Did you know that aioli – the posh mayonnaise you like to dip your chips in – is deceptively simple to make?
That’s right; you’ll be wowing your dinner guests in no time at all with this very easy aioli recipe. Let us know how you get on in the comments section below.
Ingredients:
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¾ cup of olive oil. It must be olive oil and not some other variety of vegetable oil; however, look for an olive oil that doesn’t taste too strong.
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2 egg yolks
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1 teaspoon of white vinegar
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½ teaspoon of salt
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1 dessertspoon of French mustard
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1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
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2 cloves of garlic
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¼ teaspoon black pepper, finely ground
Method:
You can make your own aioli with a hand whisk and bowl, or with an electric mixer or food processor.
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Crush the garlic and stir it in with the olive oil.
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Drop the egg yolks in a bowl (or food processor – see above).
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Then add mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk it together until blended.
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Add a teaspoon of olive oil to the mixture and whisk until it’s you’ve combined it thoroughly. No oil should be visible and the mixture should look frothy.
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Repeat the same process several times – adding just a teaspoon of olive oil before thoroughly mixing it in. Adding too much oil at once is likely to ruin your aioli.
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Finally, as the mixture starts to get thicker you can trickle the rest of the olive oil into the aioli, whisking as you go. Patience is a virtue when making aioli; remember to take your time.
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By the time you’re done, the aioli should be thick and glossy – just like the stuff you eat at your local gastropub.
If you do add the oil to the aioli too quickly and the mixture begins to separate – don’t panic, just take out another bowl, put an egg yolk in it and whisk in your separated mixture along with any other oil you have left.
Once you get good at making your own aioli, try substituting lime juice for lemon juice and add a few pinches of cayenne pepper for a slightly spicy, fiery dip. Experiment with the ingredients until you find the best mixture for your palette.
Also check out this – even easier – recipe for making your own hummus.
