Garlic Aioli Sauce

 

Classic Homemade Aioli

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup light-tasting olive oil or vegetable oil
• parsley, to garnish, optional           

Instructions

How to make Classic Homemade Aioli:

1. Use a chef's knife to smash 4 cloves of garlic. Remove the peels and mince the garlic finely.
2. Top the garlic with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Use the side of the chef's knife to smash the salt into the garlic, over and over, making a paste. See photos.
3. Add the salt and garlic to a blender, or if you plan to use an immersion blender, add it to a mason jar or whatever to want to blend in.* (See note if you are not using a blender!) Add about 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the garlic and salt. 
4. Add 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons lemon juice to the garlic. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Stir it together with a spoon and let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes, to let all the flavors get nice and friendly.
5. At this point if you are garlic shy, you can use a spoon to strain out some of the garlic. The garlic has already worked a lot of magic on the lemon juice just from the 15 minute marinade. I left it all in because I am a garlic freak. But if you plan on kissing anyone soon, you might want to remove some (up to half or more) of the minced garlic, being careful to strain it well so you don't lose any lemon juice.
6. Add 1 large egg and 1 egg yolk. If you are using a regular blender or making this in a bowl, slowly drizzle 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup light tasting olive oil or vegetable oil into the bowl while whisking constantly*, or drizzle the oil into the blender while it is running. Blend or whisk until smooth.
7. If you are using an immersion blender, add all the oil at once and place your immersion blender all the way at the bottom of your container. Blend on low, slowly moving the blender up higher and high, until it is all emulsified.
   
8. Taste it and add salt and pepper as needed, or a bit more lemon or Dijon if you want.
9. Garnish with chopped parsley.
   
   Eat with french fries. It's also great with a fresh relish tray: carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, etc. Try dipping roasted brussels sprouts in aioli. Slap it on a sandwich. It's also really great on a burger The options are endless!
   
   

   Recipe Notes

   Variation: Aioli reaches a whole different level when you roast the garlic first. Spread 4-5 cloves of unpeeled garlic on some foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap up. Roast at 400 for about 30-40 minutes until a fork slides in easily. Let cool. Prepare aioli with the garlic as usual. 

   *If you do not have a blender or immersion blender, you can do all this in a bowl. Whisk all the ingredients together up until the eggs, then SLOWLY whisk in the oil in a gradual stream. Whisk constantly while slowly adding oil to make sure it emulsifies. 

   The flavor of olive oil is kind of strong, which is why we are toning that flavor down with a lighter flavored oil. (But if you only have one kind or the other, it's still going to taste great!)

FROM: The Food Harlatan

See step by step directions and other dipping sauce ideas here.