A New Must for BLTs: Homemade Mayonnaise

Miracle Whip or mayo? This BLT question inspired the switch to mayonnaise: not just any mayonnaise, but homemade mayonnaise. Grab your whisks ...

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“You want that BLT with mayo or Miracle Whip?” asked the waitress.

We’d stopped for a late lunch at a tiny country café, the gravel parking lot mostly emptied of the after-church fried-chicken crowd.

For weeks, I’d been hankering the rite of summer that is the BLT, hot strips of bacon tucked between slices of good bread with fat slices of tomato and crisp lettuce.

I ordered the sandwich, counting on good bacon and good tomatoes, minimum. The mayo-Miracle Whip question was a surprise but made me grin: Facebook needed to know. A minute later, my cousin LeAnne asked, “Well, which one did you pick?” Well, Miracle Whip, of course, no question.

But this week, I made homemade mayonnaise for BLTs made at home and, heads up, LeAnne, when it comes to BLTs, I’m switching to mayo.

Why go to all the trouble of making mayo? It’s the texture, light and airy, like pillows of goose down. It’s the way it almost melts into the toasted bread. It’s the clean, pure taste.

Yep, I’m a convert. My answer to the BLT question is now 'mayo', so long as it's homemade mayo, that is. Maybe others will switch too?

FOOD SAFETY Homemade mayonnaise should be kept refrigerated and eaten right away, within a day or two at most. Commercial mayonnaise is safe for outdoor picnics and such but so be it, since so many people ‘think’ that mayonnaise causes food poisoning, I skip mayo-based foods because no one will eat them.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. Follow Kitchen Parade on Facebook!

RECIPE FOR HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 15 minutes
Makes about 3/4 cup

• 1 egg yolk (see TIPS)
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• Splash of lemon juice (a generous teaspoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon good mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 3/4 cup canola oil (see TIPS)

Grab a whisk, a large bowl (see TIPS), a measure of patience and an extra measure of upper-arm muscle. Put everything except the canola oil into the bowl and whisk a bit, just until there are no signs of yolk or mustard. For the next four minutes, add about a ½ teaspoon of oil at a time to the mayonnaise, all the while whisking whisking whisking. For the next eight minutes, slowly pour the remaining oil into the bowl in a thin stream, all the while whisking whisking whisking.

Use immediately or better yet, transfer to a glass jar and refrigerate until quite cold.

Now make BLTs. Now savor. Now take the homemade mayonnaise pledge.

ALANNA’s TIPS Raw egg is not recommended for infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. My friend Linda used pasteurized eggs all the time. I choose canola oil, rather than olive oil, for its neutral flavor. But mayo made from a fruity olive oil can be oh-so-good. Use a bowl that can be tipped on its side for easy whisking against the side of the bowl. Why not use the food processor? The heat of the blade changes the oil, creates a thicker, pastier mayonnaise. Besides, the exercise is perhaps called for, because, you just know you’re gonna love this homemade mayo.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE (How many calories in Homemade Mayonnaise? How many Weight Watchers points in Homemade Mayonnaise?) Per Tablespoon: 128 Calories; 14g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 17mg Cholesterol; 50mg Sodium; 0g Carb; 0g Fiber; 0g Sugar; 0g Protein; Weight Watchers 3.5 points

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What's Your Choice for BLTs?
Mayo? Miracle Whip?
Is Homemade Mayonnaise Calling?

Let me know in the comments!

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