38 Delicious Ways to make Flavoured Mayonnaise(s?)!

As you may remember, weeks ago (I’ve been busy!) I said I was going to do a series of blogs on great things to keep in the storecupboard and, further, that the first one would be about mayonnaise.  Well I lied!  The first two are going to be about mayonnaise!

Good idea! Pin this
to refer to later.

I started writing this post by saying how easy it is to make all sorts of deliciously flavoured mayonaisses (what is the plural of mayonnaise?) rather than buying in all the different ones but I had so many ideas it is a post in itself. My next one will be on delicious ways to use them.

There are so many temptingly flavoured mayos on the market, but all of them are easy to replicate at home.  Such variety was certainly not available where I used to work as a chef (small island in the Caribbean) so I made all sorts of different mayonnaise sauces myself. I see no need to change this now I just cook domestically in the UK.

If you have a jar of bought in mayonnaise (light is fine, that's what I always use) or even homemade mayonnaise you can make all of these.

~  38 Mayonnaise Flavours to Create at Home ~

All the quantities below are for 120g mayonnaise but don’t take them as gospel!

You may well like to add a little salt, or you may not, lemon juice will brighten most flavours so add a squeeze if you’ve got it, garlic is good in lots of things, so is black pepper ~ experiment!

It is important to remember, when using fresh ingredients, that even when combined with mayonnaise they can still go off so the following suggestions do have a limited shelf life, just make what you need.

Fresh Herb Mayonnaise

You need about 15g-20g of fresh herbs per 120g mayonnaise, either finely chop the herbs and stir in or purée the whole herb leaves with the mayonnaise. Use soft leaf herbs, I don’t think rosemary, for instance, will work for this. Try …

~   Dill or Fennel Mayonnaise - for fish, add some lemon juice too.

~   Lemon & Parsley Mayonnaise – add chopped parsley to the lemon butter below!

~   Basil Mayonnaise – purée whole basil leaves with the mayonnaise, taste and season – this is lovely, I used to serve it with seafood mixed grill.

~   Watercress Mayonnaise – purée a small handful of watercress together with mayonnaise and a little lemon juice. This is perfect with poached salmon and good with all sorts of other things too.

~   Etc. – so many herbs, you have a go!

Or make a …

~   Mixed Herb Mayonnaise – a good combination would be ½ tablespoon each of chopped parsley, tarragon, chives, basil and a clove of garlic or do a Provençal Mayonnaise with

I’d just like to say a bit of chopped parsley, or other suitable herb, may enhance and definitely will make almost any of the following look prettier.

Fresh Fruit or Vegetable Mayonnaise

~   Scallion Mayonnaise – a very simple but impressive dressing is made by puréeing half a bunch of coarsely chopped spring onions (scallions) with the mayonnaise. This makes a delicious potato salad! 

~   Roasted Butternut Squash Mayonnaise! - what a delicious surprise this was! You really should try it.

~   Garlic Mayonnaise – aka Aioli. Add up to 1 (or maybe more - this is very much a matter of taste) very well crushed clove of garlic to the mayonnaise, a squeeze of lemon is good too. Sometimes I add a wincy pinch of turmeric to this so that it looks more homemade and authentically Mediterranean and I call it Aioli!

~   Ginger Mayonnaise – stir in 2 teaspoons of finely grated fresh ginger plus 2 teaspoons of the citrus juice of your choice.

~   Mango Mayonnaise – stir in 1-2 tbsp puréed fresh mango and add a squeeze or lime juice and/or a few drips of hot sauce.

~   Orange/Lemon/Lime Mayonnaise – stir in 3 teaspoon of juice a spoonful at a time, the mayonnaise will thicken slightly. Taste and season and maybe add some finely grated zest. (Handy Hint – if you are going to use the zest grate it off the fruit before juicing, it is much easier that way.) Orange mayonnaise goes well with seafood and duck to name just two. Lemon mayonnaise is good with fish, of course, and lots more. Try adding black pepper to make, guess what? Lemon pepper mayonnaise! Lime is lovely with seafood and spicy things.

~   Caramelised Onion Mayonnaise – see here for how to caramelise onions (it’s my favourite way to cook onions, caramelised or not) and then, when they are utterly cold, stir or purée 1½ tablespoons of them into the mayonnaise.

Cooked Fruits or Vegetables

~   Apple Mayonnaise – stir in 1-2 tbsp apple sauce (recipe here). Season to taste and serve with ham/pork/bacon/sausage type dishes and it makes a great dressing for coleslaw.

~   Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise – mash 6 roasted garlic cloves l and stir into the mayonnaise. 

I must make a confession here; I love roasted garlic mayonnaise and usually get it from M & S!!! This is because my real man doesn’t like the smell of garlic, even when its roasting, so I kindly don’t fill our tiny home with its aroma.

~   Roasted Pepper Mayonnaise – finely chop 2 tablespoons of roasted red pepper (home cooked or bought in a jar) and mix into the mayonnaise.  Maybe add a little chopped parsley for prettiness.

From your storecupboard

These will have a longer shelf life than the fresh additions above.

~   Mustard Mayonnaise – add 1½ tablespoons of Dijon mustard OR wholegrain mustard or a mixture of both.

~   Honey Mustard Mayonnaise – replace half a tablespoon of mustard in the above ‘recipe’ with runny honey.

~   Horseradish Mayonnaise – stir in ½ - 1 tbsp horseradish sauce plus a little lemon juice and season to taste. Due to an enzyme in the horseradish this tends to thicken considerably over time so don’t make it too much in advance.

~   Sweet Chilli Mayonnaise – stir 3 teaspoons of sweet chilli sauce and 2 teaspoons of lime juice into the mayo.

~   Green Chilli Mayonnaise – I make this using Patak’s wonderful Green Chilli Pickle  (I am sure there are others too). It is VERY potent so start cautiously and abstemiously with, say, a scant ¼ teaspoon of the pickle stir it in, add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice and taste.  Add little more if you wish. This is great with chicken and fish, especially fish and chips as a kind of feisty tartare sauce substitute and it makes a lovely dressing for chicken salad.

~   Mango Chutney Mayonnaise – take 1-2 tbsp mango chutney and finely chop the lumps. Stir into the mayonnaise perhaps with a little citrus juice, This is good with duck, spicy dishes and seafood.

~   Chipotle Mayonnaise – stir in a little or a lot of chipotle paste, start with about ½ a teaspoon and work your way up.

~   Wasabi Mayonnaise – mix ½ tablespoon of wasabi powder to a paste with 1 teaspoon of water, stir it in and see what you think of it.  Bit of lemon juice maybe? Touch more wasabi? Lovely with tuna.

~   Caper Mayonnaise – add a tablespoon of finely chopped capers, a squeeze of lemon juice and maybe some finely grated zest if you have some.  Perfect for salmon or, even better, smoked salmon. Or make your own ...

~   Tartare Sauce

120g mayonnaise

½ tbsp finely chopped capers

½ tbsp finely chopped gherkins

juice of ¼ lemon

~   Mix all together. That’s it.

~   Pesto Mayonnaise – add 1 tablespoon pesto to the mayonnaise.

~   Tapenade Mayonnaise – (quite a few tapenades in Tesco to choose from!) stir 1½ tbsp of tapenade plus some chopped parsley and black pepper into the mayonnaise.

~   Green Peppercorn Mayonnaise – drain and finely chop 2 tbsp green peppercorns, stir into the mayonnaise and serve with steak, to name just one idea.

~   Anchovy Mayonnaise - very finely chop 4 or 5 tinned anchovies and stir into the mayonnaise. Add some lemon juice but NO salt unless you are a maniac.  Take this further and make …

~   Caesar Dressing for Cheats

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 oz shredded Parmesan

2-3 anchovies

juice of half a lemon

dash of Worcestershire sauce

good grind of black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp mayonnaise

~   In a food processor or liquidiser blend together all the ingredients down to the olive oil.

~   When smooth add the mayonnaise and give it a quick whizz.

~   Taste and season but I doubt it will need anything – almost definitely NOT salt.

~   Sesame Mayonnaise – add 1 tsp (or a little more) sesame oil and season to taste with a little salt or soy sauce. Some good additions to this would be sesame seeds, toasted sesame seeds (even better) and/or finely chopped spring onions or a teaspoon of finely grated fresh ginger.  Speaking of which …

~   BBQ Mayonnaise – this is 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce stirred in together with a good grind of black pepper.

~   Marie Rose Sauce for Prawn Cocktail etc.

120g mayonnaise
1½ tbsp tomato ketchup
a little hot sauce or Worcestershire sauce

~   Mix all together – a splash of brandy or vodka is good in this too!

Spiced Mayonnaise

~   Black Pepper Mayonnaise – obviously the way to make this is to grind in as much black (or mixed)pepper as you like. Add a little lemon juice if you fancy it.

~   Curry Mayonnaise – stir in 3 teaspoons of curry powder and 2 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice. Add a little chopped fresh coriander if you have some.

~   Red or Green Curry Mayonnaise – add 2 tsp of whichever curry paste you are using plus a squeeze of lime juice and, as with above, a little coriander if you have it.

~   Saffron Mayonnaise – heat a small frying pan and add 4 or 5 saffron threads. Toss around for a few seconds till the saffron is a little darker. Remove from the pan and cool. Crush the saffron in a pestle and mortar to a powder, add a clove of garlic and crush to smooth. Stir into the mayonnaise, taste and season with salt and lemon juice. 

~   Smoky Paprika Mayonnaise – ½ tsp smoked paprika and a squeeze of lime. 

 A Few More Mayonnaise Ideas

~   Bacon Mayonnaise aka Baconnaise– see how to make bacon salt here (it is so delicious and useful you might as well make some) and prepare the bacon as instructed.  Instead of crushing it with the salt, crush it all alone and stir into the mayonnaise.

 

~   Blue Cheese Mayonnaise – mix in about 60g of crumbled blue cheese. Black pepper is great in this. Good with beef, salads containing pears and lots more.

~   Black Garlic Mayonnaise – I LOVE black garlic so, naturally, I make this a lot! Mash 2 black garlic cloves to a paste and stir into the mayonnaise. Maybe add some black pepper. This goes great with steak, blue cheese and licked off the spoon, to name just a few ways to enjoy it.

38 is quite a few suggestions but if you think of any more please let me know!

My next post will be on lot of ways to use mayonnaise, flavoured or otherwise.

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Six Deliciously Different Salads You'll Love this Summer!

It’s a bit in and out weather-wise here today but nevertheless I’m going to write about salad.  It is June after all!  Here are six of my favourites.

Peppered Steak Salad with 2 dressings! 

This is probably my most successful salad ever, it became so popular that people would order it even if it wasn’t on the menu! That didn’t really faze me because it is quick and easy and, as I always kept the trimmings when I prepared steaks, there were usually a few around. If not I cut up a steak and added the remainder to my collection.

steak or steak trimmings

salt

plenty of freshly ground black pepper

a little olive oil

salad leaves

Balsamic-Dijon Vinaigrette – preferably homemade

a little brandy

double dream

~   Cut the steak across the grain into strip about 5mm thick.

~   Toss salad leaves in a little vinaigrette to coat.

~   Season the steak with a little salt and then with lot of black pepper as this pretty well the point of the dish!

~   Heat the oil in a hot pan then sear the steak which will be all it needs to cook to medium-ish. Set the steak aside whilst finishing the sauce.

~    Add a tablespoon or so of brandy to the pan (carefully and if using gas do this away from the flame), add enough cream to make a small sauce and simmer for a minute or so till thick.

~   Arrange the dressed leaves on a plate, the steak on the salad and then drizzle with the sauce.

~   Eat immediately with good bread.

Roasted Carrot & Pecan Salad

A few months ago I “discovered” Chantenay carrots and the best thing I like about them is how lovely they are roasted – just topped and tailed, tossed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted, covered with foil, for about 45 mins then uncovered and cooked a bit more till caramelised.  

Roasted Chantenay carrots make a wonderful salad warm or cold tossed with a few toasted pecans and tender leaves and then drizzled with balsamic glaze. You can make this glaze yourself by boiling down balsamic vinegar to about a quarter of its volume and sweetening with honey but it is easier and less smelly to buy it.  Season with lots of freshly ground black pepper and crunchy sea salt.

Panzanella

This is a Tuscan salad made from bread, tomatoes and other good stuff.  Per person you need ...

1 tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

100g ripe tomatoes – coarsely chopped

half a small red onion

a little crushed garlic

1 slice of good country bread

~   Mix together all the ingredients except the bread mashing slightly so that the tomatoes release their juices.
~   Toast the bread till crisp, golden and maybe just starting to char a little!
~   Cool the bread, tear into pieces and stir into the tomato mixture.
~   Set aside for about 10 minutes, the aim is to have some of the bread soft and juicy and some of it still crisp.

According to Love Food Hate Waste we in the UK throw away 24 million (!!!!!) slices of bread a day. What is wrong with people?  See here for 7 more unusual ideas for leftover bread – and that’s just scratching the surface. In fact, see here for ideas and recipes for 450+ leftover foods!

Grilled Lettuce with Warm Bacon-Balsamic Dressing 

Serves 2

This is quite posh but easy!

1 little gem lettuce cut in half lengthwise

3 tbsp olive oil* plus a little extra

2 rashers of smoky bacon in small dice

½ tsp runny honey

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

a handful freshly grated Parmesan cheese

freshly ground black pepper

~   In a small pan cook the bacon in the 3 tbsp olive oil till it is crisp and golden.

~   Lift the bacon from the oil with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen roll.

~   Allow the olive oil to cook slightly then stir in the honey and vinegar.

~   Set aside for a few minutes whilst cooking the lettuce.

~   Pre-heat a grill pan, griddle or frying pan to good and hot.

~   Lightly coat the cut side of the lettuce with fresh olive oil.

~   Season and cook cut side to the heat for a few minutes till turning golden.  Do not cook the other side.

~   Serve the lettuce cut side up, drizzled with the warm dressing and sprinkled with crispy bacon and parmesan.  Grind over a plentiful grind of black pepper.

*  As you may have realised this is really great, in a way, with bacon fat instead of olive oil.

Lemony Salmon Salad

This is good if you cook too much salmon as I often do – eyes bigger than my head syndrome. Not so much a recipe – more an idea. Make a simple lemon vinaigrette ...

90ml olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon caster sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and pepper

~  Put all the ingredients in a jam jar, put the lid on tightly and shake till combined.

~  Toss leftover or purpose cooked salmon into the dressing and chill for a few hours. 

~  Toss with diced ripe avocado and a little mayonnaise.

Add fresh herbs, a slice of lemon and a white wine spritzer and you’re laughing!

Blue Cheese, Sugar Spiced Walnuts & Pear Vinaigrette

.

For this one you need ...

a lovely blue cheese – I like St. Agur

salad leaves

pear vinaigrette

sugar spiced walnuts

Pear Vinaigrette

1 large almost ripe pear

150ml cider vinegar

2 tbsp runny honey

200ml olive oil

~   Peel, slice and cook the pear in the vinegar till tender and the vinegar has gone!

~   Put the pear in a liquidiser or food processor together with the honey and whilst running gradually add the olive oil till the dressing has emulsified.

~   Taste and season.

Sugar Spiced Walnuts

~   Toss all together to make a salad! 

Sorry I haven’t got a photo of this one but here's a nice one of Cornwall!

Lovely Summer Dessert

You know what would make a good dessert after one of these salads?  Ice cream, that’s what and I just happen to have written a book, Luscious Ice Creams without a Machine, on a cunning no churn ice cream recipe ...

Great preview here!