I have tried to make Aioli a couple of times now and with little luck. I have read the techniques and it appears that drizzling in the oil is the secret. Is it best to use an upright mixer, food processor or a wisk? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated...
Aioli
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Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
What goes wrong when you make it? It will help if you post your recipe.
i used the same recipe that i have found in multiple locations: 2 egg yolks and 1 cup of EVOO. I think that i put the OO in too fast and that was my error...i also used a food processor and perhaps a standing mixer might have been better? I was going to try to mix in Wasabi instead of garlic but perhaps i could use both? Thanks for the help.
Just found this recipe from Cook's Illustrated
Use this sauce as a condiment for meats, fish, and vegetables, or spread it on sandwiches. If necessary, remove the green germ (or stem) in the garlic before pressing or grating it; the germ will give the aïoli a bitter, hot flavor. If you do not have regular olive oil, use a blend of equal parts extra-virgin olive oil and vegetable oil. Ground white pepper is preferred because it's not as visible in the finished aïoli as black pepper, but either can be used. The aïoli will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Makes about 3/4 cup1medium clove garlic , peeled 2large egg yolks 1tablespoon lemon juice , plus 1 teaspoon 1/8teaspoon sugar 1/4teaspoon table salt ground white pepper (or black, if white is unavailable) 3/4cup olive oil
1. Press garlic through garlic press or grate very finely on rasp-style grater. Measure out 1 teaspoon garlic; discard remaining garlic.
2. In food processor, combine garlic, yolks, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste until combined, about 10 seconds. With machine running, gradually add oil in slow steady stream (process should take about 30 seconds); scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and process 5 seconds longer. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper, and serve
Use this sauce as a condiment for meats, fish, and vegetables, or spread it on sandwiches. If necessary, remove the green germ (or stem) in the garlic before pressing or grating it; the germ will give the aïoli a bitter, hot flavor. If you do not have regular olive oil, use a blend of equal parts extra-virgin olive oil and vegetable oil. Ground white pepper is preferred because it's not as visible in the finished aïoli as black pepper, but either can be used. The aïoli will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Makes about 3/4 cup1medium clove garlic , peeled 2large egg yolks 1tablespoon lemon juice , plus 1 teaspoon 1/8teaspoon sugar 1/4teaspoon table salt ground white pepper (or black, if white is unavailable) 3/4cup olive oil
1. Press garlic through garlic press or grate very finely on rasp-style grater. Measure out 1 teaspoon garlic; discard remaining garlic.
2. In food processor, combine garlic, yolks, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste until combined, about 10 seconds. With machine running, gradually add oil in slow steady stream (process should take about 30 seconds); scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and process 5 seconds longer. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper, and serve
SamanthaBC
Assistant Cook
When I was in culinary school, the day we made aioli was tedious. The key is to add the oil as slow as you can.
GhettoRacingKid
Sous Chef
do you want to cheat?
your essentually making a compound mayo.
you can take mayo plus your garlic (or wasabi) and then bam!!
it will last alittle bit longer too.
if you do make it from scratch. try to get pasturized egg yolks. that is if you can find them.
your essentually making a compound mayo.
you can take mayo plus your garlic (or wasabi) and then bam!!
it will last alittle bit longer too.
if you do make it from scratch. try to get pasturized egg yolks. that is if you can find them.
AllenOK
Executive Chef
While I love making classic recipes in the classic manner, when it comes to making a stable aioli, I do what ghettoracingkid does, and cheat, by doctoring up some mayo.
The traditional way to make alioli is like this:
Take about 5 or 6 garlic cloves and pestle them in a mortar with a bit of salt. Then you need about 1/4 L. of good olive oil, you add the olive oil little by little mixing at the same time until it gets a creamy consistency.
An easier version and less "garlicky" , is to take 3 garlic cloves, 1 egg yolk and a bit of salt. Then add the oil like above. Both the oil and the yolk should not be cold, better at room temperature.
The short cut that we all use when in a hurry: either make or use bought mayonnaise, and add garlic to it!!!!
Take about 5 or 6 garlic cloves and pestle them in a mortar with a bit of salt. Then you need about 1/4 L. of good olive oil, you add the olive oil little by little mixing at the same time until it gets a creamy consistency.
An easier version and less "garlicky" , is to take 3 garlic cloves, 1 egg yolk and a bit of salt. Then add the oil like above. Both the oil and the yolk should not be cold, better at room temperature.
The short cut that we all use when in a hurry: either make or use bought mayonnaise, and add garlic to it!!!!
Adillo303
Head Chef
Please pardon me, I am trying to learn a bit here. Once you make it, what is it used for?
Thank You
AC
Thank You
AC
I cheat and use Japanese mayo as my aioli base.
To make a simple vinaigrette salad more delicious and attractive-looking, I place aioli in a squeeze bottle and press it out over the tossed greens for a Jackson Pollock effect. Tastes great too!
To make a simple vinaigrette salad more delicious and attractive-looking, I place aioli in a squeeze bottle and press it out over the tossed greens for a Jackson Pollock effect. Tastes great too!
Sweet
Assistant Cook
yes, the oil needs to be drizzled in ever so slowly. The slower the better, really. It needs to emulsify. I had to do this many times at my old job. It can be sooo tedious, but well worth it!
Billdolfski
Senior Cook
Emulsion is pretty hard to explain, but the advice of adding the oil very slowly is a good one. It's easiest to mess up emulsions in the beginning, basically by not starting an emulsion at all. Once it begins to emulsify, things get a bit more stable.
I strongly suggest getting ahold of "On Food and Cooking" by Harold McGhee. It does a very good and detailed job of explaining how emulsions work. I'm pretty sure there are good explanations in "Cookwise" (Corriher) and Alton Brown's cookbook (at a loss for the name right now).
I strongly suggest getting ahold of "On Food and Cooking" by Harold McGhee. It does a very good and detailed job of explaining how emulsions work. I'm pretty sure there are good explanations in "Cookwise" (Corriher) and Alton Brown's cookbook (at a loss for the name right now).
Laury
Senior Cook
One of the secrets I've learned in making aioli is to have the eggs at room temperature. This is food of the gods IMO. I use it with fish, fish stews, dipping sauce for veggies and my favorite....stirring it into a plate of spaghetti with marinara sauce. Heaven!
TheCook
Senior Cook
Pasteurized eggs? Is there such a thing?
Laury
Senior Cook
There is such a thing as pasteurized eggs. I've seen them in the supermarket.
About the aioli, here's my tried and true recipe. And it's easy.
In a regular old blender, put in:
one whole room temperature egg. (No shell, of course!)
1 or two whole garlic cloves, depending on how garlicky you want it.
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Now give it a whirl to mix it all up and chop up the garlic.
Then while the blender is going, add EVOO sloowwly in just a thin stream.
Keep adding (about 3/4 cup) until it looks thickish like mayonnaise.
Now taste it.
Need salt? Add a little.
Too bland? Add a little more lemon juice.
Not thick enough or too eggy? Add more olive oil. (It will thicken more after you refrigerate it. Besides, it's OK if it's a little runnier that regular mayo.)
By the way, the garlic will get stronger and have more of a bite to it after a day or two in the fridge.
Now, eat it by the spoonful!
About the aioli, here's my tried and true recipe. And it's easy.
In a regular old blender, put in:
one whole room temperature egg. (No shell, of course!)
1 or two whole garlic cloves, depending on how garlicky you want it.
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Now give it a whirl to mix it all up and chop up the garlic.
Then while the blender is going, add EVOO sloowwly in just a thin stream.
Keep adding (about 3/4 cup) until it looks thickish like mayonnaise.
Now taste it.
Need salt? Add a little.
Too bland? Add a little more lemon juice.
Not thick enough or too eggy? Add more olive oil. (It will thicken more after you refrigerate it. Besides, it's OK if it's a little runnier that regular mayo.)
By the way, the garlic will get stronger and have more of a bite to it after a day or two in the fridge.
Now, eat it by the spoonful!
Hi Mnsills,
The temperature differential between the oil and the mixture to which you add it to may be the problem. If the temperature difference is to high then the mixture may split. Pounding the basic mix in a mortar and pestle or blender will raise the temperature of that mix (due to mechanical action) and the oil needs to be at the same or roughly the same temperature. Consequently, the oil needs to be slightly above room temperature and you can do this by placing the oil in a vessel/jug which you then place in a pot of tepid water. The level of the water should be about 1/2 to 1 inch above the level of the oil.
In a commercial kitchen, this is not difficult to achieve as the heat from ovens makes the kitchen hot and chef`s recipes frequently fail to mention this. In a domestic kitchen this is much more difficult, so placing the oil in a jug and then placing the jug in a pot of warm/tepid water, before you start pounding the egg yolks etc., is advisable.
Hope this helps,
Archiduc
Laury
Senior Cook
Make sure the eggs are room temperature as well. I just use a regular blender. See my recipe a couple of posts ago. Good luck!
I got a few tips here, I made lots of mayo in school so far, aioli is one of my favorite salad dressings, though I use it more for sandwiches than anything else. Here's a few tips...
-The most important, froth the yolk before beginning your emulsion. If you just add oil to the yolk without frothing it good it won't emulsiy properly. I was having trouble one day and that is all it was, sounds like it may be what you're not doing.
-One egg yolk should emulsify 200 ml of oil, a few Swiss chefs told me 250 ml, so anywhere between there.
-A teaspoon of ground mustard per 2 egg yolks I believe helps emulsification.
-Add a little of the white wine vinegar and lemon juice in the recipe to the yolk/mustard froth, and as you are emulsifying and the mayo is getting a little too thick, add a little bit of the vineger and lemon juice to bring it back down to the consistency you want.
Hope those tips help, emulsifying can be a ***** but after you've done it a few times it's pretty simple. It's also difficult to emulsify small amounts, if you're only using 1 or 2 yolks try making a bigger batch (if you think you can use it all).
-The most important, froth the yolk before beginning your emulsion. If you just add oil to the yolk without frothing it good it won't emulsiy properly. I was having trouble one day and that is all it was, sounds like it may be what you're not doing.
-One egg yolk should emulsify 200 ml of oil, a few Swiss chefs told me 250 ml, so anywhere between there.
-A teaspoon of ground mustard per 2 egg yolks I believe helps emulsification.
-Add a little of the white wine vinegar and lemon juice in the recipe to the yolk/mustard froth, and as you are emulsifying and the mayo is getting a little too thick, add a little bit of the vineger and lemon juice to bring it back down to the consistency you want.
Hope those tips help, emulsifying can be a ***** but after you've done it a few times it's pretty simple. It's also difficult to emulsify small amounts, if you're only using 1 or 2 yolks try making a bigger batch (if you think you can use it all).
Klimf
Assistant Cook
I must admit that I am also taking short cuts very often and using mayo, when making Spanish dinners I want to fill the table with a lot of tapas and then it saves some valuable time.
A little tip to make your aioli even better, which I learnt from a great chef in Spain is to add a little dijon mustard and a tiny bit of curry. To finish it off you chop some parsley and stir that in.
A little tip to make your aioli even better, which I learnt from a great chef in Spain is to add a little dijon mustard and a tiny bit of curry. To finish it off you chop some parsley and stir that in.
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