First of all, I hope everyone had a great long weekend. I know I did. Now, over the past few weeks, I have been writing a "Gourmet Sandwich" series, which has included Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches, Roasted Vegetable Paninis and Reubens. Today, we are going to continue with the series, but rather than focus on a single sandwich (don't worry, we will get back to that next week), we are going to look at seven easy to make flavoured mayonnaise recipes to jazz up any sandwich. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? Well, let's get to it.
1. Pesto Mayo
This first mayonnaise recipe is for pesto mayo, which I used on the vegetable panini from two weeks ago. The pesto I used is homemade, but you can use store-bought if you would prefer. I've shared the pesto recipe below. To make the pesto mayo combine 3 tablespoon of pesto with ½ cup mayo and mix. To get the most flavour out of the pesto mayo, wrap it and let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour before using it.
Pesto mayo is not only fantastic on a roasted vegetable panini, but also a chicken sandwich, tuna, or a sausage and pepper sandwich. That's just to name a few options. I'm sure that you can think of a few different ways to use pesto mayo. What would you put it on? Tell me in the comments section at the end of this post.
If you want to make the pesto for this one yourself, this quick basil pesto does the job in a few minutes.
Recipe
Pesto Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup Fresh Basil Leaves
- ½ cup Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Pinenuts
- 1 tablespoon Garlic
- 2 tablespoon Grated Parmesan
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients into a blender and purée.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
2. Dijonnaise
Dijonnaise is a mixture of Dijon mustard (smooth or grainy) and mayonnaise. I prefer a 50/50 ratio, but that might not suit your tastes. I suggest starting with equal parts mayo and Dijon mustard, taste it, and if you find the mustard too overpowering, add in a bit more mayo. You can also add a splash of lemon juice and a pinch of salt to make the flavours a little more vibrant.
Dijonnaise is a most typically paired with ham and cheese on a baguette. However, it also works well with roast beef or roast pork. A mild Dijonnaise would also be good on a salmon sandwich.
3. Roasted Garlic Mayo
When you roast garlic, its flavour and texture completely change. The garlic becomes very soft and sweet, which makes it the perfect addition to mayonnaise. To roast garlic, you can cut the top off of a bulb of garlic, drizzle it with olive oil, wrap it in foil and roast it in the oven on 375°F for about 30 minutes or until the garlic is browned and soft. Or, you can take a handful of garlic cloves, put them in a small pot, cover them with olive oil, and cook them over low heat until they brown and soften. I prefer this second method, especially when making larger batches of roasted garlic. With the second method, you also get roasted garlic oil, which is fantastic for brushing on bread before grilling, on burger buns, or just for dipping bread into with a little balsamic vinegar.
To make roasted garlic mayo let the garlic cool, then squeeze it out of the peel (if using the first method to roast the garlic), mash it with a fork, then combine 2 tablespoon of mashed roasted garlic with ¼ cup of mayonnaise. You can also add a few drops of lemon juice to enhance the flavour a little.
Roasted garlic mayo is fantastic on burgers, roast beef sandwiches, vegetable sandwiches, french fries, and just about anything else you can think of.
4. Curry Mayo
Curry mayo, in its most basic form, is a mixture of madras curry powder (yellow curry powder) mixed with mayonnaise. Other ingredients like lemon or lime juice can also be added to make the flavour a little more pronounced. To make curry mayo combine 1 to 2 teaspoons of curry powder (recipe below) with ½ cup of mayonnaise and ½ teaspoon of lemon juice. Mix the ingredients very well, then cover and put in the fridge for at least an hour before using it.
Some curry mayo recipes will call for ingredients like sour cream or even cream cheese. You can do this, and it will make a tasty spread, but to me, that isn't really curry mayo. Also, curry mayo is good as it is. It doesn't need other ingredients.
Curry mayo is often served alongside sweet potato fries. However, it makes a great addition to a chicken salad sandwich, especially if you throw some green apple in the mix. What sandwich would you put curry mayo on? Tell me in the comments section below.
curry powder
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon clove
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
Instructions
- Mix all ingredinets.
- Store in an airtight container for up to three months.
5. Sriracha Mayo
By far, the flavoured mayonnaise that I use the most, Sriracha mayo, is a mixture of mayonnaise, sriracha, sugar, and fish sauce. You can find the recipe below. I sometimes add orange zest and juice to the recipe, which makes a fantastic sandwich spread but is also an excellent dip for onion rings.
Sriracha Mayo is excellent on chicken or fish sandwiches, with roast pork or beef, on Bahn mi, sushi, or on ginger beef lettuce wraps as in the recipe below. I make sriracha mayo at least once a month. Once you taste it, I bet you will too.
Ginger Beef Lettuce Wraps - 30 Minutes or Less
Ingredients
Ginger Beef Sauce
- 1 clove Garlic, Minced
- 2 tablespoon Minced Ginger
- 3 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1 tablespoon Mirin
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 tablespoon Sambal Chili Sauce
Sriracha Mayo
- ¼ cup Mayo
- 2 tablespoon Sriracha
- 3-4 drops Fish Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
Ginger Beef
- 1 lb New York Stirploin
- 2 ea Green Onions. whites and greens separate, and thinly sliced
- 1 batch Ginger Beef Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 2 tablespoon Canola Oil
Salad Rolls
- 1 head Bibb Lettuce, Washed and Dried
- 1 ea Carrot, Peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ ea Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 ea Celery Stalk, thinly sliced
- ¼ ea Cucumber, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup Cilantro Leaves
- 1 batch Ginger Beef
- 1 batch Sriracha Mayo
Instructions
Ginger Beef Sauce
- Combine all ingredients and set aside
Sriracha Mayo
- Combine all ingredients and set aside
Ginger Beef
- Heat a wok on high heat
- Add the sesame and canola oils
- Sauté the beef until browned
- Add the white bits of the green onion and cook for one minute
- Add the ginger beef sauce and cook for four to five minutes or until thick
- Finish the beef by tossing in the green bits of the green onion
Ginger Beef Salad Rolls
- Top the lettuce leaves with sriracha mayo
- Then add the vegetables
- Finally, add the beef and cilantro leaves
6. Cranberry Mayo
Cranberry mayo is usually made by mixing pre-made cranberry sauce with mayonnaise. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it is delicious. But, I like to mix dried cranberries with mayo and a little bread and butter pickle brine. I let the mayo sit in the fridge for an hour to soften the cranberries and blend the flavours. It is absolutely delicious.
Cranberry mayo is fantastic on a turkey or chicken sandwich or burger. It is excellent with roast pork, on a sandwich with brie and ham, or a grilled cheese.
7. Horseradish Mayo
I'm not sure what exactly it is about the combination of horseradish and mayonnaise that works so well, but it truly is a unique combination. I like a ratio of equal parts prepared horseradish and mayonnaise. That's all there is to it.
Horseradish mayo is exceptional on burgers, roast beef sandwiches, mixed with egg salad, or with smoked salmon. It is so good on burgers in fact that it is one of my all-time favourite burger condiments. As I said earlier, I make sriracha mayo more than anything else on this list. Horseradish mayo comes in a very close second.
Conclusion
One of the easiest ways to make a good sandwich an exceptional one is to flavour the mayonnaise. It takes little effort to mix an ingredient or two into some mayo, and the impact on the overall flavour and sandwich experience is worth every second it takes. The flavour combinations in this list are my favourites, what are yours? Do you have a mayo mix that you love to put on sandwiches? Share it in the comments section below or on Facebook.
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