Milk "Mayonnaise" (Maionese de Leite)

By amanda , posted 5 months ago

Photo: Sarah Shatz

On a trip to Spain about a decade ago, I encountered a pillowy white condiment that no matter how I describe here won't sound nearly as exciting as it was at that moment: the sauce was a mayonnaise made with milk and oil and not a trace of egg. It was silkier and lighter than regular mayonnaise, more like a glossy Italian meringue that tasted like olive-oil-whipped cream. I put it on my mental "story ideas" list, where it lived for the next ten years. Just a few days ago, I heard that David Leite, the founder of Leite's Culinaria, had a recipe for the sauce in his book, "The New Portuguese Table." Like a good(ish) sport, I sucked it up and made David's recipe. Four times. (I'll save you the painful details: don't go off-road here, use an immersion blender or a blender, like he says.) And on that fourth try, I had something reveletory: sauce that had the texture of buttercream and the clear flavor of an infusion. There was fragrance from garlic, tang from lemon juice, and silkiness from the butterfat emulsifying with the oil. David learned the recipe from Ilda Vinagre, a chef in Portugal (who, in turn, had learned it from a cook in Brazil). Following Ilda's lead, David likes to mix in green olives; ginger; sun-dried tomatoes; and smoked paprika. I'm happy with it plain. And although I wish I were less of a procrastinator, I'm happy that David wrote about the mayonnaise first. For one thing, I would have never figured out the technique. And for another, Leite means milk. And Mr. Milk should own the milk mayonnaise story.

Makes about 1 cup

1/3 cup very cold whole milk
3/4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
About 3/4 cup vegetable oil, or 1/2 cup vegetable oil plus 1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher salt

Combine the milk, lemon juice, garlic, and pepper in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Using a handheld blender (or a blender), buzz on high for 30 seconds until frothy. With the motor running on high, slowly pour in the oil a few drops at a time, and gradually increase this to a fine thread, moving the blender up and down, until the mixture thickens lusciously and resembles a soft mayonnaise. You may need more or less oil. Season with salt to taste. The mayonnaise will last up to 1 week in the fridge.

Comments (21)Add yours

AntoniaJames 2 months ago: Wondering what brand of olive oil those of you who've made this have used. I'm going to try this, but am concerned about the problem of bitterness mentioned here. (I use a good California oil, but it has slightly peppery notes . . . . ) Thanks so much. ;o)
dymnyno 2 months ago: I used my own olive oil which is a "field blend" of about 4 different kinds of olives. I think that it is important to use a California oil because it is fresh and it doesn't have to travel. Heat and light are the oils worst enemies. Also, olive oil does not get better with age. This advice is for Antonia James because I know she lives in CA and there are a lot of local oils for you to try. (coincidentally, a lot of wineries also make olive oil).
amanda 2 months ago: I use Frantoia Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
dymnyno 3 months ago: Am I the last Food52er to "discover" this recipe! I used all olive oil...fresh...no bitterness. I added tarragon (my favorite herb) and the tarragon mayonnaise turned out perfectly. I can hardly wait to try it with other herbs. It tasted great just plain too. Thanks Amanda!
Feeding the Saints (A. C. Parker) 4 months ago: I've made this many times, but variations (I think it was cilantro that I tried from David Leite's book). Personally, I hate mayonnaise--it's a huge point of contention in the family, as my husband eats mounds of it (homemade only) with almost everything--but the milk "mayo" is something I enjoy, so I'd say that Mr. Leite has brokered a truce in the house, for which I thank him. I've also cooked many other dishes from his NEW PORTUGUESE TABLE book, and everything I've tried has been really fabulous so far. Well written, tasty food, makes a foreign cuisine accessible. Amanda, I'm glad you featured this recipe and his book in this post.
Agnes 5 months ago: I made this and it tasted slightly bitter. I think that is because (I now recall) olive oil should not go in the blender. I think the recipe would be improved if the vegetable oil were blended in, and then the olive oil whisked in. (I believe there is a cook's illustrated recipe for (regular) mayo that gives those instructions.)
amanda 5 months ago: You can also use all vegetable oil, which would emphasize the garlic and citrus more.
Agnes 4 months ago: Tried it this way, and it doesn't work--I couldn't whisk fast enough to emulsify the olive oil properly and it didn't thicken the way it should've--still served it--chilled it in the freezer to thicken, and it was ok, a lot better than the thicker, bitter, olive oil in blender version. But I'm left thinking it shd. be made with all veg. oil, as Amanda suggests in her reply.
melissav 4 months ago: It may be the type of olive oil. I used a different type of olive oil the second time I made this and it was a little bitter whereas the first time there was no hint of bitterness.
Flotch 5 months ago: I loved how this turned into such a velvety mix. So easy and versatile. I used lime juice since lemons are not easily available in Bombay and it still turned out pretty good. Thanks Amanda.
amanda 5 months ago: Thanks for your message -- great to know that it works with other citrus and on other continents!
melissav 5 months ago: I'm not a huge mayo fan (shocking, I know) but this recipe intrigued me. I made it last night and since I ate a few spoonfuls right from the bowl (which I would never ever do with "real" mayo), I think it is safe to say that I'm a milk mayo fan! It was really delicious. I mixed some with a little anchovy paste, salted capers, and Piment d'Espelette and served it on top of a piece of seared fish. Divine!
amanda 5 months ago: Divine, indeed.
queenie_nyc 5 months ago: I made this over the weekend and have been eating it on EVERYTHING. Thanks so much, Amanda! (I also blogged it! http://queenietakesmanhattan.blogspot.com/2010/02/milky-way.html)
amanda 5 months ago: Hey, that's cool -- thanks!
EBeier 5 months ago: This is a great recipe--how can any of us not love a recipe whose ingredients are all likely in your fridge or pantry rightthissecond and that (as long as you have a blender or an immersion blender) takes about 45 seconds to prepare? It's the kind of thing you taste right off your finger or the blender beaters and then think of a whole bunch of things you'd like to try it with. After finishing my finger snack, I used it to sauce some leftover chicken, and then as a sort of English salad cream on bibb lettuce. Both were tasty as could be. It could be used on anything you'd use old-fashioned boiled dressing on, and would make a great base for a blue cheese dressing, a matrix for chicken or shrimp salad, or--with a stuffed cup of minced herbs thrown in--a crudite dip.
amanda 5 months ago: E.B. -- I hadn't thought of the English salad cream connection. Of course! The texture is so much like that.
liamoran 5 months ago: I avoided this recipe since the day you posted it...I am not good at making homemade mayonnaise. I couldn't fall asleep last night because I was thinking about it. (This is a true story!) I got up, read through the recipe and promised myself I would make it this morning. I finally got to use my immersion blender that I received as a Christmas gift! The mayonnaise is divine! For brunch I had boiled eggs, a smear of milk mayonnaise and a dash of smoked paprika. And then I went on a five mile run.
amanda 5 months ago: How great! And love how you used it -- will try that, too.
Duna 5 months ago: Doesn't the lemon juice curdle the milk, and make it sour?
amanda 5 months ago: I think it helps coagulate the milk solids so they emulsify with the oil. And it doesn't taste sour -- in fact, it's pleasantly tangy.

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Milk "Mayonnaise" (Maionese de Leite)

Makes about 1 cup

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