I'm not surprised, for I can't imagine life without the common emulsions used in cooking-- milk, cream, butter and especially mayonnaise. Real mayonnaise, not Miracle Whip, has always been de rigueur at our house and I've gone back to making my own ever since I paid a recent visit to the port of Mahon on the Mediterranean island of Minorca, where mayonnaise originated.

Mayonnaise was invented in 1756 to celebrate the successful siege during the Seven Years War of St. Philip's Castle in Mahon by the Duc de Richelieu, who was not only an adept military leader but a gastronome as well (with a curious penchant for inviting guests to dine naked). It is hardly the only food named for a military officer or victory -- Chicken Marengo, Napoleons and Beef Wellington being just a few others. The duke's chef, hoping to prepare a victory feast that might compare favorably with the banquets at Versailles to which the duke was accustomed, planned on serving a sauce made of cream and eggs. But there was no cream in the kitchen, so he substituted olive oil and in honor of the victory at Mahon christened his invention "la sauce mahonnaise."

This is the generally accepted explanation of the origin of mayonnaise, though there are others. One theory suggests that the name is derived from the French word for stir, "manier," since vigorous stirring is necessary to concoct real mayonnaise. Another hypothesis is that the term comes from the French word for yolk, "moyen," egg yolks being a principal ingredient of mayonnaise. And, finally, a third posits that the name derives from yet another military figure, the Duc de Mayenne, who refused to go into battle at Arques in 1589 until he had finished his chicken salad dressed with mayonnaise, known up to that time only as cold sauce but thereafter named in his memory. (He was defeated.)

Though people disagree about the origin of mayonnaise, everybody agrees there is nothing like the homemade variety. As Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins put it, "Homemade mayonnaise is so far superior to even the best commercial product, it's a wonder they share the same name." Julia Child agrees. "The only trouble with homemade mayonnaise," she says, "is that once you've eaten your own you will never again be satisfied with anything else." As the "Joy of Cooking" notes, homemade mayonnaise is an elegant French sauce, not a mere sandwich spread.

It's too bad, then, that so many people have never tasted real mayonnaise or, worse yet, have developed a preference for the stuff that comes in a jar, a development which British food writer Elizabeth David decried, blaming commercial producers for fraudulently promoting the notion that mayonnaise is a condiment which can only be produced in a factory.

But even people who understand the difference between store bought and homemade are often reluctant to make their own mayonnaise, either because they think it's difficult or that it's unsafe. Both fears are unfounded.

Making mayonnaise at home is actually easy, and if you use a blender or a food processor, nearly foolproof, though making it by hand produces the silkiest sauce. Besides, I always feel more like a real chef when I have a whisk in my hand. All you do is beat oil into egg yolks until everything emulsifies. The secret is to do it slowly at first, a drop at a time, until the mixture starts to thicken. Even if it separates, the intervention of a Mayo clinic is unnecessary. Simply introduce another egg yolk and drizzle the separated sauce into it.

If you're worried about the safety of raw egg yolks, keep in mind that the risk is relatively slight. Only one in 30,000 eggs is tainted with salmonella. To be perfectly safe, follow a recipe that calls for whole eggs and use pasteurized liquid egg product or use the technique advocated by the American Egg Board and combine the yolks with a little water and lemon juice, then heat them to 150 degrees before adding the oil.

Ambrose Bierce called mayonnaise "one of the sauces which serve the French in place of a state religion." Try making your own to discover just how divine the real thing can be.

Homemade Mayonnaise

Do not use aluminum or copper bowls when making this classic recipe, adapted from the venerable Joy of Cooking, because they will react with the acid ingredients and affect color and flavor. The suggestions for variations can also be employed in a pinch to perk up store-bought mayonnaise.

Ingredients:

2 large egg yolks

1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of ground white pepper

1 cup vegetable oil, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Directions:

Whisk together the egg yolks, the lemon juice, salt and white pepper until smooth and light. Whisk in oil a drop at a time until the mixture starts to thicken. After about one-third of the oil has been incorporated, whisk in remainder a tablespoon at a time until thoroughly blended. Stir in Dijon mustard and further salt and pepper to taste.

Variations:

For green curry mayonnaise add to 1 cup mayonnaise, 2 to 3 teaspoons Thai green curry paste, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/8 teaspoon Thai fish sauce and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro; for herb mayonnaise add to 1 cup mayonnaise 2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh herbs, such as tarragon, basil, chervil, chives, parsley, dill or oregano; for tomato-basil mayonnaise add to 1 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 3 tablespoons finely chopped basil, a dash of Tabasco, and salt and pepper to taste; for chipotle mayonnaise add to 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 finely chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce, 1 clove minced garlic and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro; for orange and ginger mayonnaise add to 1 cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons grated orange peel, 4 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger and 2 tablespoons lime juice; for blueberry or raspberry mayonnaise substitute blueberry or raspberry vinegar for lemon juice in basic recipe, adding additional vinegar to finished product to taste.

Listen to A Harte Appetite at 8:49 a.m. Fridays and at 11:59 a.m. Saturdays on KRCU, 90.9 FM. Write A Harte Appetite, c/o the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699 or by e-mail to tharte@semissourian.com.