I want to fully explore the world of MAYONNAISE.

July 3, 2008 3:22 PM

I love mayonnaise. I just loooooooove mayonnaise. I love it on burgers, on sandwiches, and in deviled eggs. I love it in tuna salad, egg salad, and potato salad. I may have, on occasion, eaten it by itself, but I admit nothing. But what other dishes highlight the diversity and deliciousness of mayonnaise? What can I do to up my mayonnaise quotient? What are your favorite mayonnaise recipes? Is there such a thing as gourmet mayonnaise? Can I find high-class, fancy mayonnaise created by mayonnaise connoissiers? I want to expand my mayonnaise horizons!

I'm not ashamed. I'm not ashamed.

posted by schroedinger to food & drink (65 comments total)

mayonnaise and fries. but the fries have to be the thin, crispy euro-type. or mcdonald's fries.
posted by violetk at 3:26 PM on July 3, 2008

mayonnaise and peanut butter! with bacon and cheese, if you like.
posted by alohaliz at 3:29 PM on July 3, 2008

Is there such a thing as gourmet mayonnaise?

Yes, and lots of them are delicious. Kraft used to make a gourmet mayonnaise flavored with sun-dried tomatoes that was to-die-for. Also, there are lots of recipes online for gourmet mayonnaises you can make yourself.
posted by amyms at 3:31 PM on July 3, 2008

Use mayonnaise instead of butter for grilled cheese sandwiches. Mayonnaise on Ritz crackers.
posted by BigVACub at 3:31 PM on July 3, 2008

nothing beats mayonnaise you make yourself—maki itoh has a great recipe for a creamy mayonnaise like my all-time favorite brand, kewpie, which is easily available at your nearest Japanese grocery—but mark bittman of the nyt wrote a great piece last year on jazzing up store-bought mayo (with an accompanying video, even).
posted by lia at 3:33 PM on July 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

Fries.
posted by fire&wings at 3:33 PM on July 3, 2008

Make your own, you'll be pleasantly surprised how terrible Hellmans (or generic supermarket equivalent) tastes in comparison. Well, maybe not terrible, but totally different. It will take a couple of attempts (well, did for me) but it's worth it. It tasted ok on the failed attempts, but the consistency was terrible, that was the tricky part. Have you considered branching into something like Hollandaise?
posted by gregjones at 3:35 PM on July 3, 2008

Oh god - wasabi mayonnaise. There's a furniture store/cafe at King/Spadina that sells advocado and rice rolls, with wasabi mayonnaise as dip. It's delicious!
posted by grippycat at 3:35 PM on July 3, 2008

Trader Joe's has fantastic wasabi mayonaise! Good way to spice up a plain chicken breast.
posted by Asparagirl at 3:36 PM on July 3, 2008

Mix wasabi in your mayo and eat it with fries or even better, zucchini fries. Mix pesto in your mayo and put it on sandwiches. Mix lime or lemon juice in your mayo with maybe some red pepper or something and eat on sandwiches. Mix balsamic vinegar in your mayo and black pepper and eat it with bacon or better, bacon sandwiches.

I work at a sandwich place, and it has expanded my knowledge of mayo considerably. They do a lot with it there.
posted by MadamM at 3:37 PM on July 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

Mayonnaise cookies.
posted by Oriole Adams at 3:38 PM on July 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

well gourment/fancy mayonnaise would probably be aioli, which is just italy's version of mayonnaise and the difference is it is technically made with olive oil. this is served as a sauce or dip with just about anything that needs additional salt and fat (read: everything), or on paninis or fancy kind sandwiches. also, i think it technically is supposed to have garlic in it to be aioli. sometimes they flavor it with herbs or red peppers or whatever is fancy.


a lot of casseroles from the 1950's/the midwest feature mayonnaise as a sauce ingredient. i have my grandmas recipe which sounds bad but is AWESOME:

ingred:
pieces of cooked chicken, can be cold left overs, can be breasts diced and sauted
canned artichoke hearts
cornflakes
grated cheddar cheese
sauce: mayonnaise, one can cream of chicken soup, one can cream of mushroom, curry powder (the american stuff, not any fancy actual indian spice mix)

basically, you mix up the sauce, mix it up with the chicken pieces and artichoke hearts (you want to cut these into smaller pieces if they're whole or only cut in half in the can), sprinkle some grated cheese, then cornflakes (probably crunch these up a little, if you like a finer texture) then a little more cheese on top. bake it until the casserole is bubbly and the top it lightly browned and crunchy.
posted by dahliachewswell at 3:41 PM on July 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

Mayonnaise cake!
posted by vodkaboots at 3:41 PM on July 3, 2008

I'm not much for mayonnaise normally, but I can't stop eating any type of broccoli salad that includes large amounts of mayo and bacon.
posted by Durin's Bane at 3:44 PM on July 3, 2008

Mayonnaise Pork Chops; they're delicious.

Also, my friend used to swear by bean and mayonnaise burritos. I was too timid to try it.
posted by Ugh at 3:44 PM on July 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

This week, July 1, mayonnaise was the topic of 'Orangette'
posted by lois1950 at 3:46 PM on July 3, 2008

Blend fresh lemon juice with mayonnaise to drizzle on asparagus (or any other nice veggie that strikes your fancy).

A cup of mayo, a cup of grated parmesan, and a can of drained artichoke hearts thrown in the blender and then baked till golden makes an awesome warm dip.
posted by scody at 3:46 PM on July 3, 2008

I like the recipe in the Greens cookbook. Nothing fancy, just delicious. You could look in it for the full instructions (which I am too lazy to type out), but the ingredients are:

1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 to 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup light olive oil, peanut oil, or vegetable oil (I use normal, not light, olive oil)
Hot water

I imagine the instructions are much the same for any mayo recipe.
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:48 PM on July 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

Steamed artichoke tastes great dipped in mayo with a tiny bit of lemon juice. Or dipped in just mayo, because afterall, mayo tastes great on its own!
posted by snotloc at 3:51 PM on July 3, 2008

Bacon, egg, and cheese, with mayo, on fucking anything

fries or even better, zucchini fries

I think you reversed the order of that or something, it's cool I'm sure everyone else also forgave that minor writing mistake you just made
posted by poppo at 3:51 PM on July 3, 2008 [2 favorites]

Here's what we do with mayo at home:

Blend mayonnaise with some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (from a can), serve as a condiment for tacos, rice and beans or with pan fried tofu.

Add garlic, fresh dill, fresh parsley, salt, pepper, lemon juice and some olive oil to some mayonnaise (basically a quick way to make an aoili-like condiment, skipping the make-your-own-mayo step). Serve with fresh steamed green beans, broccoli, or with pan fried tofu.
posted by skwm at 3:52 PM on July 3, 2008

mix mayo with pesto and lemon zest to taste, then using it to dress a salad of cold pasta, black olives, shredded chicken or tuna, chopped tomatoes, green peas, shredded carrot, chickpeas, and minced sweet onion (in proportions to your liking).
posted by thinkingwoman at 3:54 PM on July 3, 2008

Pick up some garlic aioli. Many times better than mayo in deviled eggs (and probably everything else).
posted by devilsbrigade at 3:58 PM on July 3, 2008

Tabasco Spicy Mayo is really good. You can buy it premade or just mix some (or a lot of) Tabasco into your regular mayo.
posted by jamaro at 3:58 PM on July 3, 2008

That southern staple, pimiento cheese! Here's a good recipe.
posted by trip and a half at 4:00 PM on July 3, 2008

You should read Molly Wizenberg's entries on mayonnaise. One entry riffs on an article she wrote for Bon Appetit, April 2008, about homemade mayonnaise (Here's the main recipe from that article. Mmm). Another describes how to tart up store-bought mayonnaise.

Mayonnaise (usually flavored with lemon zest and juice, or garlic, or herbs, or, oh, something) is a classic sauce to serve with artichokes. And there's a reason: with fresh homemade mayonnaise, this is moan-deservingly luxurious.
posted by Elsa at 4:00 PM on July 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

chicken waldorf salad! (or whatever you want to put in it). here's a recipe, but my mom always made it with apples, chicken, lemon juice, celery, walnuts, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste. i still make it sans chicken- and whilst mayo and apples freak people out, it's tasty.
posted by kendrak at 4:09 PM on July 3, 2008

I made this Cold Spinach Dip for a party last weekend and I loved it.

This Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip looks great, though there a tons of variations on this recipe out there that you could try.
posted by shesbookish at 4:18 PM on July 3, 2008 [3 favorites]

"Dynamite" which is found in Japanese restaurants in various forms:

Scallops, shrimp, perhaps a white flaky fish, chopped onions, covered in a mix of mayonnaise, Sri Racha and tobiko. Bake.

Or just spoon a dollop of the sauce onto Green Lip Mussels in their shells and bake.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 4:27 PM on July 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

If you make your own chip dip, try mixing some mayonnaise in with the sour cream before adding the onions.
posted by Class Goat at 4:33 PM on July 3, 2008

aioli, or garlic mayo, is yummers.
posted by twistofrhyme at 4:40 PM on July 3, 2008

My favourite mayo recipe: Take some mayonnaise, add some crushed garlic, mix it up. Now bbq some prawns and dip them in the garlic mayo.
posted by pompomtom at 4:44 PM on July 3, 2008

seconding kewpie mayonnaise. i don't know that it's high class or fancy, but its the best fucking thing ever.
posted by sergeant sandwich at 4:44 PM on July 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

This is one of my favorite things my mom makes, and it will sound revolting, but I swear it's awesome:
1. broil some haddock until it's done.
2. take it out of the oven and put mayonnaise on it.
3. sprinkle parmesean on top of the mayonnaise.
4. put the fish back under the broiler, until the cheese is brown and crusty.
5. OMFG!
posted by moxiedoll at 4:51 PM on July 3, 2008

Mayo and VERY thin sliced plantains fried with garlic.

Oh god. I'll be right back.
posted by iamabot at 5:00 PM on July 3, 2008

Alton Brown's show....ALL ABOUT MAYONNAISE!!!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_16262,00.html
posted by hal_c_on at 5:02 PM on July 3, 2008

Get yourself a canister of liquid nitrogen and whip up some deep fried mayonnaise. (The general idea is freeeze the blob of mayo, then deep fry it, for a crispy skin on a warm gooey center.)
posted by StickyCarpet at 5:18 PM on July 3, 2008

Oh, oh, oh --- the cold spinach dip linked by she'sbookish is fantastic, though the version I've had also includes the super-secret addition of six radishes, minced as finely as possible. They disappear into the dip, giving a little extra crunch along with the water chestnuts, and they make it quite peppery.

A good friend intentionally omitted the radishes from the recipe she gave out to friends, and blushingly dissembled when we remarked that her spinach dip was always better when she made it. Years later, I stumbled over the full recipe in a cookbook. I laughed and laughed.
posted by Elsa at 5:23 PM on July 3, 2008 [3 favorites]

You have to make your own. It is super easy. A child can do it. And it's very gratifying to see it slowly transform under the repeated stroking of your wooden spoon into voluptuous mounds, each addition of glistening oil... excuse me, I need to lie down.

"aioli, which is just italy's version of mayonnaise and the difference is it is technically made with olive oil"

No, this is wrong. If you load mayonnaise with crushed garlic, you will have aioli.

Opinions differ in France and in Italy about the right kind of oil, but the consensus in my cookbooks (including the Italian ones) is that a lighter oil like sunflower is best, maybe with a little olive oil for zap. Mayonnaise made with extra virgin olive is delicious mind, but very aggressive in flavour. You might like that.

Our preference is to eat it with crudites - say sliced red pepper, carrot sticks, celery, broccoli floret - where the raw vegetables are merely an excuse and a vehicle for the mayonnaise.

I also like it to dress chunks of smoked fish (the stinkier and more oily the better).

Be all Belgian and eat gallons of mussels and pounds of chunky pommes frites with mayo.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 5:51 PM on July 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

Nth aioli, especially homemade.

I don't have a precise recipe and it might take a little fiddling, but potato wedges dipped in mayo (and any herbs and spices you enjoy) and baked are nice.

Have you tried salad cream?
posted by kmennie at 5:57 PM on July 3, 2008

As a previous poster noted, there are some very retro and midwestern recipes that use mayonnaise, including quite a few desert items. I personally think this is an appalling food abuse, but the old people in tornado alley really dig stuff like jell-o salad with mayo mixed in; diced apples, raisins & celery tossed in mayo, fruit salads with mayo dressing...the list goes on.

My 1940 edition of the Household Searchlight Recipe Book includes a whole slew of mayonnaise coated eatables, including a "cabbage pineapple salad" that includes shredded cabbage, marshmallows, diced pineapple, salt and mayo and a "jellied lamb salad" that consists of meat, unflavored gelatin and mayonnaise.
posted by pluckysparrow at 6:08 PM on July 3, 2008

Chef John Folse's Shrimp Remoulade
posted by nola at 6:11 PM on July 3, 2008

God almighty, aioli, which others explain above is just mayo+a few other ingredients, tastes incredible on fries. At a restaurant in Chicago I had Belgian-style frites with pepper aioli and it was sublime. Now I regularly seek the combo out (search for fries + aioli on yelp.com), but don't dare make it at home, because then I eat it for lunch and dinner.
posted by melissam at 6:12 PM on July 3, 2008

Make some Chra-ONNAISE!

Mix equal parts Chrain (Horseradish) and Mayo! It tastes great! (experiment with the amount of Chrain you add to the mix... I like alot)

Try one of these brands:

Noam Chrain Horseradish

or

Gold's Chrain Horseradish

Enjoy!
posted by cmherskovic at 6:16 PM on July 3, 2008

Throw a small jar of roasted red peppers, drained really well, into a food processor with your favorite mayo. Better yet, roast your own red peppers and throw those into the food processor instead. Use as a dipping sauce for oven-roasted potato wedges coated in some sea salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 6:52 PM on July 3, 2008

Aioli, yes.

And pimiento cheese. Make sure whatever recipe you choose has a bit of lemon juice, a squinch of cumin, and enough red pepper (of the spicy style) to give it a bite. But basically other than that, it's just grated sharp cheddar, mayo, pimientos.
posted by Stewriffic at 7:17 PM on July 3, 2008

Nthing the recommendation to make your own. I love Hellman's but there's definitely a place for homemade mayo. Once you've tried that, take it a step further:

Make a homemade mayonnaise with canola oil and some olive oil for taste.

Flavor with lemon juice, maybe a little vinegar.

Leave out the salt (this is very important).

Mix with Greek Tarama.

--> Deeelightful on crackers or as a dip for vegies.
posted by pammo at 7:39 PM on July 3, 2008

Grill some corn on the cob. Apply mayo to the corn. Sprinkle the corn with Parmesan, chili powder, and lime juice.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:13 PM on July 3, 2008 [2 favorites]

Kewpie. Hands down the best over the counter mayonnaise that money can buy. It is the only kind allowed in my house, and is generally the prime ingredient in the tastiest Japanese food.

If you have a Japanese market nearby you might try to find Mayo Doritos or shrimp/mayonnaise flavored anything. (Pizza is pretty popular, but chips & whatnot also good.)

Batter friend shrimp + lemon mayonnaise.

Egg sandwich with liberal wasami mayo on the bread.
posted by Ookseer at 9:25 PM on July 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

My grandmother used to spread mayo and peanut butter on matzohs. My mother was horrified when she found out that I was not only fed that on multiple occasions, but actually enjoyed it. It's amazing.

I like to mix pesto into my mayo for turkey sandwiches.

Also last fall, after the leftover turkey ran out and I couldn't make any more turkey sandwiches, I found myself eating mayo and cranberry sauce on bread.

And yes, "Hi, my name is Amy, and I eat mayo by the spoonful."

(Is it any wonder I am in Weight Watchers?)
posted by radioamy at 9:49 PM on July 3, 2008

I generally hate mayonnaise, but paradoxically I really like Russian Salad which is basically small cooked vegetables (potatoes, carrots, peas) swimming in mayo. If you like mayo, you will like this. A lot.

You can get it all over Russia of course (usually with chunks of ham -- vegetarians beware!) but I haven't really seen it anywhere in the States. Except once...at a Mongolia festival (Naadam) near DC. Everyone was selling Mongolia's "national dish" which is some kind of mutton stuffed in a flatbread. But one stand was selling them like hotcakes, and that was because with a purchase of two flatbreads, you also got a big helping of Russian Salad (again, with chunks of meat in it).

Yeah, so anyway, Russian Salad. I recommend it.
posted by Deathalicious at 9:50 PM on July 3, 2008

Honey Walnut Shrimp!!

It's pretty common in Chinese restaurants here in the SF bay area, but I don't know about your area. It's like a crispy bite of heaven with a sweet mayonnaise glaze. If you can't find it in your area, then MAKE YOUR OWN!!!
posted by sambosambo at 12:48 AM on July 4, 2008

French mayonnaise includes a bit of mustard in the mix. The brand we buy here in Switzerland is "Tommy". My Belgian partner gives it a very hearty endorsement.

Mayo makes a nice coating for baked chicken pieces. Easy, quick, and different. Mine may be quicker than others, I use a combination microwave/convection oven to get crispy chicken in 20 minutes.

I've never heard of this Italian mayo, sounds lovely!
posted by Goofyy at 12:56 AM on July 4, 2008

Anchovy-rosemary mayonnaise (about halfway down the page) is a fantastic accompaniment to steak or burgers.

That said, my own personal mayo heaven has to be steamed langoustines dunked in freshly home-made aioli <drool...>
posted by kxr at 1:25 AM on July 4, 2008

Seconding the mayonnaise chocolate cake vodkaboots linked to. Awesome. (But do not do what my friend did, and pick up a jar of garlic mayonnaise by mistake. Not good.)

And speaking of garlic mayonnaise, aioli is the queen of the garlic mayonnaise. Here is an awesome recipe from the Barefoot Contessa. In fact I watched a rerun of this on TV last night and was drooling all over again.
posted by essexjan at 2:29 AM on July 4, 2008

Something I had in Holland just last weekend:

Mayonaise, peanut butter (or, well, a lighter/more fluidy version of peanut butter) and chopped onion. Eat with European style hot chips (french fries).
posted by slimepuppy at 3:00 AM on July 4, 2008

Bacon mayonnaise! No, that's not bacon AND mayonnaise, that's mayonnaise MADE WITH bacon fat.
posted by xsquared-1 at 4:34 AM on July 4, 2008 [1 favorite]

The age old debate....Mayostard vs Mustaoynnaise vs Mustmayostardayonnaise.
posted by boost ventilator at 7:19 AM on July 4, 2008 [1 favorite]

I dip plain old steamed asparagus in mayo.
posted by kamikazegopher at 1:02 PM on July 4, 2008

I mix mustard (coarse grained or dijon) with mayo (about 50/50--maybe just a little more mayo) and grated Parmesan cheese and coat chicken breasts with it. Then sprinkle bread crumbs on chicken, bake at 350 until done. Very good!
posted by pushing paper and bottoming chairs at 1:53 PM on July 4, 2008

persian chicken salad. makes excellent sandwiches.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 8:59 AM on July 5, 2008

Mayo tastes great spread on a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. The warmth from the meat "melts" the mayo nicely and gives the sandwich even better flavor. Delicious.
posted by jroybal at 1:16 PM on July 5, 2008

Summer farmers market heirloom tomatoes (yellow! purple!) and rye bread toast.
posted by Morrigan at 7:02 PM on July 6, 2008

Not entirely unrelated: the Mayonnaise entry at Wikipedia: Lamest edit wars
posted by grippycat at 7:26 AM on July 8, 2008

Got here late but...siracha, a touch of sesame oil, and mayo: good on fries and used in spider rolls.
posted by lester the unlikely at 5:42 AM on July 10, 2008