MAYONNAISE

Homemade mayonnaise is superior to commercial mayonnaise. Many years ago I had a great uncle who was headwaiter at one of the oldest and most prestigious restaurants in Budapest. You had to go down these steep, rustic stairs into a basement and what a shock it was to enter an elegant restaurant – hence the name, Mátyás Pince or Matthias Basement, [named after King Mátyás]. Well the chefs made their own mayonnaise there [with a whisk] and my uncle sometimes brought a jar home... I never made mayonnaise with a whisk; I am much too impatient for that. 

MAYONNAISE
2 egg yolks

2/3 tsp of dry mustard

1 cup of flavorless cooking oil

pinch of salt

pinch of white pepper

1-1/2 tsp vinegar

• Place the egg yolks in a small bowl with the mustard.
• Whip the mixture until it thickens. Be sure it is THICK.
• Begin to add the oil drip by drip. 
• Increase the oil to a thin stream in small increments, but make sure the oil gets fully incorporated into the egg mixture after each addition.
• When all the oil is added, you will have a thick emulsion.  
• Begin to add the salt, the white pepper and the vinegar, whipping after each addition.
• Give the mix a quick burst and transfer the mayonnaise to a serving dish.
• Or store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Your mayonnaise will ALWAYS work if you:

1. If you use a beater, any beater, but not a food processor!

2. Always start with 2 egg yolks, you cannot beat just one egg yolk. Beat the egg yolks with mustard. Don't add anything else at the start, only mustard. Beat the egg yolks and the mustard until the mixture grows in volume and thickens considerably. The consistency of the egg yolk is where most people fail. If the egg yolks are not thick enough, no matter how slowly you add the oil, it will remain a thin liquid and will never become mayonnaise. The egg yolks must be THICK before you add oil.

3. Once your yolk mixture is thick enough, start adding the oil, very slowly, only a few drips at first. After each addition of oil beat it into the yolks thoroughly blending.

4. Once a third of the oil is combined, you can began to add the oil a bit more liberally. But don't dump it all in and make sure each addition of oil is fully incorporated. It's chemistry dear Watson.