Mayonnaise may have been invented by the Spanish and popularized by the French, but Italians make maionese, too. The Italian method for homemade mayonnaise is not very different from elsewhere, but, not surprisingly, you make it either partially or entirely with olive oil (like the original Spanish version). And it’s very basic, generally speaking with no mustard and other flavorings. Armed with an immersion (or regular) blender it takes no time at all to make and, if your eggs are fresh and your oil fruity, the flavor is really out of this world.
Ingredients
Makes one cup of mayo
- 2 egg yolks, if making by hand; 2 yolks or 1 whole egg if making with a blender
- 1 cup (250 ml) of olive oil
- A quick squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- Salt
Directions
To make by hand: Place the egg yolk, lemon juice and salt in a bowl. Whisk together until frothy. Then add the olive oil bit by bit as you continue whisking, starting very slowly, adding a few drops at a time and adding more as the oil is absorbed into the egg yolk mixture. Keep adding until you have a thick, creamy sauce.
To make with a blender: Add all the ingredients in a blender, or if using an immersion blender in its beaker. Wizz at full power until the mixture is fully emulsified.
Notes
The more oil you add, the thicker your sauce will be—so long as the egg will absorb the oil without curdling. For some uses, you will want a pourable mayo, for others you will want a rather stiff mayo. The great thing about homemade mayonnaise is, you decide the way you want it.
As mentioned, Italian mayo is simple and pure, letting the taste of its ingredients stand out. If you use really fresh, organic eggs and a really fruity extra-virign olive oil, you won’t want anything additional to sully its taste. But if you like, especially if your ingredients are not top-quality, you can add some ‘zip’ to your homemade mayonnaise by adding some finely minced garlic and/or fresh herbs for extra flavor.
If you’re worried about raw eggs, you can always ‘doctor’ store-bought mayo. Just take about what you need, then squeeze in a few drops of fresh lemon juice. Start whisking in olive oil, just as you would a homemade mayo. It may surprised you just how much oil the mayo will absorb! If you want an Italian-ish taste, be sure to use a brand of mayonnaise without sugar. In the US, Hellman’s would be a good choice. Even if the result won’t compare with homemade mayonnaise, it will be passable imitation.
Homemade Mayonnaise, the Italian Way
Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks if making by hand; 2 yolks or 1 whole egg if making with a blender
- 1 cup 250 ml of olive oil
- A quick squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- Salt
Instructions
To make by hand:
- Place the egg yolk, lemon juice and salt in a bowl. Whisk together until frothy. Then add the olive oil bit by bit as you continue whisking, starting very slowly, adding a few drops at a time and adding more as the oil is absorbed into the egg yolk mixture. Keep adding until you have a thick, creamy sauce.
To make with a blender:
- Add all the ingredients in a blender, or if using an immersion blender in its beaker. Wizz at full power until the mixture is fully emulsified.
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13 Comments on “Homemade Mayonnaise, the Italian Way”
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How long can we keep it in the fridge if we don’t eat it all at once ?
Thx 🙂
It’s not as stable as store bought mayo, but it should keep at least good 2-3 days.
I make this all the time now, I have a whisk attachment for my immersion blender and it’s perfect. Regarding some of the comments on olive oil being too strong, of course if you’re using all olive oil the quality and style makes all the difference. I find that the heavier, spicy oils produce a too bitter result, and I try and find a lighter, fruitier oil, like a ligurian.
That sounds like a good approach to me, Steve. I often use lighter mayonnaise myself when I want a less assertive taste.
Using olive oil for the very first time to make mayo was a shocking disaster.
I’m very experienced mayo-maker but I’ve never applied olive oil, cause here in Denmark it’s consensus that olive oil is too dominant and will ruin ALL dishes.
Even rapeseed oil is no go, so I always apply sunflower or grape seed oil.
I usually make mayo of 2 yolks, sprinkle of salt, splash of lemon juice, tsp. mustard and tsp. of white wine vinegar, black pepper.
But I’m not fanatic and love al italian, so I’ve decide to make dressing for your carpaccio the right way, your way.
But, but to make it short I’ve been following yours ingredient list using only one yolk and it didn’t set up.
Then I took a new, wells temerite yolk and repeat the procedure. Didn’t work either.
Just for comparison reason I made a new take: 1 yolk and sunflower oil – same disaster!
Then I made a new batch: 2 yolks + sunflower oil : hurray! It works!
I have to conclude that the amount of yolks applied is crucial. Or…?
I remember the formula: 1 yolk emulsifiers 100 ml oil.
Personally I love mayo made from olive oil—and I find any other mayo too bland—but, of course, it’s all a matter of taste.
On the measurements, thanks for the heads up! You’re absolutely right, it should be two yolks for a cup/200-250ml of oil, not one. On the other hand, you can use one *whole* egg if making mayo in a high-powered standing or hand blender. I’ve fixed the recipe to be clearer on this point.
Y Frank, thank you so much for this recipe. I have been using Hellmans Olive oil mayo but I know there is a lot of preservatives in it & some other oils besides olive. I make a creamy Italian dressing using the olive oil Hellmans, Italian herbs, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. It is really flavorful. I put it pasta salad along with sundried tomatoes, Parmagian cheese, and additional Italian herbs.
thanks for information..:)
You’re welcome!
thanks for sharing..
Thanks! You know, I think mayo is *much* better than ketchup on fries! It compliments the flavor without drowning it out the way ketchup does.
Having grown up in a French household, mayonnaise was a staple for us. I even eat it with my fries instead of ketchup. This recipe looks exactly like my mom's, with the exception of the olive oil, which I like the idea of very much.