Potato Salad with Homemade Mayonnaise

I am a firm believer in homemade-ness.  Everything (well, almost everything) tastes better homemade: chocolate chip cookies, brownies, hummus, salad dressing, ice cream, ramen, bread, tomato sauce -- the list goes on.  Mayonnaise is most definitely one of those things.

Now, if you are one of those people, dear reader, that HATES, absolutely DETESTS mayonnaise, I urge you to keep reading.  Homemade mayonnaise just might make you see things a little bit differently.  I myself am not a mayo-hater, but I do know quite a few of them.  My good friend Heather usually hates mayonnaise, but even she admitted that she liked the mayonnaise that she had made herself.  Sometimes, you just need a little homemade love, care, and attention to change your mind.

And sometimes, you just need a little bit of potato salad.  Homemade potato salad, that is.  Do you ever just crave potato salad?  I certainly do.  Something about summer and picnics and barbecues just begs for a little potato salad.  Of the gluey gooey yellow kind from the deli I speak not.  I'm talking about the kind of potato salad that's only as good as the homemade mayonnaise that it's dressed with.

Like this one, accompanied only by a few eggs and some slivers of radish -- simple, slightly sweet, slightly tangy, and just plain satisfying.

Potato Salad with Homemade Garlicky Mayonnaise


For the mayonnaise:
2 cloves garlic, minced, then smashed and smushed with the flat side of your knife
1 egg yolk
juice of half a lemon
1 cup vegetable oil
salt

For the potato salad:
1 pound red or white potatoes
3 eggs, hard boiled
6 radishes, trimmed and cut into half moon slivers
salt and pepper
mayonnaise (I will leave the amount up to you!)

To make the mayo:  Whisk together the egg yolk, garlic, and lemon juice.  While continuously whisking, slowly begin to incorporate the oil by first drizzling it in thinly.  Once the mixture has emulsified a bit, you can begin to incorporate the oil a little more quickly.  Whisk until all oil is incorporated.  Add salt to taste.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salty water to boil.  Add the potatoes and boil until just fork-tender.  Drain the potatoes and rinse under cold water, then cut into 1-inch cubes.  Halve the eggs and slice the halves into thirds.  Once the potatoes have fully cooled (that's important), combine potatoes, eggs, and radishes.  Add a dollop or three of mayonnaise (like I said, the amount is up to you!) and season with salt and pepper.  Enjoy!