I spent the early years of my childhood in Vietnam.  One memory that stood out in my mind is going to buy banh mi (the famous Vietnamese take on the sandwich bursting with flavors of the colonial French and the many herbs and vegetables of the Vietnamese countryside).  This sandwich would be smothered in a garlicky mayonnaise, creamy pate, various cold cuts, pickled carrots and radishes and topped with cilantro, soy sauce and hot pepper paste.  Many of the ingredients are not easily available in most US cities but I can replicate that memory with just good homemade mayonnaise and crusty french bread.

This recipe makes approximately 1 cup of garlic mayonnaise and can last 2-3 weeks in the fridge.  You will need 3 very fresh egg yolks as this is a “raw” recipe.  In addition, you should have a small food processor.  I have a Proctor and Silex 1 ½ cup food chopper.  Ideally you should have a food chopper/processor with a spout for this recipe. You will see why the spout is important when you reach the blending stage.

Ingredients:

3 fresh egg yolks

8 oz of vegetable oil

3 cloves of minced garlic (you can add less if you do not want a very garlicky flavor)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

In a small blender or food processor, blend the egg yolks for 2 minutes.  The egg should have a nice foamy consistency.  The foamier the egg before adding the oil, the least likely your mayonnaise will collapse similar to a meringue.

Now it’s time to blend the egg mixture with the vegetable oil. If you have a chopper with a spout, then go ahead and slowly pour in the oil while the egg mixture is blending.

My mini chopper does not have a spout so I have to do a few additional steps to create that light and fluffy mayonnaise.  Add ½ oz of oil at a time to the egg mixture and blend for 1 minute. Repeat the process until you have added all 8 oz of vegetable oil.

Before blending:

After blending:

Once the egg mixture has reached about 1 cup, add the minced garlic to the mixture and salt.  Scrape the side of the blender with the spoon and fold carefully into the mixture.  Blend for approximately 30 seconds until everything is fully incorporated and that you can no longer see the garlic pieces.

This mayonnaise is steps above the Hellman’s mayonnaise that we grew up with in America.  This mayonnaise is so good that it can just be eaten on its own with some crusty french bread and a light drizzle of Maggi seasoning.  Be forewarned that you may end up eating a whole baguette before you know it.

Try our other related bánh mì recipes:

Bánh Mì  Xíu Mại or Meatballs Sandwich

Pickled Carrots and Daikon Radish

For more recipes, visit our EAT page or Recipe Index.

Authors:  Chau Hoang and Henry Nguyen