So, loving everything Provence, I decided to try my hand at aioli. I felt it might be somewhat of a daunting task as I had recently watched an episode of ‘Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, where he decided this was too difficult and finicky to try and attempt. Still, it felt like a challenge, and it sure looked good slathered all over those lovely veggies, so I was willing to give it a go. Now I must add that months ago, I planted garlic, and luckily, it was ready for harvesting as I decided to make a pot of aioli. The bulbs were tiny, but there was a bonus and a little pride in being able to use my garlic.
It was a great success; all it took was a little patience. Of course, this recipe requires patience more than anything else; without it, there’s a good chance your aioli will split and turn into a great disappointment, so steady on, it was well worth the effort!
Holy Aioli Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 medium egg yolks
- 1 cup olive oil
Instructions
- In a mortar and pestle, grind up the garlic and salt to a very smooth paste, don’t cheat here; it has to be very smooth.
- Add egg yolks one at a time and continue to stir with the pestle incorporating well and keeping a thick, smooth consistency; add olive oil a few drops at a time and continue to stir with the pestle; keep doing this until you’ve used all the olive oil, your arm will be pretty tired, but I believe if you do this regularly, you will develop amazing upper body strength!
- When you are finished, the aioli should be thick enough to stand the pestle upright in the aioli. If you like, add a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice for extra flavor.
- Serve this over steamed potatoes, carrots, green beans, asparagus, boiled eggs, poached or pan-fried cod fish, and just about anything you want. It packs incredible flavor to just about anything, although I don’t think serving it over ice cream would be a good choice here.