Aioli
My brother is into making his own mayonnaise. From first trying it and learning the basics of emulsification (the oil much be added gradually!) he is now a mayo expert. Having a weakness for garlic (like myself), he usually includes some in his recipe, so one could argue that it’s technically not mayonnaise but aioli. Aioli is basically garlic mayonnaise. It’s a famous classic French sauce from Provence which was traditionally made with olive oil and alot of garlic. The recipe for aioli in Gastronomique comprises 4 large garlic cloves, 250ml olive oil and 1 egg yolk. This results in an overpoweringly strong garlic flavour, and is good only if used very sparingly. I prefer to make my aioli with less garlic and a proportion of less strongly flavoured oil such as sunflower or groundnut oil mixed with the oilve oil. This results in a much more palatable sauce which can be generously spread on sandwiches as is done with normal mayo. It’s absolutely fantastic in a bacon sarnie!
Aioli Recipe
Place two egg yolks in a bowl and whisk with 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar, 1 finely crushed clove of garlic and a pinch of salt until well blended. Mix together 150ml of extra virgin olive oil and 150ml of sunflower oil in a jug. Start adding the oil to the egg mixture, very slowly in a thin trickle whilst whisking vigorously. If you don’t do this slowly then the oil will not emulsify with the eggs and it will not thicken. Keep adding the oil gradually until it is all incorporated and you have a thick glossy texture. Thin the aioli if you wish by whisking in some water. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, to taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Place two egg yolks in a bowl and whisk with 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar, 1 finely crushed clove of garlic and a pinch of salt until well blended. Mix together 150ml of extra virgin olive oil and 150ml of sunflower oil in a jug. Start adding the oil to the egg mixture, very slowly in a thin trickle whilst whisking vigorously. If you don’t do this slowly then the oil will not emulsify with the eggs and it will not thicken. Keep adding the oil gradually until it is all incorporated and you have a thick glossy texture. Thin the aioli if you wish by whisking in some water. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, to taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed.