Getting Started

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Mayonnaise is an emulsion, or a technical term for a mixture of two liquids that don't normally mix, like egg yolk and a full cup of oil. Magic? Yes, culinary magic.

The trick is to add the oil very slowly at first while constantly whisking. Add the oil too fast and your emulsion will break, separating into parts. For this demo, we're making a one-egg mayonnaise, which yields about one cup. It can be a bit tricky to make a small amount of mayonnaise since you must add the oil a drop at a time in the beginning. Starting with more egg yolks makes the emulsion more stable, and you have a bigger margin of error.

Before starting, you'll need to separate the yolks from the whites. Reserve the egg whites for another use. Gather a neutral oil such as vegetable or canola, lemon juice, and white vinegar.