For years my go-to turkey accompaniment was this cranberry sauce. Until I had the idea to make life easier (and less sugary) by adding some dried cranberries to mayonnaise. So good!
This stick blender mayo is super easy, but you’re welcome to substitute commercial mayonnaise if you’re short on time.
Cranberry Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon boiling water
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 cup neutral flavoured oil
- 75 g sweetened dried cranberries (craisins)
Instructions
- Place egg yolk, vinegar, water, mustard and a pinch of salt in a tall jug (see note above for why). Pour in oil.
- With your stick blender head on the bottom of the jug, blitz on high speed. As you start to see the emulsion forming, slowly raise the stick blender so the upper layers of oil get emulsified too.
- If the mayo is too runny, carefully add oil in a thin stream while mixing with the stick blender. This requires some dexterity. If too thick, stir in a little water using a spoon, one tablespoon at a time.
- Chop cranberries roughly and stir into your mayo.
- Taste and season with extra salt if needed (this can help tone down any bitterness from the oil if using olive oil) or a little extra vinegar if the flavour is too flat.
Variations & Substitutions
aioli / garlicky mayo – crush 1-2 garlic cloves with a little salt. Smash with the side of your knife on a chopping board until you have a puree. Add to mayo ingredients with the egg.
chipotle mayo – replace water with 100g (3.5oz) chipotle chillies in adobo sauce.
vegan / egg-free – Replace the egg yolk with an extra 2 tablespoons dijon mustard. Skip the water.
miso mayo – stir in 1 tablespoon white miso paste (aka ‘shiro’ miso). If you can’t find white miso red or brown miso will work – just use half because these miso pastes are stronger in flavour.
lemony – replace water and vinegar with lemon juice. For extra kick add the zest of 1 lemon.
limey – replace water and vinegar with lime juice. For extra kick add the zest of 1 lime.
preserved lemon – stir in 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped preserved lemon (you won’t need as much salt so best to taste and adjust seasoning at the end in stead of adding salt at the beginning).
cheat’s Hollondaise / Bearnaise sauce – replace the oil with melted butter cooled to room temp. This will split once refrigerated so best to make just as you need it.
different oils – I usually use a cheaper olive oil (not extra virgin) for my mayo because I find extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) overpowers. If you want more antioxidants and are happy with the punchy flavour use EVOO. The other oil I occasionally use is rice bran.
herby – stir in finely chopped fresh herbs. Parsley is great for general use. Or basil. Or dill (magic with fish).
pine nut – stir in a generous handful of cooled roasted pine nuts – amazing with fish, chicken or veg.
harissa mayo – stir in 1-2 tablespoons harissa paste.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
eggs – whole eggs will keep in the fridge for weeks or use for another meal.
rice vinegar or white wine vinegar / dijon mustard / neutral flavoured oil / dried cranberries – keep in the pantry.
Prepare Ahead
Yes! Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks. Do not freeze!
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
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