310 Part Three Ingredients, Preparation, and Presentation
do not naturally mix such as oil and vinegar.
In an emulsion, tiny droplets of one ingre-
dient are suspended in the other. A simple
vinaigrette soon separates back to oil and
vinegar because it is a temporary emulsion.
The culinary solution to prevent oil
and vinegar from separating is to stabilize
the emulsion with egg or egg yolks. Raw
eggs are not recommended for this because
they present a food safety concern. Instead,
pasteurized eggs should be used. Eggs and
other foods are pasteurized by heating at
a temperature and for a period of time that
destroys unsafe organisms, but does not
cause major changes to the food itself.
Mayonnaise is a cold sauce that is an
emulsion of oil and vinegar stabilized with
egg yolk and mustard. To make mayonnaise,
oil is formed into tiny droplets by gradu-
ally adding it to the other ingredients while
whipping. These tiny droplets are suspended
in the water contained in the vinegar and
egg. Lecithin, cholesterol, and proteins
found in egg yolks keep these suspended
droplets of oil and water from separating.
Mustard is another ingredient commonly
used in mayonnaise and emulsified dress-
ings. Compounds found in mustard also
help prevent an emulsion from breaking or
separating.
Mayonnaise is an important item in the
cold kitchen because it is often used as a
base in creating dressings or cold sauces. The
quality of these preparations relies on the
quality of the mayonnaise.
Mayonnaise Proportions One key to
successful mayonnaise is the right propor-
tion of egg yolk to oil. The standard propor-
tion for making mayonnaise is one egg yolk
to one cup of oil. This ratio creates a proper
emulsion.
Fluid, pasteurized egg products are
commonly used in commercial kitchens.
Since one yolk is roughly equivalent to one
fluid ounce, the proportion is also expressed
as one ounce pasteurized egg yolk to one
cup oil.
Using Ratios
Ratios tell how one number is related to
another number. They can be used to describe
relationships that are “part to whole,” “part to
part,” or “whole to part.” Ratios are often used
in cooking. For example, vinaigrette is prepared
using a ratio.
One cup of vinegar plus three cups of oil
yields four cups of vinaigrette.
Ratios can be written in a number of
different ways—1:4 or ¼ or one part to four
parts or simply, one to four. Therefore, the ratio
for vinaigrette can be written as 1:3.
Let’s say you need 1 gallon (128 fl. oz.)
of vinaigrette. How would you calculate the
amounts of oil and vinegar you need? You
already know that the ratio for vinaigrette is
1 part vinegar : 3 parts oil
1:3 means there are 4 equal parts
1 + 3 = 4
Divide 128 fluid ounces by 4 parts to find
how many ounces each equal part is.
128 fluid ounces ÷ 4 parts = 32 fluid
ounces/part
Now you know that each equal part is 32
fluid ounces. You can solve your problem now.
1 part vinegar × 32 fluid ounces/part = 32
fluid ounces of vinegar
3 parts oil × 32 fluid ounces/part = 96 fluid
ounces oil
Double-check your work.
32 fluid ounces vinegar + 96 fluid ounces oil
= 128 fluid ounces vinaigrette
M i x I n M a t h M i x I n M a t h
Mustard and vinegar play a supporting
role in creating an emulsion, therefore,
measurement of them need not be exact.
They are often added to taste.