There are so many reasons why mayonnaise never featured in my culinary repertoire.

I never took to mayonnaise from a jar. Too heavy (how ever much Hellman’s tried to convince me otherwise).

Forget about making it by hand. Quite apart from the risk of RSI, the risk of slowing down the whisk movement or drizzling oil too fast during the process and ending up with an oil on egg, curd like gloop and wasting precious oil made it a no go for a lazy soul like me. Don’t get me wrong; I am in awe of people who have the patience to follow this process. I watched this video  on making tartare sauce and saw all the pitfalls and shelved the idea. – if I put in the effort I want guaranteed results first time.

To get the food processor out to make it seemed like too much hassle. Not to mention the washing up and putting away afterwards… even Hellman’s is tempting compared to that.

When I had a Vitamix (since sold on e-bay) which I did worship for nine years pre-TM5, the thought of scooping it out of the bowl, swizzling the spatula around the fixed blades and getting nowhere with getting all the emulsion into the jar was off putting. So much waste! And of course, as you have to control the drizzle of oil by hand and it is easy to get bored and pour it in too fast and you are left with a fail that has to be rescued with extra egg.

Now? With the TM5 of my life, I make it all the time. It’s fool proof. It’s so quick. Easy to transfer straight into a jar from the nice wide TM bowl with the aid of a silicone spatula.  One minute self wash afterwards and the bowl is clean. It’s so damned mayonneasy!

The first time I followed the guided recipe on the microchip. It worked so beautifully. Now making tartare sauce is amazingly simple. I throw herbs onto the running blade at speed 8 and then gherkins and capers at speed 5 for 5 seconds.  Then I use a silicone spatula to push all the chopped bits back down and then continue with the guided recipe method,  adding the egg  and seasoning and drizzling the oil in as per the video.

The main thing is to ensure the egg is at room temperature. Drizzling the oil is so easy as the 100 ml measuring cup (MC) that acts as the stopper on the lid is domed at the base. This means you can pour oil directly onto the flat of the lid as the blade is spinning below and the oil trickles in through the gap. I haven’t needed to but I have been told that if you put the simmering basket into the TM bowl it slows the drip down further. This may make for an even lighter mayonnaise.

Since discovering that duck eggs have such a smooth consistency and delicate flavour, I have created my very own signature mayonnaise: duck egg and avocado oil mayonnaise with lime, chilli, garlic and apple cider vinegar. Three minutes from this:

To this:

Have a go if you own a Thermomix.  I was nervous but now I do it with my eyes closed! If you don’t own a TM5 I’d seriously advise you to get in touch with me for a demonstration! I’ll even send you off with your own pot of mayonnaise if you are lucky. Everyone should own a Thermomix.  It is the kitchen of the future!

RECIPE:

DUCK EGG & AVOCADO OIL MAYONNAISE with CHILLI, LIME & APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

INGREDIENTS

250 ml avocado oil (or other light oil of choice)

1 strip of lime zest

1 clove garlic

Pinch of red chilli flakes

1 duck egg (or for a richer, thicker mayonnaise, just the yolk)

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp dijon mustard (optional)

1/2 tsp salt

Pinch of black pepper

METHOD

Place a small jug on the lid of the TM bowl.  Weigh exactly 250g of oil into it.  Set aside.  With the blade running at speed 8, drop in the strip of lime zest, the clove of garlic and the chilli flakes.  With a silicone spatula, scrape down the chopped ingredients.

Break the egg into the TM bowl. Add all the other ingredients.  With the MC in place, blend for 2 mins at speed 4 and meanwhile, with the blade spinning, gently drizzle the oil into the flat of the lid and let the oil drizzle down through the bottom of the MC into the TM bowl to create an emulsion.   I tend to hold the MC down so the oil literally drips in. Done!