Dill Mayonnaise

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large batch: makes approx 3 1/2 cups
small batch: makes approx 1 1/2cups

A few secrets to homemade mayonnaise:
i. Everything needs to be at room temperature.
ii. If making with a food processor you need to have enough egg at the beginning so the oil gets dispersed evenly. I’ve had many tears over split mayonnaise when I thought I was being clever and halving the recipe. That being said, I have made this small batch with one whole egg successfully in the food processor.
iii. Olive oil is too strongly flavoured for mayo. I’ve tried even just a little and it always overpowers. Stick to neutral oils.
iv. If it does split, it’s time to switch over to hand beating. Mix a tablespoon of the split mixture with a tablespoon of mustard then start adding the mixture back in very slowly. A trick I picked up from the formidable Julia Child.
v. It’s ok to season with a little sugar. I often add sugar to my salad dressings so why not mayo. It defintely makes a difference in reaching the S&W benchmark.
vi. The fresher your eggs, the longer your mayonnaise will last.

If making your own may seems like too much hassle, by all means substitute in some store bought mayonnaise and just stir in a little mustard and chopped dill. No one will know the difference;)

Large batch:

2 whole eggs at room temperature
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3 cups peanut or other vegetable oil
1 bunch dill, leaves picked & chopped

Small batch:

1 whole egg at room temperature
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 1/2 cups peanut or other vegetable oil
1 bunch dill, leaves picked & chopped

1. Whizz eggs, mustard, vinegar & lemon together with a pinch salt.

2. With the motor still running, add the oil a few drops at a time, then build up to a thin stream and then a slightly more daring stream until most of the oil is incorporated.

3. Taste and season. Feel free to add a pinch of sugar or more vinegar, lemon juice or mustard if you like. Whizz to combine.

4. Add dill and whizz until only just combined,

5. If the mayo is a little too runny, add the remaining oil. Too firm, add a little water.

Quantities for Different Serving Sizes

Large batch is enough to serve up to about 20 and the smaller batch best for up to 10 people.

Prepare Ahead

Salmon like this is lovely served chilled. So you could bake up to 2 days ahead and store in the refrigerator. This will save a last minute dash to the super-busy fish markets.

Variations

vegan / egg-free – use a commercial vegan mayonnaise OR make a sauce from equal parts of tahini, lemon juice and water – maybe 1/2 cup of each and whisk until you have a smooth sauce – it will be much runnier than mayo but will be delicious with the fish. OR make a dill oil by pureeing a bunch of dill with a cup of olive oil and seasoning with a little salt, pepper & lemon juice.

Problem Solving Guide

mayonnaise curdles – this is usually either because you’ve added the oil too quickly OR there wasn’t enough mixing to get the oil properly emulsified. If this happens, pour your curdled mess into a bowl. Wash out the food processor and start again with a tablespoon mustard and an egg yolk. Add the curdled mixture a drop at a time until it looks like it’s emulsifying, then add more rapidly. If this fails as well, I find it’s best to start again with an egg yolk and a whisk and do it by hand.

too bland– season with salt & pepper but also try adding a little more mustard or vinegar or even some lemon juice.

too thick – be careful but you can thin by adding a little room temperature water and whizzing to combine – best to do this little by little as too much water could split the emulsion.

green goo – if you over process the mayo after adding the dill, you’ll end up with a green mayo. It will still taste divine – just think about renaming it: ‘green goddess mayo’.

don’t have sherry vinegar? – white wine or champagne vinegar or even lemon juice will all do the trick.

can’t find dill? – you could just serve plain mayo, or substitute other fresh herbs such as chives, parsley or mint or even basil.

Serving Suggestions

Pretty much all seafood go well with mayo & dill. Great on sandwiches.
Something unexpected to serve with roast lamb.
Also wonderful with smoked salmon and poached eggs – for a different take on eggs benedict.

Leftover Potential

Brilliant!. Will keep in the fridge for at least a week.