Mayonnaise

Strange but Good: Mayo, Mayo Not

August 17, 2015

On this episode of Strange but Good, we investigate the weird, wonderful emulsification that is mayonnaise.

Aioli

Potatoes, eggs, chicken, tuna, and coleslaw can all agree: Mayonnaise is a great uniter, bringing together otherwise disparate, possibly dry ingredients into something new and pleasantly mushy (and it also serves as a simple dip for everything from French fries to crudités). We asked the Hotline and our team: How are you eating (that is, what are you using as a vehicle for) mayonnaise?

  • Spoon it onto a baked potato. HalfPint adds black olives and pepperoncinis.
  • Moisten fish or meat with it like Susan W does: Just spread a thin layer on before grilling.
  • Or marinate your fish or meat in it for super moist grilled or baked meats. Adding spices to the mayo to make a sort of wet rub is highly recommended, as is a crispy nut or breadcrumb crust.
  • "Butter" your bread with it, especially when making a grilled cheese à la Gabrielle Hamilton.
  • Sub it for butter or oil in cakesNancy says it makes for a tender crumb.
  • Doctor it with ketchup, Sriracha, lemon juice, garlic, furikake, or paprika (or all of the above). Use it as a dip for vegetables like cv, roasted chicken like Hillary Reeves, or French fries like Riddley.
  • Spread a requisite layer onto BLTs. Or burgers. Or tomato sandwiches.
  • Eat it straight from the jar, like Hillary Reeves did as a kid. (Hey, don't knock it until you try it.)

How do you eat (or not eat) mayo? We're all ears.

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • marc510
    marc510
  • Judy at My Well Seasoned Life
    Judy at My Well Seasoned Life
Writing and cooking in Brooklyn.

2 Comments

marc510 July 1, 2016
I was skeptical when I read about mayo on grilled cheese. But I tried it and loved it -- it makes such a perfect surface and is also easier to spread than butter.

Enthusiastic about mayo and skillet dishes, I tried using it on a quesadilla to promote browning of the flour tortilla. It was a failure -- the mayo separated and the flour tortilla wasn't able to absorb it, so it was a greasy mess.
 
Judy A. August 17, 2015
Not a fan of mayo, but I have to admit that Gabrielle Hamilton's tip about using it for grilled cheese is genius indeed.