Gordon Ramsay’s mayonnaise is thick, glossy and sharp, made with egg yolks, mustard, white wine vinegar, lemon juice and oil, whisked together in about 5 minutes. The trick is adding the oil drop by drop for the first 30 seconds, because that’s when the emulsion either forms or splits, and everything after that is easy.
The recipe appears across four cookbooks and three videos. In Bread Street Kitchen he gives a base recipe with three named variations: tarragon, harissa and sriracha. In the bamix video he makes it in 10 seconds flat using a whole egg instead of just yolks, calling it “more important than having a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.” In Ultimate Cookery Course he writes “I find extra virgin olive too rich and overpowering, so I like to use groundnut, which has a very neutral flavour.”
The detail every other recipe online misses: “you never season mayonnaise until the end. When you season it to begin with, it destroys the egg yolks.” Salt breaks down the protein structure of raw yolks before the emulsion has formed, which makes splitting almost inevitable. Season last, always.
Gordon Ramsay Mayonnaise Recipe
Course: SaucesCuisine: British, FrenchDifficulty: Medium10
servings5
minutes180
kcal5
minutesGordon Ramsay’s base mayonnaise from Bread Street Kitchen with three variations. Egg yolk, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar and oil. Five minutes by hand, ten seconds with a stick blender.
Ingredients
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp white wine vinegar
Juice of ½ lemon
200ml vegetable oil or mild olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Beat the base: Put the egg yolk, mustard, vinegar and lemon juice into a bowl and beat together until combined.
- Add the oil slowly: Gradually pour in the oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. The first 30 seconds is the most crucial. Go drop by drop until the emulsion forms, then you can pour a little faster.
- Thin and season: Once all the oil is added, thin to your preferred consistency with a little hot water. Season with salt and pepper, adding more lemon juice if needed. Always season at the end, never at the start.
FAQs
How does Ramsay make mayonnaise with a bamix in 10 seconds?
In his bamix video he skips the traditional method entirely. One whole egg goes into a tall pot with vinegar, grain mustard and 350ml oil. The stick blender goes to the bottom, full speed, and the vortex emulsifies everything in 10 seconds. No dripping, no whisking, no splitting.
The whole egg instead of just the yolk is what makes this work. He says “that stabilises the mayonnaise and makes it a lot lighter.” At his restaurants they make mayo and hollandaise “three or four times a night, fresh” using this method.
What is the best oil for homemade mayonnaise?
In UCC Ramsay writes “I find extra virgin olive too rich and overpowering, so I like to use groundnut, which has a very neutral flavour.” In the base video he uses 300ml groundnut oil. In BSK he uses vegetable oil or mild olive oil.
For the saffron and garlic variation he uses “half olive oil and half vegetable oil, for perfect flavour.” So if you want a richer mayo, blend two oils rather than using extra virgin on its own.
How does Ramsay make tarragon mayonnaise?
In BSK he makes the base mayo first, then stirs in finely chopped tarragon leaves. That’s it. The tarragon goes in raw at the end so it stays bright green and fragrant instead of wilting into the oil. He lists two more variations in the same book: harissa mayo (50g harissa paste stirred in) and sriracha mayo (100g sriracha with 150g tomato ketchup). All three start from the same base.
How does Ramsay make saffron and garlic mayonnaise?
In Q&D and the video he soaks saffron threads in warm water first. The chef’s tip: “grinding your saffron in a mortar and pouring over hot water will get the maximum flavour out of this expensive spice.” The drained saffron goes in with finely chopped garlic, Dijon mustard and egg yolks before the oil. He calls it “rich, delicious and perfect with everything from seafood to sandwiches and chips.”
What do you do if mayonnaise splits?
In GBPF Ramsay gives the rescue: “whiz another egg yolk in the blender until thick, then slowly blend in the split mixture. It should re-emulsify.” Prevention is easier: make sure everything is at room temperature, add oil drop by drop for the first 30 seconds, and never season until the end. Those three rules stop most splits before they happen.
What can you make with homemade mayonnaise?
It’s the base for half the sauces on this site. Stir in cornichons and capers for tartar sauce, or fold it through shredded vegetables for a proper coleslaw. Ramsay lists even more options in UCC: “basil, tarragon, garlic, lemon, lime, capers, watercress, even anchovies.”
