Simple & Healthy - Homemade Milk Mayonnaise!
Alright people. Mayo. Who doesn't love it? (OK that's right, Desi. There may be a few of you sillies out there who don't.)
I grew up on the old classic Best Foods - and mmm.... does it ever make a great sandwich, macaroni salad or thousand island dressing taste good. The only problem for me now - is that we are trying to avoid GMO foods (insert some of my favorite documentary films: Food Matters, Food Inc, Ingredients, Hungry for Change).
The two biggest GMO crops grown in the US are CORN and SOY. We avoid eating corn or soy products - unless they are labeled with the non-GMO label. Best Foods Mayonnaise is made primarily from Soybean Oil (even in the "with Olive Oil" branded style) and I am not thrilled about the preservatives, either.
I had tried a few different homemade mayo recipes... most of them include raw egg (not a big deal with fresh eggs) - but the texture and taste just never worked well enough to make it onto our sandwiches.
We had been eating a lot less bread since my hubby and oldest daughter needed to cut out bread from their diets (due to antibiotic-caused gut issues - more of which I will share later). We'd pretty much eliminated the typical bread sandwich (That is... until the MAGNIFICIENT discovery of a simple sourdough recipe... which I will share SOON!) Once we got back on the bread train.... I needed mayo!
The discovery of an egg-less, simple recipe that turns out an incredibly fluffy and luscious mayo was SO exciting! I heard about it while listening to one of my favorite cooking shows on PBS - The Splendid Table. She was interviewing David Leite. He told of eating a to-die-for green olive dip at a restaurant in Portugal. After asking the chef what the base was - he was introduced to the concept of Milk Mayonnaise. My mouth began to water as he described all of the wonderful things you can add to it... (all sorts of fresh herbs, roasted red peppers, dijon mustard, spicy Sriracha sauce, roasted garlic, etc.)
We tried it the next day (since it has such simple ingredients - we had them already!). I made the milk mayo into his recipe for Portuguese Green Olive Dip. We used it for a dipping sauce for our steamed artichokes! it. was. so. good.
Since then - I've enjoyed having a simple mayo recipe to keep in the fridge (lasts about a week or so) to use as a spread on sandwiches, a base for dips, or to add to egg salad. I love the fact that I can choose EXACTLY what I want to include - so I know what I'm putting into our bodies. I use grapeseed oil, since it is a very healthy, mild oil.
(I am in the process of taste-testing other healthier oils like avocado oil and some milder tasting, extra virgin olive oils... my research has shown that grapeseed is NOT as healthy as I once thought)
Part of the magic of this mayo is that in order to get it to fluff up perfectly, you need to have either a mini food processor - or a hand-blender. It's essential to use a small container. For some reason, if the container is too big, it won't fluff up.
Here's how I do it:
SIMPLE MILK MAYONNAISE RECIPE:
- 1/3 cup very cold milk (I use raw whole milk - but any milk works)
- 3/4 cup - 1 cup mild-tasting, healthy oil
- 1/4 clove fresh garlic, chopped. (I thought any more than this was too much)
- 3/4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. kosher or sea salt
Instructions:
Start out by measuring your liquids.
Add your cold milk, garlic and lemon juice first. If you're using a hand-held blender, pour these liquids in to a 2 cup glass measuring cup and blend for 30 seconds. If you have a mini-Cuisinart like mine ( it has a little emulsifying tray that catches the oil and slowly drizzles it in) put in these liquids and get the milk whipped up into a froth for 30 seconds. Very slowly add the oil - a drop at a time at first - and then in a very slow stream while you blend. If after you've used the 3/4 cup of oil - it's not thick yet - keep drizzling more oil until the texture changes and it fluffs up. It should have the same consistency as regular mayonnaise.
Next, add in salt & mustard to taste. Blend again. (at this point you could blend in some fresh herbs or other add-ins)
I hope that some of you try this out! If so - please leave a comment. I think you will enjoy the satisfaction of watching this lovely spread fluff up before your eyes - as well as the limitless possibilities for adding flavors!
Once you make the mayo... please try David Leite's Portuguese Green Olive Dip. It is divine!
Enjoy!
-Sarah