Eat, drink and be merry

It's one of the many wonderful scenes from Pulp Fiction, yet also one which I found puzzling when I watched it for the first time. I'm not Dutch, yet I never found anything peculiar in the thought of eating fries with mayonnaise - but maybe it's a European thing. It's a pity, however, that you never get fresh mayonnaise with your fries at your frituur next door. I'm rather sceptical about mayonnaise you can buy. It's not only the taste, but also the fact that mayonnaise is made from raw eggs yet stays good for weeks that just seems wrong to me. Home-made mayonnaise tastes much better and is easy to prepare; much quicker than going to the shop and buying a jar. You probably already have all the ingredients in your kitchen. All you need is two egg yolks, 300ml of oil, two tablespoons of white vinegar (or lemon juice, or a combination), a teaspoon of mild mustard (e.g. Dijon) and a bit of white pepper and salt. Everything should be at room temperature, but keep the finished mayonnaise in the fridge and use it up within a few days. The type of oil is crucial for the taste - if you don't have a very mild olive oil, sunflower or peanut oil are good alternatives.

Put the yolks together with the vinegar or juice into a small bowl. If your vinegar is very acetous, dilute it with a little bit of water. Loosen the yolks with a whisk, add the mustard and whisk for about one minute until it's well mixed. Very slowly pour in some oil (start with single drops and gradually increase the amount) and constantly whisk at the same time. It helps to place the bowl on a wet kitchen towel, so that it doesn't slip away while you're simultaneously pouring and whisking. If you add the oil too quickly, the droplets will be too big to emulsify and the mayonnaise will appear curdled, but once a quarter of the oil is properly blended in, you can increase the speed at which you add the oil. If the sauce gets too thick, blend in some more water or vinegar. Finally, adjust the taste with more pepper, salt and mustard. If you like your mayonnaise to have a bit more taste, also add some fresh herbs or garlic paste.