Mayonnaise is about as ubiquitous a sauce as there is. It's in almost all sandwiches and is used as the base for MANY salad dressings. It's what holds egg, chicken and tuna salad together. In many ways, mayonnaise is what makes the world go round.
Mayonnaise is probably a "Mother Sauce", but it might be a "Sister Sauce". That doesn't mean it's made by someone's mother, or FOR someone's sister (although it could be!). Or, perhaps it's a "Cousin Sauce" ... the uncooked 1st cousin of a Hollandaise (which IS a true "Mother Sauce"). All this means is ... it's the base for a myriad of other sauces. With it, you can add a few ingredients and get a totally different sauce. Add garlic to mayonnaise and you have Aioli! Add some cucumbers, a little diced egg, some onions and capers and ... voila! Tartar Sauce!
Mayonnaise is an emulsion. An emulsion is a mixture of two different liquids, mixed together, that ordinarily shouldn't be mixed together. This is a fancy way of saying "oil and water blended together".
Mayonnaise is awesome for a low carb way of eating. It's got virtually no carbs and has a lot of good fats. I'm showing the recipe for how to make it, because it's not that hard, it lasts a while in the fridge and the store bought mayonnaises often have a lot of sugar added. Finally ... I just think it tastes better!
Note: This can be done in a bowl, with a whisk. The process is the same, but it just takes longer and makes your arms really REALLY tired.
Makes about 32 one-tablespoon servings. |
|