Aioli is a mayonnaise made by stirring extra virgin olive oil into egg yolks and finely ground raw garlic. Although vegetable oil mayonnaise can be made easily in a blender or food processor, aioli must be made by hand because extra virgin olive oil turns bitter if beaten too quickly or if overworked. The oil must be worked very gently into the egg yolks. Traditionally a mortar and pestle are used, but if you don't have these, the oil can be worked gently into the egg yolks with a wooden spoon.
Yield : Makes 2 cups
Ingredients
- 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
- Coarse Salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or vinegar
- 1 3/4 cups LunaOlivo.com Arbequina olive oil
Directions
Combine the garlic cloves with the coarse salt in a mortar and pestle and work the mixture to a smooth paste; then add the egg yolks and the lemon juice or vinegar and slowly work in the olive oil.
If you don't have a mortar and pestle, make the mayonnaise in a bowl: chop the garlic and crush it on the cutting board with the side of a chef's knife, put it in a bowl with the egg yolks, lemon juice or vinegar, and slowly stir in the olive oil with a wooden spoon.
If the mayonnaise starts to thicken so much that it's difficult to work, thin it with a tablespoon of water.
If you don't have a mortar and pestle, make the mayonnaise in a bowl: chop the garlic and crush it on the cutting board with the side of a chef's knife, put it in a bowl with the egg yolks, lemon juice or vinegar, and slowly stir in the olive oil with a wooden spoon.
If the mayonnaise starts to thicken so much that it's difficult to work, thin it with a tablespoon of water.
Notes
When you're using aioli to flavor soups, pour the hot soup into the aioli; don't add the aioli directly to the soup, or it may curdle. Pass the remaining aioli at the table so your guests can add more to the soup and smear it on toasted French bread. If you have a mortar, pass the aioli in it, but no matter how you serve it, aioli is hard to resist, and your guests or family will surprise you by how much they eat.
Beacuse aioli is very rich, some chefs like to add a cooked potato to the mixture to thicken it without adding more oil.
These days many people hesitate to eat raw egg yolks because of the risk of salmonella. To be on the safe side, combine the egg yolk and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk it over a bowl of simmering water. As soon as the egg yolk starts to stiffen, remove the bowl from the heat and whisk it for 15 seconds longer to cool the yolk and stop the cooking. If you overcook the yolks, they’ll curdle into scrambled eggs. Once you have the cooked yolk, add the olive oil and other ingredients in the same way as when using raw yolks.
Suggestions
Mayonnaise can separate (chefs call it "breaking") if you stir the oil in too fast. Most recipes have you start out by dribbling the oil into the egg yolk drop by drop and then pouring a little faster once the mayonnaise starts to thicken. This is a nuisance because it means holding the bottle with one hand while stirring with the other. It's easier to pour about a tablespoon of oil to one side of the egg yolk in the mortar or bowl and then work it into the rest of the mixture gradually, being careful not to stir it together all at once. Once the mixture thickens, you can pour in 3 or 4 tablespoons of oil at one time.
If the mayonnaise does separate--it suddenly thins and takes on a grainy look--put another egg yolk in a bowl and work the broken mayonnaise into the new yolk, taking the same precautions as if you were pouring in oil.
Beacuse aioli is very rich, some chefs like to add a cooked potato to the mixture to thicken it without adding more oil.
These days many people hesitate to eat raw egg yolks because of the risk of salmonella. To be on the safe side, combine the egg yolk and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk it over a bowl of simmering water. As soon as the egg yolk starts to stiffen, remove the bowl from the heat and whisk it for 15 seconds longer to cool the yolk and stop the cooking. If you overcook the yolks, they’ll curdle into scrambled eggs. Once you have the cooked yolk, add the olive oil and other ingredients in the same way as when using raw yolks.
Suggestions
Mayonnaise can separate (chefs call it "breaking") if you stir the oil in too fast. Most recipes have you start out by dribbling the oil into the egg yolk drop by drop and then pouring a little faster once the mayonnaise starts to thicken. This is a nuisance because it means holding the bottle with one hand while stirring with the other. It's easier to pour about a tablespoon of oil to one side of the egg yolk in the mortar or bowl and then work it into the rest of the mixture gradually, being careful not to stir it together all at once. Once the mixture thickens, you can pour in 3 or 4 tablespoons of oil at one time.
If the mayonnaise does separate--it suddenly thins and takes on a grainy look--put another egg yolk in a bowl and work the broken mayonnaise into the new yolk, taking the same precautions as if you were pouring in oil.
No comments:
Post a Comment