Making Garlic Lemon Aioli
This is a raw emulsion, meant to be made in a mortar and pestle for the best texture. You aren't just stirring; you are physically forcing the oil molecules to bind with the garlic juice.
Temperature matters for the bond
Keep your ingredients at room temperature so the oil emulsifies smoothly. If the oil is too cold, the emulsion may break or stay thin.
- mortar and pestle
- teaspoon
- whisk
What goes in.
- 4 clovesfresh garlic, peeled
- 1/2 tspkosher salt
- 1 largeegg yolk, room temperature
- 1 cupneutral oil, such as grapeseed or light olive oil
- 1 tbspfresh lemon juice
The Initial Paste
Before any oil touches the bowl, grind the garlic and salt into a completely smooth, tacky paste. If you leave lumps of garlic, the emulsion will fail to hold.
The method.
Crush the garlic
Place garlic and salt in the mortar. Use the pestle to grind the cloves against the stone until you have a fine, uniform paste with no visible chunks.
Add the yolk
Whisk the egg yolk into the garlic paste until the mixture looks pale and slightly thickened.
Incorporate the oil
Add the oil one drop at a time. Whisk continuously in a steady rhythm. Only add more oil once the previous drop has fully disappeared into the garlic.
Build the structure
Once the mixture begins to resemble a thick cream, you can increase the oil flow to a very thin, constant stream. Keep whisking.
Finish with acid
Whisk in the lemon juice at the very end. The mixture will thin slightly and turn an opaque, glossy white.
Other turns to take.
Herb Aioli
Fold in two tablespoons of finely minced flat-leaf parsley or chives after the emulsion is set.
Spiced Aioli
Add a half-teaspoon of smoked paprika or crushed red pepper to the garlic paste before starting the oil.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the sauce splits or turns oily, stop. Take a clean bowl, put a fresh egg yolk in it, and slowly whisk your broken sauce into the new yolk one drop at a time.
Use a neutral oil. Extra virgin olive oil can sometimes turn bitter when agitated this intensely.
Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use a food processor?
You can, but the high speed of the blades often creates heat that can break the emulsion. Use the pulse setting and add oil very carefully.
Why does my aioli taste too sharp?
The garlic strength varies by age. If it is overpowering, let the paste sit for ten minutes before adding the yolk to allow the harshness to mellow.