Heating the egg to make it safe:

1. This method heats the yolk to kill any bacteria that may be in the raw egg. You can also use a pasteurized egg, which has already undergone the process to kill any bacteria. If you have a double boiler, use that. If not, you can make one by placing a bowl over a pot of boiling water. The bowl should sit above the water, only being heated by the steam.
2. In a heat safe bowl or the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer, whisk together egg yolk, lemon juice, water, and salt until frothy. Set the bowl over a small pot of boiling water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Whisk egg mixture constantly, until a thermometer inserted reads 150F, about 4-5 minutes. The mixture should be creamy and pale yellow.

Making the Mayonnaise:

1. Allow the egg mixture to cool slightly after removing from the double boiler. You can use your KitchenAid mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, a small food processor, hand held immersion blender, or whisk by hand. The key to making mayonnaise successfully is to pour the oil in SLOWLY. Almost a few drops at a time, while whisking vigorously, especially in the beginning, to get a good emulsion going. Pouring in the oil too quickly will break the emulsion and you’ll end up with a curdled oily mess (been there, done that!)
2. Begin pouring in the oil, about a teaspoon at a time, with the mixer on high, or whisking quickly by hand. The mixture should stay kind of pudding-like, not runny, as you beat the oil in a little at a time. If it is thin and liquidy, chances are the emulsion broke and you’ll need to start again from scratch. {insert crying face emoji}
3. Continue to pour oil in a very thin stream, stopping every few seconds to allow the mixture to blend together. Keep going until all the oil is gone. This will take several minutes and a lot of patience, but I promise you it is worth it! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

*Light tasting olive oil has a more neutral taste than extra virgin olive oil. The mayonnaise will taste like the oil you use, so only use an oil that you like the taste of alone.