Traditional 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.
While modern versions of the sauce tend to also include egg yolks, authentic aioli is traditionally made only with garlic and olive oil as the two ingredients. Cloves of garlic are ground to a paste in a mortar, and olive oil is slowly integrated into it, giving the aioli a creamy texture.
Aioli is a great sauce to serve alongside fish, seafood, or boiled vegetables. In Provence, aioli gives it name to a dish composed of boiled carrots, potatoes, fish, served with a hefty side of the garlicky sauce.
Ingredients
For a 100 millilitres jar:
- 100 millilitres of olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Salt
Recipe
In a mortar, place the two cloves of garlic, a pinch of salt, and a drop of olive oil.
Start grinding the garlic cloves into a paste, until the olive oil is completely integrated with the garlic paste.
Once the drop of olive oil is completely part of the paste, add a couple more drops of oil, and keep grinding the olive oil into the paste.
Repeat the process, a few drops at a time, until all the olive oil is integrated within the garlic paste. Your aioli should take a pasty and creamy texture as more oil is integrated in.
Traditional aioli is harder to stabilise than more current versions, where egg yolks are added to help the emulsion form. Take care to only add oil a few drops at a time, and to wait until it is completely integrated in the sauce before adding more.
Aioli is best kept in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving.