Equipment
Ingredients
Tomato Reduction
- 400 g vine-ripened tomatoes, roughly chopped
Emulsion Base
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 10 g dijon mustard
- 10 ml white wine vinegar
Oils
- 150 ml grapeseed oil
- 50 ml extra virgin olive oil
Seasoning
- 3 g fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 123 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 1 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 82 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Cholesterol
- 24 mg
- Potassium
- 63 mg
- Calcium
- 6 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 3 mg
- Phosphorus
- 15 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 9 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Folate
- 3 mcg
- Water
- 2 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the roughly chopped tomatoes in a blender. Pulse until thoroughly broken down and liquefied into a rough puree.
Pour the tomato puree through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press firmly on the solids with a spatula to extract as much clear tomato juice as possible, yielding approximately 200ml. Discard the solids.
Transfer the extracted tomato juice to a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and reduce until it transforms into a thick, concentrated paste, yielding about 30ml.
Scrape the tomato reduction into a small dish and let it cool completely to room temperature. This prevents the heat from cooking the egg yolks later.
In a mixing bowl, combine the room temperature egg yolks, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, and the completely cooled tomato reduction. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is uniform and slightly lighter in color.
Combine the grapeseed oil and extra virgin olive oil in a pouring jug. While whisking the yolk mixture constantly, add the oil drop by drop initially. Once an emulsion forms and the mixture thickens, pour the remaining oil in a slow, steady, thin stream until fully incorporated.
Stir in the fine sea salt. Taste the mayonnaise and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Transfer to an airtight container and chill until serving.
Chef's Notes
- Reducing the tomato juice is absolutely crucial. Fresh tomatoes contain too much water, which would break the mayonnaise emulsion and dilute the flavor. By turning the juice into a syrup, you intensify the umami without sacrificing stability.
- A blend of neutral oil and olive oil is used deliberately. If you use 100 percent extra virgin olive oil, the flavor becomes overpowering and mechanical agitation can make it painfully bitter.
- For food safety when serving vulnerable populations, heat your egg yolks and vinegar over a double boiler to 71 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Fahrenheit) while whisking constantly before cooling and proceeding with the emulsion.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container in the coldest part of the refrigerator.
Troubleshooting
The mayonnaise is thin, greasy, and separated into oil and liquid layers.
Cause: The oil was added too quickly before the emulsion could stabilize, or the ingredients were at drastically different temperatures.
Fix: Place a fresh egg yolk and a teaspoon of mustard in a clean bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle the broken mayonnaise mixture into the new yolk to re-emulsify.
Prevention: Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature and add the oil drop by drop at the beginning.
The mayonnaise tastes excessively bitter.
Cause: Extra virgin olive oil was blended at high speed in a food processor, which strips protective layers off bitter tasting polyphenols.
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but can be masked slightly by adding more salt and a pinch of sugar.
Prevention: Always whisk extra virgin olive oil by hand rather than using high-speed mechanical blending.
Cultural Context
Mayonnaise is a foundational mother sauce of classical French cuisine, originating from the Mediterranean region, specifically believed to be from Mahon in Menorca. Infusing it with tomato draws heavily on the coastal Mediterranean flavor profile, merging the rich culinary tradition of Spanish and southern French aiolis and emulsions with the vibrant, sun-drenched harvest of summer tomatoes.
