Never wonder how to put more oomph in your cooking! From spreading on sandwiches, to saucing up salmon or chicken, and dipping fries into, these aioli recipes are here to boost your cooking up a notch!
After learning how to make aioli, I now make it for all my sandwiches. Step aside, mayo jar. Aioli beats mayo in flavor, in history, and in bourgeois-ness. A little dipping cup of some lemon thyme aioli will impress your friends way more than a cup of mayonnaise or ketchup. Nothing's wrong with either condiment, but aioli is a whole different breed of good stuff. And being able to create different flavors and dips from scratch from one basic aioli recipe is magical.
Here is the original Aioli recipe.
Homemade Aioli
Ingredients
- 1 clove of garlic
- Pinch of coarse kosher salt
- 2 fresh egg yolks at room temperature
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Lemon juice to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mince garlic with a chef knife. Sprinkle a pinch of coarse kosher salt or other coarse salt over the minced garlic, then take the side of your knife and carefully press down, smash, and 'smear' the garlic across the cutting board. Do this repeatedly, until the garlic stays together. Or use a garlic press.
- In a clean metal, glass, or ceramic bowl, drop in egg yolks and garlic. Whisk well for about one minute, to ensure the thickening agents in the yolk are activated.
- Combine both oils in a small bowl, and use a spoon (or a small measuring spoon) to allow one drop to fall into the egg yolks, then whisk in well. Add another drop and whisk in well again. Continue for about 1 tablespoon of oil, and you will notice the aioli begin to come together, become paler, and thicken up enough for the aioli to ribbon (if you lift the whisk, it will fall over itself and take time to level together).
- IF YOU POUR THE OIL TOO QUICKLY IT WILL BREAK AND WILL NOT THICKEN NO MATTER HOW MANY EGG YOLKS OR MUSTARD (AN EMULSIFIER) YOU ADD. YOU WILL HAVE TO START OVER.
- Once the aioli is becoming thick and pale (about the same viscosity of hollandaise sauce) you can whisk in more oil at a time. I do not suggest more than ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon at a time, as you can overwhelm the aioli and it can break.
- Continue adding the oil, and it will become thicker and thicker. If it becomes too thick (it will kind of look like an oily frosting) splash in a bit of lemon juice and whisk it in. Continue whisking in oil until all the oil is incorporated.
- Give the aioli a taste, and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
- Keep in an airtight container in the fridge, stays fresh for about 1 week.
Now here's how to jazz it up!
#1 Roasted Garlic Aioli Recipe
Instead of creating a garlic paste, add some cloves of roasted garlic! Mash and chop them up so they incorporate well into your aioli.
Replacing the fresh garlic with mellowed, somewhat sweet roasted garlic really gives this aioli a wonderful, rich flavor. Click here to find out how to roast garlic.
#2 Smokey Chipotle Aioli Recipe
I use this in my Chipotle Chicken Panini copycat (man, I miss that sandwich). It has a little dijon mustard, and has chipotle and smoked paprika giving it a smokey, spicy flavor. Dip your fries in this, you won't regret it!
Before dripping in your oil, whisk in ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard. After your aioli is thickened and ready for seasoning, add in ¼ teaspoon of chipotle powder and ¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika.
#3 Lemon Thyme Aioli Recipe
Bright, flavorful, and so versatile! There's a bit more lemon in this recipe than the original aioli, along with fresh thyme. It's perfect for seafood, dipping, chicken, basically anything.
After your aioli is thick and ready to season, whisk in the juice of ½ a lemon and ½ teaspoon of fresh lemon zest. Stir in one sprig's worth of fresh thyme leaves.
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