You’ll be amazed at how easy mayonnaise is to whip up – and how much better it tastes than shop-bought varieties. For success, it’s essential the ingredients are at room temperature before you begin – if they’re too cold or warm, the mayonnaise could curdle. Master the basic recipe first, then experiment with our two variations.
Put the egg yolks, the lemon juice or white wine vinegar and the Dijon mustard into a bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then whisk with a balloon whisk until pale and creamy. This will take around 5min.
Step 2
Put both oils into a jug, then, whisking all the time, pour into the egg mixture, drip by drip at first, then in a steady stream. Don't add it too quickly or the mayonnaise will curdle. Continue until all the oil is incorporated and you have a creamy mayonnaise.
Step 3
If necessary, thin the mayonnaise with a little cold water and taste for seasoning. Store in a screw-top jar in the fridge for up to three days. Serve with poached salmon or roast chicken - on a sandwich or straight from the oven with new potatoes and salad.
Step 4
Electric whisk or spoon? We tried making this mayonnaise with an electric hand whisk on its lowest setting, a balloon whisk and a wooden spoon. The spoon took longest but, surprisingly, achieved the same results as the other two. Our favourite method is the balloon whisk as it results in the smoothest, lightest mayonnaise.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
