Why does this happen?
There are two main reasons that your mayo may split.
First, you added the oil too quickly. Especially at the beginning, you must add a little by little and incorporate each splash before continuing to the next.
The second is a question of temperature. All ingredients should be at room temperature, especially the oil. To avoid your mayonnaise splitting, take all of your ingredients out at least 15 minutes ahead.
Help, my mayonnaise split! How can I get it back?
Luckily, there is a very simple hack to fix split mayonnaise! You can grab an extra tablespoon of mustard, add it, and start again by pouring in your oil, little by little, until you obtain the perfect texture and taste.
Before we send you on your way, here's one more trick: the more oil you add to mayonnaise, the thicker it becomes.
If you find that your mayonnaise is too thin, it means that you didn’t add enough oil!
A recipe for the perfect French mayonnaise :
Chef Cyril shares his tips for a delicious Mayo that cannot be beat!
Ingredients:
1 egg yolk (no whites please)
1 tablespoon of silky and strong Dijon mustard! (If it brings tears to your eyes, you have found the right one.) If you can find it, use FALLOT mustard from Beaune in Burgundy. It is one of the few mustards 100% made in France!
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, or another grape-based vinegar. You can also try white wine or even champagne vinegar.
Freshly ground pepper, white is ideal, but black pepper also works, to your taste.
6 tablespoons of oil, sunflower, or grapeseed.
Directions:
Combine the egg yolk, mustard, vinegar, and freshly ground pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Secure your bowl and slowly drizzle in your oil - at the same time, you will want to whisk vigorously.
Continue to add oil until you get to the desired thickness.
(Fresh mayo is good for the day - you'll want to make it fresh each time)
If you love classic French sauces, like the famous cold-emulsion sauce Mayonnaise, you'll want to check out our online French Sauces class—until you visit Paris, of course!
