AIOLI MAGIC…Seven Saucy Secrets.

AIOLI MAGIC…Seven Saucy Secrets.

Aioli – Garlic Flavoured Mayonnaise

ay-oh-lee…..one of America’s few cold sauces.

Aioli is gluten-free, dairy-free & vegetarian, it can have unlimited variations.

• 2 cloves garlic (quick fix – 1 tspn. crushed garlic)
• pinch salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tspns. whole grain mustard or Dijon
• 2 tblspns. lemon juice
• 1/2 tspn. sugar
• 500 mls. extra virgin olive oil (or rice bran oil)

Process all ingredients except oil, drizzle slowly with motor running.

Only use good quality olive oil. I use half olive oil, half rice bran oil (find olive oil a bit to overpowering).

Best if all equipment & ingredients are at room temp.

If you want a big batch, Neil Perry has a great 1 litre recipe….

• 1 head garlic
• 4 tspns. sea salt, freshly ground white pepper
• 12 egg yolks
• juice of 2 lemons
• 500g. each extra virgin olive oil & 500g. olive oil

Same deal…process all ingredients & drizzle oil slowly. Oh, & it freezes really well, so make plenty.

Tips: 

• If it seperates while adding oil to fast, don’t worry. Just start with more yolks & mustard, & slowly drizzle seperated mix as if it were plain oil.
• Add oil very slowly at the beginning.
• Roasting the garlic makes aioli mellow & sweeter.
• Stir in water, 1 tspn. at a time if too thick.
• Half olive oil & half your favourite vege oil makes a less strong olive oil flavour.
• Some chefs have health concerns about the safety of raw egg yolks & are starting  with a good quality commercial mayo (which is made from pasteurized egg yolks).

So a good quality jar of egg mayo & some crushed garlic is a great short-cut to instant aioli.

Now for the good bits…

A quick fix…..spread on some garlic bread, sprinkle with parmesan, toast in oven & sprinkle with Italian parsley.

Serve with….

• green beans & roasted walnuts, or artichokes
• grilled lamb & grilled veges
• chicken & avocado
• B.L.T.
• mix into coleslaw or potato salad
• Add lime, wasabi, smoked chilli or horseradish & serve with seafood….Atlantic salmon steaks, salmon patties, fresh prawns or scallops
• Add roast red capsicum & serve with fritters, prawn pancakes or asparagus
• Add basil & serve with prosciutto
• Add quince & serve with calamari & whitebait
• Add apple & serve with trout & walnuts
• Add mint or pear & serve with lamb & haloumi

Other suggestions are saffron threads & tblspn. honey for a sweeter leaning, or sesame oil for a Thai flavour

Happy dinner tonight!