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.
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