In drawing attention to any matter connected with the
subject of this chapter, a brief reference to mayonnaise
sauce must necessarily find a place. This may be used with
an endless variety of salads, but it is particularly concerned
in the preparation of chicken, and also of crayfish salad.
On looking through the cookery-books one gets perfectly
bewildered with the different directions laid down by the
various authors. This mayonnaise sauce, however, is so
very important that it becomes an absolute necessity to-
know the successive steps in its preparation, for, though
easily made, yet there is a right and a wrong way of going
about it. Through the kindly oifices of that accomplished
aristologist. Dr. A. Burne, I was enabled to have some prac-
tical instruction in making mayonnaise sauce at the hands
of the chef of the Cosmopolitan Club, and I will endeavour,
therefore, to give an account of how he went to work.
The bowl he employed to mix it was about 9 in. across
at the top, and its floor was rounded in shape, just as a salad
bowl should be, to facilitate the thorough incorporation of
the ingredients. Then, taking a couple of eggs, he broke
each one by knocking its side midway between the two ends
against the rim of the bowl. The greater part of the white
of the egg w'as allowed to escape into a small vessel next the
bowl, as it is not required for the mayonnaise, but comes in
handy for other culinary puiposes. He now, with the yolk
in one half of the shell, poured away all the white remain-
ing in the other half. Next he dexterously turned the yolk
into this latter emptied shell and then got rid of the white
left in the half previously occupied by the yolk. One egg
SALADS, 4-c. 175
was thus served in this way, and then the other, and the
two yolks were slipped into the bowl and broken up Avith a
few stirs of the egg-whisk. This latter is readily purchased
from any ironmonger for the modest sum of one shilling.
The next proceeding was a wrinkle which is worth knoAving,
and it consisted of placing within the bowl about a salt-
spoonful of the ordinary dry mustard. This was well beaten
up in a second or two. About a tablespoonf ul of good vine-
gar was next added, the whisk going vigorously to work, and
thus blending well together egg yolk, dry mustard, and vine-
gar. ^At this stage occurred a sort of halt or breathing time
in the manipulation, as the chief peculiarity of the mayon-
naise now began. The chef, Avith his left hand, managed to
tilt up the salad bowl and to hold a bottle of salad oil✪ Mayonnaise Sauce at
the same time. The latter being inverted, he kept it over
the contents of the bowl in such a way as to allow only a
di'op or so of the oil to escape at a time. Drip, drip, drip,
went the oil, and as his right hand kept unceasingly plying
the mixture with the whisk I could not help noticing what
a fine MTisty action he had. Almost directly as the oil
touched it the mayonnaise began to thicken, to swell, and
to change in colour. The remorseless whisk almost seemed
to lash it into foam, and now the oil came faster and faster
till the amber-looking sauce was ready, and all this within
the space of at most two or three minutes. I suppose he
must haA^e used quite a teacupful of olive oil.
Page 120 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1893. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
In drawing attention to any matter connected with the subject of this chapter, a brief reference to mayonnaise sauce must necessarily find a place. This may be used with an endless variety of salads, but it is particularly concerned in the preparation of chicken, and also of crayfish salad. On looking through the cookery-books one gets perfectly bewildered with the different directions laid down by the various authors. This mayonnaise sauce, however, is so very important that it becomes an absolute necessity to know the successive steps in its preparation, for, though easily made, yet there is a right and a wrong way of going about it. Through the kindly offices of that accomplished aristologist. Dr. A. Burne, I was enabled to have some practical instruction in making mayonnaise sauce at the hands of the chef of the Cosmopolitan Club, and I will endeavour, therefore, to give an account of how he went to work.
The bowl he employed to mix it was about 9 in. across at the top, and its floor was rounded in shape, just as a salad bowl should be, to facilitate the thorough incorporation of the ingredients. Then, taking a couple of eggs, he broke each one by knocking its side midway between the two ends against the rim of the bowl. The greater part of the white of the egg was allowed to escape into a small vessel next the bowl, as it is not required for the mayonnaise, but comes in handy for other culinary purposes. He now, with the yolk in one half of the shell, poured away all the white remaining in the other half. Next he dexterously turned the yolk into this latter emptied shell and then got rid of the white left in the half previously occupied by the yolk. One egg
was thus served in this way, and then the other, and the two yolks were slipped into the bowl and broken up with a few stirs of the egg-whisk. This latter is readily purchased from any ironmonger for the modest sum of one shilling. The next proceeding was a wrinkle which is worth knoAving, and it consisted of placing within the bowl about a saltspoonful of the ordinary dry mustard. This was well beaten up in a second or two. About a tablespoonful of good vinegar was next added, the whisk going vigorously to work, and thus blending well together egg yolk, dry mustard, and vinegar. ^At this stage occurred a sort of halt or breathing time in the manipulation, as the chief peculiarity of the mayonnaise now began. The chef, Avith his left hand, managed to tilt up the salad bowl and to hold a bottle of salad oil at the same time. The latter being inverted, he kept it over the contents of the bowl in such a way as to allow only a drop or so of the oil to escape at a time. Drip, drip, drip, went the oil, and as his right hand kept unceasingly plying the mixture with the whisk I could not help noticing what a fine wristy action he had. Almost directly as the oil touched it the mayonnaise began to thicken, to swell, and to change in colour. The remorseless whisk almost seemed to lash it into foam, and now the oil came faster and faster till the amber-looking sauce was ready, and all this within the space of at most two or three minutes. I suppose he must have used quite a teacupful of olive oil.
Records on this page
Mayonnaise SauceMayonnaise Sauce