Aioli Recipe

This aioli recipe is for a garlic mayonnaise that goes well with crab, shrimp, poached fish and all sorts of vegetables. I even like it with French fries! Review how to make a successful mayonnaise here: mayonnaise recipe, and you'll have no problem making this garlicky relative.

The Garlic Parties of Provence

In many small towns in the south of France you will find a yearly festival known as la fête de la grande aioli. Here the aioli is much more than a garlic mayonnaise, it is a party for the whole town and usually huge platters of boiled seasonal vegetables, fish, and hard-boiled eggs are served along with gallons of aioli. All the people gather to eat, dance and play games.

Garlic Tools

Do you find garlic fussy to work with? I know I do! All those little bits of peel to take off and then chop, chop, chop and your hands end up smelling funny. Sometimes you can find frozen chopped garlic, but many times this doesn't have good flavor and can be expensive. The solution for me has been to find the right tools.

• This garlic peeler I saw for the first time advertised on French television. It's really quite clever. You put the garlic inside and twist it a bit. The silicon holds on to the peel, but not the garlic, effectively stripping it.

• Once you have it peeled, what you need is a good garlic press. This one from Amazon is top of the line. All you do is put the peeled garlic in and squeeze a bit. Then your ready to make your aioli sauce or whatever else is on the menu.

• Finally I have the solution for all all of you who, even with the right tools don't want to make your own aioli recipe, here's a Prepared Aioli Sauce from France .

And for those of you who are going to persist, here is a traditional aioli recipe. It calls for olive oil, but you might prefer it with a less distinctive tasting oil, like safflower. You can also vary the amount of garlic according to your taste.

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Sauce Aioli

• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• 1 cup olive oil

You should have all of the ingredients at room temperature before you start. Make this in a bowl that is heavy enough that it won't move across the counter as you're mixing.

Mix the garlic, egg yolk, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a heavy mixing bowl with a hand mixer until you get a sticky paste.

Start adding the olive oil, drop by drop, mixing all the while with your hand mixer. You can add it a bit faster as you go along, but as with mayonnaise, the key to success is going very slowly. When you are done adding the oil you can mix in a bit more seasoning if you think it needs it.

This makes 1 cup - maybe you should double the recipe, it is so good.

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