Recipe: Aïoli

“Autour d’un aïoli bien embaumé et roux comme un fil d’or, où sont, répondez moi, les hommes qui ne se reconnaissent point frères ?”
Frédéric Mistral  (French writer 19th century)

‘Around a good aioli, well put together and fragrant and red as a golden thread, where are, answer me, the men who do not recognize themselves as brothers?’

At first, you think aioli is merely garlic mayo but in reality, the traditional recipe refers to a dish in which, yes, you find the ‘garlic mayo’ plus a number of ingredients that come with it.

The most important thing in order not to fail your aïoli is to have the right ingredients, tools and patience. 

Ingredients for 8-10 servings: 

• 10-15 Garlic cloves
  
• 2 eggs 
  
• Salt
  
• 1 liter room temperature Olive oil (pure and organic)
  
• Drizzle of lemon juice
  

Side ingredients of your choice: 

• Potatoes 
  
• Carrots 
  
• Sunchoke 
  
• Green beans
  
• Artichoke 
  
• Beetroot
  
• Cauliflower 
  
• Cod
  
• Eggs
  

Tools: 

• Mortar and pestle 
  
• Strong Whisk (hand or electric recommended)
  
• Mixing bowl
  

Instructions: 

1. Finely crush the garlic cloves in the mortar to create a sort of paste 
   
2. Either transfer the paste to the mixing bowl or in the mortar: add 2 egg yolks and a pinch of salt. Mix well. 
   
3. Then little by little carefully add olive oil to the mixture, mixing constantly. Continue until you obtain a thick paste (like mayo) 
   
4. If it is too thick add a spoon or two of temperate water.
   

N.B. If the oil is too cool for the temperature of the room in which you're cooking, or if you've poured it in too quickly, the oil will rise and not mix with the original mixture, ruining the recipe.

To put things right, pour the failed sauce into a separate bowl. Thoroughly clean the mortar and pestle, then grind a new clove of garlic with a little salt, add a few drops of water and repeat the operation, spooning in the missed aïoli little by little.

Separately, simply boil all the side ingredients you desire, considering the cod, potatoes and carrots are a must. 

Finally, present your aïoli in a bowl or still in the mortar on the table plus the boiled vegetables and fish on a big plate. Each person can take as many spoons of aioli and as many vegetables as they like.