An aioli sauce is a traditional sauce from Provence. It is a versatile sauce that can be served with many dishes but is often served with fish (poached, grilled, etc.), shrimps, crabs, or even lobster. Aioli comes from the French word “ail” (garlic) and “oli” (oil in Provencal dialect). It is basically a garlic olive oil mayonnaise. The term aioli often refers to this aioli sauce recipe but it can also mean the “grande aïoli”, a Provencal holiday celebration where people gather around the table and enjoy an aioli sauce served with cod, vegetables, boiled eggs, etc. But whether served with shrimps on an appetizer platter or as a sauce with grilled fish or beef kebabs,this aioli sauce recipe is a great addition to your summer sauce selection. Check our detailed aioli sauce recipe and Art of the Home suggestions below. Enjoy and bon appétit!
Aioli Sauce Recipe (Recette de l’Aïoli)
INGREDIENTS(about 1.5 cups)
- 10 garlic cloves
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 and 1/4 cups of olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Peel garlic, cut in half lengthwise and remove garlic sprout from the center of each clove.
- Using a mortar, pound garlic to obtain a garlic paste. You can also use a food processor.
- Carefully separate the egg yolks from the whites (make sure there is not white otherwise just like with a mayonnaise, your aioli will not emulsify as easily if at all). Whisk egg yolks into the garlic paste.
- Pour a few drops of olive oil in the egg yolk/garlic mixture and whisk vigorously. Keep pouring olive oil a few drops at a time until you see that the aioli sauce has emulsified. After using the first 1/2 cup of olive oil or so, pour the olive oil in a thinstream stirring constantly. A wooden spoon can be used instead of a whisk.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Typcially, we add about 4 good pinches of salt & 4 rounds of pepper mills but feel free to adjust.
- Refrigerate (up to 24 hours) and serve cold.
A FEW SUGGESTIONS
- Wine suggestion: when serving an aioli sauce, consider a white wine which pairs well with the garlic flavor of this Provencal sauce.
- Too much garlic? If needed, lower the number of garlic cloves or increase the olive oil quantity to 2 cups.
- Quick aioli sauce recipe: instead of making homemade olive oil mayonnaise, skip step 3 and 4 and add add storebought mayonnaise to Step 5 (you may even be able to find an olive oil mayonnaise).
- Mayonnaise substitution: delicious alternative on any sandwich.
- Bring Provence on your table and serve the aioli sauce in the mortar.