Aioli, allioli or aïoli is a Mediterranean sauce made of olive oil emulsified with garlic. The names mean "garlic and oil" in Catalan and Provençal.
Aioli is pronounced (AY-oh-lee) or (al-ee-OH-lee) and is often served with seafood dishes in Spain or France.
Aioli is the kind of sauce that is best prepared at home. Aioli from a jar is bland and is nothing like the homemade kind. However, many home cooks struggle with making emulsified sauces. The secret is in the technique.
If you are interested in making aioli, we recommend trying this method from Food 52. The recipe adds egg yolk to assist in the emulsification.
If you are interested in the science of emulsified sauces, check out this video by HarvardX. Catalan Chef Nandu Jubany makes aioli with a mortar and pestle. He starts by finely grinding two large cloves of garlic with salt. His tricks include a room temperature egg yolk and a few drops of hot water. The olive oil goes last, drop by drop.
Aïoli is terrific with fish, grilled meats, vegetables or potatoes. Always make allioli with extra virgin olive oil. You'll love it!
