Equipment
Ingredients
Cucumber Prep
- 60 g english cucumber, grated
- 1 g kosher salt
Mayonnaise Base
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 5 g dijon mustard, room temperature
- 10 ml fresh lemon juice, room temperature
- 2 g fine sea salt
- 180 ml neutral oil, room temperature
Flavorings
- 8 g fresh dill, finely minced
- 1 g white pepper, ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Toss the grated cucumber with kosher salt in a small bowl. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
Transfer the salted cucumber to a cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel. Twist and squeeze the bundle aggressively over a sink to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the liquid and reserve the dry cucumber.
Stabilize your medium mixing bowl by placing it on top of a damp towel formed into a ring. This keeps the bowl from spinning while you whisk.
In the stabilized bowl, combine the egg yolk, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and fine sea salt. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is completely smooth and slightly lighter in color.
While whisking continuously, begin adding the neutral oil a few drops at a time. Do not add more oil until the previous drops are completely absorbed. Once an emulsion forms and the mixture thickens, gradually stream in the remaining oil in a slow, steady trickle.
Gently fold the thoroughly dried cucumber, minced fresh dill, and white pepper into the thickened mayonnaise until evenly distributed.
Transfer the infused mayonnaise to an airtight container and chill at 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the texture to firm up before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Temperature is the invisible ingredient in mayonnaise. Pull your egg, mustard, and lemon juice from the refrigerator 30 minutes before starting. Cold ingredients resist bonding, drastically increasing the risk of a broken emulsion.
- The damp towel trick under the mixing bowl acts as a third hand, keeping the bowl perfectly steady so you can pour oil with one hand and whisk vigorously with the other.
- If using pasteurized eggs to mitigate food safety concerns, be aware that the heat treatment alters the yolk proteins. They may take slightly longer to emulsify and might require a tiny splash of room-temperature water to jumpstart the process.
- Never skip salting and draining the cucumber. Osmosis draws the water out before it goes into your mayo. Skipping this step guarantees a soupy, ruined condiment within hours.
- Avoid extra virgin olive oil for this recipe. The intense mechanical action of whisking or processing breaks down bitter compounds in olive oil, and its strong flavor easily overpowers the delicate notes of dill and cucumber.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The shelf life is shorter than plain mayonnaise due to the high moisture content of the cucumber.
