gleaned this fact long ago, which is one of the reasons mayonnaise is so cheap: the most expensive component—the eggs—makes up only a tiny percentage of the finished product In order to this without the emulsion breaking, you need to be mindful of the ratio of oil to water As the mayonnaise becomes thicker and thicker and is on the verge of breaking (just after the “pasty” stage), if you incorporate some water into the mix to reestablish the correct ratio, you can then continue to add more oil Using this process, I’ve managed to make over a gallon of mayo with a single egg yolk That said, the ideal mayonnaise needs to have a certain amount of egg yolk in it for flavoring purposes—a mostly oil mayo just doesn’t taste right I find that the ideal ratio is a single large egg yolk for each cup of mayonnaise MAYONNAISE VERSUS AIOLI A ny time I dine out at a fancy restaurant and see the chef using the word “aioli” when he or she really means “mayonnaise,” I make it a point to inform the waiter, my wife, and perhaps a few of the surrounding tables of the chef’s loose lexical morals and the liberties he or she is taking by obfuscating two of the world’s great sauces The word “aioli” comes from the Occitan and is a contraction of ai (garlic) and oli (oil) A true aioli is made by smashing garlic cloves in a mortar with a pestle, then slowly drizzling in olive oil a drop at a time until a smooth emulsion is formed It’s an intensely spicy, pungent sauce often served with seafood and croutons or boiled potatoes The Spanish version, allioli, is commonly served with olives, grilled meats, or grilled vegetables These days, it’s perfectly acceptable to call a garlic-flavored mayonnaise made with egg yolks and mustard “aioli,” but it must contain some garlic So why restaurant menus refer to a creamy, emulsified, egg-based sauce as aioli when there’s not a hint of garlic in it? It’s a matter of public perception Despite the fact that mayonnaise at one point was considered a staple of haute cuisine, its use on menus fell out of fashion because it became associated too strongly with cheap everyday food I’m a fancy restaurant chef—I can’t very well serve the same stuff people are slathering on their sandwiches! Luckily, this silliness seems to be disappearing, with more and more chefs unafraid to love mayonnaise for what it is: creamy, rich, and delicious I am certain that my midmeal lectures to waitstaff—despite the dirty looks it earns me from my lovely wife—have played no small role in effecting this change, and I intend to soon move on to ensuring that bruschetta is never again pronounced with a soft “sh” sound ... became associated too strongly with cheap everyday food I’m a fancy restaurant chef—I can’t very well serve the same stuff people are slathering on their sandwiches! Luckily, this silliness seems... sauce often served with seafood and croutons or boiled potatoes The Spanish version, allioli, is commonly served with olives, grilled meats, or grilled vegetables These days, it’s perfectly acceptable...(garlic) and oli (oil) A true aioli is made by smashing garlic cloves in a mortar with a pestle, then slowly drizzling in olive oil a drop at a time until a smooth