The Aioli Platter
The garnishes that can be served with The Big Aioli are many. Salt cod and potatoes are traditional, but the ones you choose are matters of preference and availability. All vegetables work well; the only rule is that the vegetables must be boiled or steamed. Above all, don’t be afraid to serve leftovers with aioli. The proportions that follow are designed to feed eight people a little bit of everything. Increase the portions if you plan to serve only a few items on your aioli platter. The presentation should be generous and abundant.
* Hard-Boiled Eggs: Giraud serves 8 whole eggs on the aioli platter. They can be halved or quartered as well. Cook eggs in boiling water to cover 10 minutes. Let cool. Peel before serving.
* Potatoes: Giraud uses 16 small red boiling potatoes and 16 small white boiling potatoes for his platter. Wash the potatoes and cook them in boiling salted water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes.
* Green Beans: One pound of haricots verts is a good choice. Clean and trim the haricots verts and cook in boiling salted water until they are bright green and barely tender, about five minutes. As soon as they’re done, plunge them into cold water to stop the cooking and then dry the beans thoroughly before serving.
* Artichokes: For eight people, trim the large leaves off four artichokes, then slice the artichokes in half and submerge in water with the juice of half a lemon. Cook in boiling water with lemon juice until you can easily pull an inner leaf free, 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the artichokes. Trim stems from artichokes and remove tough leaves. Use spoon to remove hairy chokes and quarter.
* Cauliflower: Cut one cauliflower into small florets and cook in salted boiling water until barely tender, about 10 minutes.
* Other assorted vegetables: Try carrots, baby beets, baby turnips and asparagus. Peel the vegetables and cook each type separately in salted boiling water to cover until barely tender. Drain and keep warm.
* Black mussels: Wash two pounds of mussels to feed eight. Cook them in a covered skillet over high heat with half a cup of water just until the shells open, about five minutes.
* Shrimp: Remove the heads from 16 shrimp. Cook in boiling salted water just until shells turn bright red, about three minutes. Set out an empty bowl for guests to put shells after peeling at the table.
* Salt Cod: The day before serving, slice the dried salt cod into eight (six-ounce) pieces with the skin still attached. Place the fish in a bowl and cover with cold water. Put the bowl in the sink and slowly run cold water over for two hours. (Water-conscious cooks can simply soak the cod, but they then need to change the water several times during the first two hours of soaking.) Remove and cover with cold water for at least 12 hours, changing the water two or three times to remove excess salt. Close to serving time, gently poach the soaked cod with four bay leaves in water to cover over very low heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
* Snails: Giraud recommends using precooked canned snails with their shells. Slowly warm the snails in their juices to serve.
GAME PLAN
1 to 2 days before: Poach figs or pears.
Day before: Slice salt cod, rinse and soak. Boil eggs. Make Green Olive Cake. Bake madeleines.
Morning of party: Make aioli. Roast onions and peppers. Cook green beans.
1 hour 15 minutes before: Poach cod.
1 hour before: Cook carrots, baby beets, baby turnips and asparagus, drain and keep warm.
50 minutes before: Trim and slice artichokes and cook.
40 minutes before: Remove heads from shrimp. Wash mussels. Refrigerate seafood.
30 minutes before: Prepare Socca Tart batter.
20 minutes before: Cook potatoes and cauliflower.
15 minutes before: Cook Socca Tarts.
10 minutes before: Cook mussels and shrimp. Warm snails.
5 minutes before: Slice Socca Tarts and top with Roasted Onions and Peppers.
Just before serving: Arrange vegetables, seafood and snails around aioli on platter.
After dinner: Warm figs or pears and serve with madeleines.
INGREDIENTS Staples
Bay leaves
Baking powder
Butter
Eggs
Flour
Lemon
Garlic
Milk
Extra-virgin olive oil
Oil
Orange juice
Oranges
Pepper
Powdered sugar
Saffron
Salt
Coarse salt
Sugar
Balsamic vinegar
Vanilla beans
SHOPPING LIST
Shopping List
1 (6-ounce) bag whole almonds
1 (6-ounce) bag whole almonds
4 artichokes
1 bunch asparagus
1 bunch baby beets
2 small bunches basil
2 bunches carrots
1 cauliflower
1 (16-ounce) bag chickpea flour
3 pounds salt cod
7 ounces Swiss cheese
24 black mission or green figs or 16 pears, preferably Seckel of Forelle
9 ounces cooked ham
1 pound haricots verts
1 (8-ounce) jar lavender honey
2 pounds black mussels
1 (8-ounce) jar green olives
2 red onions
2 red bell peppers
16 small red boiling potatoes
16 small white boiling potatoes
1 baking potato
16 shrimp
1 (7-ounce) can snails with shells
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bunch baby turnips
1 (375-milliliter) bottle Banyuls or other sweet red wine such as Port