Mayonnaise Sauce

A historical recipe from Leaves from our Tuscan kitchen, by Janet Ross.

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A historical recipe

Leaves from our Tuscan kitchen; or, How to cook vegetables, by Janet Ross. Project Gutenberg eBook #69370.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards. Its words name: raw egg. Check current food-safety guidance before following this.

Also printed in: Leaves from our Tuscan kitchen (1900).

Italy

Known as an Italian recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

Raw egg. Raw or lightly cooked egg carries a risk, above all for children, older people, anyone pregnant or unwell.

Ingredients 3 ingredients

a teaspoonful of salt
a pinch of cayenne
one cupful of pure olive oil

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.

Method

Put one yolk of egg (quite free from any white), half a teaspoonful of salt, and a pinch of cayenne, into a bowl standing in ice.
Stir constantly, and add one cupful of pure olive oil, drop by drop.
The goodness of the sauce depends upon adding the oil slowly.
When it begins to get thick, alternate a few drops of tarragon vinegar with the oil till you have put in one and a half teaspoonfuls of vinegar (lemon juice may be used instead).
In summer it is a good plan to mix the yolk of a hard-boiled egg with the raw one;
the sauce is made more quickly and is less likely to curdle.