Aioli: the Real McCoy

In the Provence region of France, aioli is often served with crudites at the beginning of a meal. People also spoon the garlicky mayonnaise over cooked fish, meats or vegetables. It’s also a terrific dip to use when entertaining.

If you’ve never tasted the real McCoy, it’s worth making aioli the traditional way at least once. No other method of preparing this sauce produces the same heavy, silky texture. (Of course, those with compromised immune systems should be aware that the recipe is made with a raw egg yolk, which makes it a risky food to eat. For a safer method, see Shortcuts.)

Depending on the olive oil used, the color of aioli may vary from yellow to slightly green. The key is to use a high-quality oil with a pleasing flavor.

Take plenty of time to pound the garlic and soaked bread into a smooth paste. Add the egg yolk and salt and continue pounding until they are thoroughly incorporated and the mixture begins to thicken before beginning to add the oil, a drop at a time.

If the sauce breaks down and curdles, it can usually be repaired by warming a mixing bowl with hot water, then drying it well before adding a teaspoon of prepared mustard and a tablespoon of the sauce. Whisk until creamy and thickened, then add the rest of the sauce by teaspoons, whisking after each addition to maintain the thick, smooth texture.

AIOLI

1 slice white bread

3 tablespoons milk

6 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

1 egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

Lemon juice

Boiling water

Remove crust from bread, then break slice into pieces and place in small bowl. Drizzle with milk and set aside about 10 minutes.

Place garlic in mortar and pound with pestle until well crushed. Squeeze bread as dry as possible, then add to garlic and pound into very smooth paste. Discard milk.

Add egg yolk and salt and continue pounding until thoroughly incorporated and beginning to thicken. Start pounding and blending in olive oil, 1 drop at time.

When sauce is consistency of heavy cream, transfer sauce to bowl. Use wire whisk to incorporate oil slightly faster. Once all oil is beaten in, season to taste with lemon juice. If sauce is too thick, thin with few drops boiling water.

Note: Although many recipes like this one call for uncooked eggs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has found them to be a potential carrier of food-borne illness and recommends that diners avoid eating raw eggs. See Shortcuts for safer version.

2 cups. Each tablespoon:

95 calories; 24 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.01 gram fiber.

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Short cuts

A shortcut version of aioli, which also avoids using a raw egg yolk, can be made by pounding three to four cloves of garlic in a mortar and pestle until very smooth, then folding the paste into one cup of commercial mayonnaise.