# Mayonnaise foam.....??



## caper cuisine (Feb 2, 2013)

Hello all, I first posted this over in Food and Cooking, but it was suggested that I post here as well.

I'm new to the forum, but I've spent more than a few years in professional kitchens. I've joined specifically to ask for a few ideas on how to create an effect. I'm retired now, but I do the occasional odd job. I was recently asked to come up with a seafood recipe that captured the "essence" of our coastal Cape Breton region and that of our seafood.

I'm using snow crab. Its locally caught and processed. And, its really good! Oh, and its donated by the owner of a local seafood company.

For one preparation, I want to infuse a mayonnaise with "the ocean" so I'm testing out flavors and textures that accomplish that goal. Lately, I've been liking the idea of the mayo infused with a bit of ground dulse(or nori), a little lemon, and some other stuff. I'm getting close to the taste I want.

But, its the texture I'm having issues with.

I want to make a mayonnaise and aerate it, and give it the texture of sea foam... or, that of a foam done as a sauce/garnish on many dishes these days. I can make a darn fluffy mayo just fine, but I want it much more aerated than that.... bubbly, foamy, fog-like. Then I want to shroud a crispy pan-fired snow crab cake in a cloud of this "ocean fog".

This mayo-foam also has to have long pot life so I can plate and replenish as needed throughout a two hour service without have to make a new batch.

My first thought was to borrow my neighbor's C02 powered whipped cream canister, fill-'er up with Hellman's and,...... well......, let 'er rip. See what happens. Depending on the outcome, I might consider using my own canister for further testing.

Other than that. Well, I got nothing other than that.

So, I'm looking to aerate mayonnaise to the point where it has the fluff of whipped egg whites, and will hold for a fair bit of time. I would _consider_ using a bechmel in place of the mayo, especially for a different portion/plating style.

If anyone has any brilliant(or even - good) ideas, please come forward. I'd greatly appreciate the assistance.

All the best,

Peter


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## michaelga (Jan 30, 2012)

At concentrations of ~ 0.2% xantham gum starts to trap air bubbles and thus will support the creation of foams.

It is tasteless and ph / temperature stable but is thixotropic (acts a little weird - stir it and it becomes liquid - let it sit and it becomes more solid).

I haven't actually done this but here is where I'd start.

1. Make a standard regular old Mayonaise, don't put anything funking into it yet.

2. Make an infusion of your choice of liquid and spices - like the first step in a bechamel.

(I'd suggest buttermilk infused with dulse, lemon grass and maybe a tiny bit of onion (something to sweeten) and a few pepper corns and a bay leaf- watch the salt level with the dulse sometimes it is really salty)

3. Make a 0.2% solution of xantham gum with the above infusion. (only use a portion of it say 1/4 as you are experimenting)

4. Use the infused / stabalized liquid to thin out your Mayo. I'd suggest starting at nappe - and adjust up or down depending on the first result.

5. Put it into the cannister and see what she makes!

Have lots of charges on hand and work in small batches - this will be a process of trial and error.

- If the Mayo foams but then collapses you have to adjust the xantham gum mixture stronger ie. 0.4%

- If the Mayo doesn't foam at all you have to thin it less with the xantham mixture. (maybe make the mixture stronger)

- If the Mayo foams but is rubbery and/or slimy you need to reduce the strength of the xantham gum mixture.

- If you make Mayo Flavoured Jelly Beans, throw out the crab, get a patent and start raking in the cash!

Take detailed notes or you'll be going insane when you can't replicate "the most awesome thing I've ever created boss!"

Let me know how it goes - I'd love to hear the feed back - both good and bad.


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## viktor (Jan 29, 2013)

For a nice sea foam. make an emulsion of oysters and oil. Just like a mawo but with oysters instead of egg yolks.  Then add a dash of cream, this will stabilize the emulsion. fill the cannister withe one litre of emusion, two cartridges and shake once.


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## viktor (Jan 29, 2013)

or make and hot emulsion like an hollandaise, add cream and fill the cannister in the way I described above. It' will last through service and then some


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## patrick spriggs (Dec 12, 2012)

I'd probably just use dashi or similar. Then add some milk and use soy lecithin. The foam you get from the siphon is a little thicker and doesn't really resemble sea water. So i'd make a dashi, add milk, then froth it with a litlte soy lecithin. You can experiment with flavours but i'd be going down that road rather than the siphon.


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## hpross (Feb 5, 2013)

i would go with the lecithin effect as well. mayo already has lecithin in it (yolks)...as such if you let it down with a little water (or flavoured thin liquid) and grab a bamix - it should foam just like that. add more soya lecithin to stabilize it if need be. 

For service i would just keep a bamix next to the "mayo tub", foam what i need a la minute.


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