AioliMakes about 1 cup
Aioli, or garlic mayonnaise, is a wonderful dipping sauce for fresh, steamed, or grilled vegetables. If you’re in a rush, commercial mayonnaise can be used as the base for a very decent aioli; just add several cloves of mashed garlic and a bit of olive oil and lemon juice.
5 fresh garlic cloves
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Slice the garlic very thin, then pound it in a heavy mortar with a generous pinch of salt until it forms a paste. Alternatively, mince the garlic very fine and mash it well with the flat of a cleaver or large knife.
2. Stir the egg yolk into the garlic paste and loosen the mixture with the lemon juice. Add the oil drop by drop at first, stirring continually. After about 1/4 cup of oil has been added, drizzle the oil in a thin stream, stirring continually. When the aioli has emulsified, season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice if desired.
To make the aioli in a food processor, put the garlic paste in the machine, then add egg yolk and lemon juice. Drizzle the oil through the feed tube in a thin stream until the aioli emulsifies. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
3. Store the aioli in a tightly covered glass jar for 3 to 5 days. The flavor is best when it’s fresh, but any leftover is good in salads, on sandwiches, or as a dipping sauce.