Holy moly A I O L I ! ! ! What a craze this aïoli business is but, I totally get it, I'm a sucker for something to slather on anything. Harnessing the french inspired chef that is inside us all (duh, Ratatouille), I started doing some aïoli "research" and getting down to the business of "Why"! Why are boutique restaurants charging an arm and leg for that fancy garlic aïoli to be spread on your burger bun.
With my whisk in hand and a million blog posts open on my IPad I proclaimed like Archimedes -- Eureka! It's Just Mayonnaise!!! I think he said something like that?!? Those little sneaky sneaks. I get it, I get it...Black Truffle Aïoli sound so much better than Black Truffle Mayo but, that is exactly what is on your hipster burger. I swear!. People, what we have been dipping our truffle fries in at that hispster dining spot is FLAVORED MAYO! and it is so easy to make!
HISTORY ALERT! Skip over if you want to get down and dirty with the recipe.
Classic aïoli is the delectable sauce hailing from the south of France, a region known as Provençal. The biggest difference between aïoli and mayonnaise is the use of oil and egg. Aïoli literally translates to "garlic oil" which makes sense that it should only contain garlic + oil. But due to the crazy amount of muscle power it takes to emulsify garlic and oil (one would have to pick up Crossfit and that's just crazy-talk) some include egg yolk to help with this process. The second biggest variation between these two dreamy sauces is the type of oil, mayonnaise calls for mellow flavor oils such as canola, while aïoli's gets its nutty floral notes from extra virgin olive oil. The two words have become interchangeable: Olive Oil Mayo, Garlic Mayo, Garlic Olive Oil Maya...wait that's aïoli!
Harnessing my inner Julia Child I began a quest to perfect homemade mayonnaise. Which I then made with extra virgin olive oil and added in crushed garlic making the most amazing aïoli/mayonnaise hybrid! I don't care what the french cooking teachers say, I'm excited! With an abundance of freshly laid eggs (thanks girls) and my brand new whisk, I found that with the freshest ingredients, a little French-y technique and French cafe music on in the background, mayonnaise is so easy. Once you go homemade, you can't go back!
After you make your first batch you will be just looking to shmear it on something, how about these AMAZING Spaghetti Squash Pancakes - Caveman approved!
TIPS:
- I know that whisking sounds dreadful but, you will be soooo proud of your concoction AND you get a workout!!! It's a labor of love.
- Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Place everything on the counter and go finish that last chapter or pour yourself a bottle of wine for a couple of hours. The wine may help with the whisking.
- Beat egg yolks for a minute or two before adding the oil, they need to get thick and glossy to prepare the yolks to better absorb the oil.
- Add the oil very slowly, a droplet at a time, until you notice the oil is easily blended (emulsified) into the egg yolks mixture. Once you see this tale sign you can begin pouring the oil quicker.
- Note to self: 1 egg can absorb about 3/4 cups of oil, anymore than that and the the eggs will give up (the binding properties of the egg break down) and your mixture will break (thin and curdle). To be on the safe side I like to start with 1/2 cup of oil per egg yolk, until you have built up those arm muscles and you can begin to increase the oil amount.
SERVES 2-3 cups (for your French-y friends)
Ingredients for HERBIVORE + CAVEMAN alike:
1 tablespoon lemon juice, more drops as needed to taste (Try wine vinegar in your next batch, yummy!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard, you can also used prepared mustard, how fun (sometimes if I'm not in the mustard mood I will omit).
1-1/2 to 2 cups of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons boiling water
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Sriracha to taste
HINTS:
Warm the bowl in hot water; dry it. Add the egg yolks and beat for 1 to 2 minutes until they are thick and glossy
Add the lemon juice, salt and dry mustard (if you so choose). Beat for 30 seconds more
Are you ready? Have you stretched? Now add olive oil drop by drop and don't stop beating until the sauce has thickened
Okay, fine! You can switch hands or switch directions, as long as you keep going.
After you have whisked in 1/3 to 1/2 cup of oil, the crises has be averted. The sauce should be nice and thick, resembling the texture of mayonnaise and the crisis of potential curdling is over.
Go on and give that arm a rest for a minute and then get back to whisking the remaining oil 1 to 2 tablespoon at a time.
If the sauce because too thick for your liking, mix in drops of lemon juice to loosen it up. Then continue with the olive oil.
Anti-curdling bonus points - blend in boiling water into the sauce. Don't be scared, adding hot liquid to a cool mixture creates a moment of texture change. Keep mixing and your gorgeous sauce will smooth out.
Now you have this beautiful blank canvas to season to your hearts desire, garlic, truffle oil, Srirachi, Oh My! My heart desired the ever so addicting spicy Sriracha. Squeeze teaspoons at a time, tasting while you go until you have reached maximum yummieness!
Spoon it over these AMAZING Spaghetti Squash Pancakes or store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
This recipe has been adapted from the beautiful Julia Child.