Mayonnaise is one of the mother sauces of French cuisine. Mother sauce, you say? Heard of, I don't know, aioli? Tartar sauce? Ranch dressing? Mayonnaise--a humble emulsified sauce made from egg yolks, oil and acid (vinegar or lemon juice)--is the base for so many good things. It's also good by itself if you make it rather than spoon it out of a jar.
Mayonnaise recipes don't vary that much. This one starts with two egg yolks, 300 mL oil (it says olive oil but experience--and other books--has told me that this results in a very strongly favoured mayonnaise, so I used 50% sunflower oil and 50% olive oil), a few drops of white vinegar, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of mustard. You whisk everything except the oil together until you have a smooth paste and then gradually--seriously, kids, gradually--add the oil. Drip by drip. After you've added 100 mL or so this way you can pour in a little more at a time. The idea is that the oil will be dispersed--emuslfied with--evenly through the egg yolks. If you end up with a yellowy, greeny olive oil you've done fucked up. Clean the bowl out and start again.
Season the mayonnaise with salt and pepper and, if you feel it necessary, more vinegar.
91. Hard-boiled egg
Hey, it's a recipe ...
92. Club sandwich
A classic. You take three slices of lightly toasted bread and butter them with mayonnaise (loaded up with chopped herbs). In between them, artfully lay a few lettuce leaves, some sliced roast chicken breast (I cheated and went to the local chicken shop and bought 1/4 of a chicken--it's free range so that makes it okay, right?), a couple of tomato, a chopped hard-boiled egg.
With three slices of sourdough, home made mayonnaise and a boiled egg, this is one very rich and substantial sandwich.
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