Garlic Mayonnaise
Traditionally mayonnaise is oil is emulsified into a mixture of lemon juice or vinegar, mustard, egg yolk, and salt by whisking it in gradually—drop-by-drop at the very beginning—and then vigorously giving a creamy, almost fluffy texture. Aioli just adds garlic and instead of whisking by hand use a food processor or blender – it’s not as scary to prepare as you might think.
Ingredients
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2 egg yolks
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½ teaspoon dry mustard or Dijon mustard
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½ teaspoon salt
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Juice of ½ a lemon, preferable freshly squeezed
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2 garlic cloves, minced or even better roast a garlic head and squeeze out the soft flesh- dose the garlic depending upon how strong you want the flavour
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150ml extra virgin olive oil
Method
Combine the egg yolks, mustard, garlic, salt and lemon juice in a food processor or blender and process for 20 seconds.
With the food processor or blender running, very slowly drizzle in the oil in a thin stream. It should take about 2- 5 minutes to pour all of it in if you are going slowly enough so take your time.
The liquid will gradually emulsify as the steady stream of olive oil incorporates into the egg yolks creating a thick, creamy aioli.
Cheat aioli, Pushed for times? Whips some roasted garlic flesh into shop bought mayonnaise (we won’t tell) or soak minced garlic in lemon juice for 10 minutes, strain it and stir the garlicky lemon juice into the mayonnaise.
If you don’t like garlic you can jazz up mayonnaise with chilli powder, ginger, smoked paprika.
How to Store: Aioli will keep in the fridge for about 1 week in an airtight container. Don't leave it out at room temperature for longer than 1-2 hours.
Suggested Pairings
Adding a dollop of homemade garlic mayonnaise raises the game of the simplest ingredients. For example, a platter of barbecue-grilled vegetables served with garlic mayo would go beautifully with an oak-aged white such as a typical Pessac-Leognan. The mouthfeel of the wine complements the unctuous mayo. The accompaniment is key - if the veggies were on their own then a fruity red would be wonderful with the charred sweetness. So when serving generous portions of garlic mayo, think about matching mouthfeel.