Mayo With Mojo

Talk about convenience. Mayonnaise is a condiment in practically every American fridge because it so conveniently moistens and flavors so many dishes. But one reason so many people prefer Miracle Whip (have you eve noticed that the world can be divided into two camps, mayo and Miracle Whip?), is because mayo can be a bit bland. In fact, when we make mayo dishes, we usually add herbs and spices. So I made my own spice blend that I keep in a jar and mix with mayo whenever I need it. Now that's convenient.

I've used it mostly in deviled eggs, egg salad, and as a sandwich spread. Then, recently, Capt. Jeff Meyer, a pilot for NetJets Aviation, sent me a sample of a his Capt. Jeff's Potato Salad Mix. It's similar to mine, a little sweeter, and he uses it on potato salad. I tried it and it worked great, so then I tried mine on potatoes, and it worked great too. DOH!!! Order some of his and make some of mine and see which you like better. Click here for my recipe for Potatoes With Mojo inspired by Capt. Jeff.

As background for this recipe, read these articles, The Zen of Herbs & Spices, The Zen of Chiles, the Zen of Garlic, and The Zen of Salt.

Makes. About 1.3 cups, enough for 3 pounds of Potatoes With Mojo
Preparation time. 15 minutes
Aging time. 2 hours minimum

Ingredients
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes, a.k.a. dried minced onion
1 tablespoon sweet red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup distilled vinegar

Optional mix-in. I almost always add 2 teaspoons of sun dried tomatoes, minced fine. 1 pinch cayenne or other hot pepper flakes. That's the red flakes in the photo above.

About the onions. Don't use powdered onion. Go for those little onion chips. They have been de-fanged. They have a nice concentrated flavor without the bite. I often add fresh onions to my egg salad and potato salad. They add a different dimension.

About the celery. Capt. Jeff's Potato Salad Mix uses what I think is dried celery leaves. I love his mix because the celery flavor is so deep. You can use 2 teaspoons dried celery leaves instead of celery seed if you can find it. You can make the dried celery leaves yourself just by cutting the leaves off a celery stalk and spreading them on paper towels until dry, then crumbling them.

About the garlic. Just because there's onion, doesn't mean there has to be garlic. Resist the temptation.

Do this
1) Mix all the spices in a small bowl. Now mix the spice mix with the mayonnaise and the vinegar and let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours. This is crucial. The flavors in the mix are oil soluble and mayo is 70 to 80% oil. In those 2 hours the flavors will work their way into the mayo and the dried flakes and seeds will suck in the mayo and soften.

2) You can now use the mayo as a sandwich spread, in potato salad, egg salad, tuna salad, whateverrrr. Try this: Spread it on skinless chicken breasts or mild white fish, and grill.

This page was revised 3/27/2010