Whip up homemade mayo for the best sandwiches and salads

With so many of you having to stay home and cook for the first time — ever or more than you have in a long time — we get that it can be overwhelming to have to cook all your meals from scratch. So we’re here to get you started. Each day we’re going to post a new skill here and go into detail about how to do it — a resource for cooking basics so you can get food on the table and get through this.

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A series of simple tutorials for making some basic recipes at home.

March 26, 2020

Lesson 45: Homemade Mayonnaise

Making mayonnaise from scratch requires only four pantry staples and takes less time than running to the store for a new jar. Once you’ve got it, the BLTs, tuna and/or egg salad in your days ahead will be better for it.

While many homemade formulas call for only egg yolk, I prefer to use the whole egg. The final texture is silkier and airier and the mayonnaise is less likely to break when you make it. Like vinaigrettes and salad dressings, mayonnaise is an emulsification of oil and water, which naturally don’t want to mix. The key to preventing mayonnaise from turning into oil-slicked blobs is to add the oil in a very slow, very thin stream as you incorporate it.

Whole Egg Mayonnaise

Time 5 minutes

Yields Makes 1 ½ cups

I like it best in dishes where it gets to shine, like this potato salad. This is the kind you get at Korean barbecue restaurants, one little plate of banchan among the many. It’s perfect with grilled meat and shows off the richness of your homemade mayo.

Smashed Potato Salad

Time 45 minutes

Yields Serves 4