Easy aioli
Aioli is a traditional sauce from the Mediterranean coasts, an emulsion of minced garlic and olive oil. The name aioli comes from those two main ingredients, garlic and oil, in Provençal or Catalan.
Modern versions of the sauce tend to also include egg yolks. This makes the sauce easier to make, as egg yolks help keep the emulsion stable when whisking all the ingredients together. Other ingredients in modern aioli can also include mustard and lemon, primarily for taste.
Aioli is a great sauce to serve alongside fish, seafood, or boiled vegetables.
Ingredients
For a 250 millilitres jar of aioli:
- 250 millilitres of olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon
- Salt
Recipe
Mince two cloves of garlic, and set aside for later.
Juice a lemon, and set aside for later.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together:
- The yolks of two eggs
- A pinch of salt
Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous.
Slowly incorporate 125 millilitres of olive oil in the mixture, a few drops at a time. To do this, add a few drops in the mixture, and whisk until the oil is fully integrated with the eggs and mustard. Add a few more drops, and repeat the process until all the oil is added.
Keep whisking, and add in the bowl:
- Two minced cloves of garlic
- A pinch of salt
- The juice of half a lemon
Keep whisking until the garlic, salt, and lemon are completely integrated. The aioli should whiten as you add lemon juice.
Keep whisking energetically, and slowly incorporate the remaining 125 millilitres of olive oil, still integrating it only a few drops at a time.
To finish your aioli, slowly incorporate the remaining juice of half a lemon. Whisk until the lemon juice is completely integrated, and the aioli is creamy.
Aioli is best kept in the fridge. Let it rest for a day or more before serving. This helps the garlic spread through the emulsion. Bring to room temperature before serving.