Kurt R.A. Giambastiani

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 egg yolk
• salt & pepper
• 1 cup olive oil

Preparation:

• Peel and split the cloves, remove the germ if necessary
• Put in a mortar and pound to a paste
• Add egg yolk and grind/mix
• Add a dash of salt and a couple grinds of pepper
• Slowly (¼-½ tsp at a time) drizzle in olive oil as you stir and blend the paste
• Continuously turn/blend the paste at a medium pace as you add the oil, ensuring each addition of oil is completely incorporated before adding more
• The aioli will thicken and, at a certain point, each drizzle of oil will make it very thick, requiring thorough blending to bring it back to a creamy texture; this is good…you’re on the right track
• Somewhere between ¾ and a full cup, taste the emulsion; a good aioli will have a combination of sharp garlic, sweet olive oil, and also a buttery base from the constant blending

Notes:

• Before you start, take a seat.  This takes a while to do properly, usually at least 30 minutes.
• This work should be done in a heavy stone mortar, with a wooden pestle.  It cannot be done in a blender or food processor, for the action is too violent for the aioli.
• A wooden pestle works best because its relatively light weight (compared to a stone pestle) gives you a better feel for the thickness and resiliency of the emulsion as you build it.