Garlic Aioli
Making aioli by hand creates a structure that store-bought versions cannot replicate. It requires patience and attention, but the final texture is worth the work.
Temperature matters for stable bonding.
Ensure your egg yolk is at room temperature before starting, as cold ingredients can cause the emulsion to break.
- Heavy ceramic or glass mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Damp kitchen towel
What goes in.
- 3garlic cloves, minced into a paste
- 1 tspfine sea salt
- 1 largeegg yolk, room temperature
- 1 tspfresh lemon juice
- 1 cupneutral oil or mild extra virgin olive oil
Slow and Steady Incorporation
Add the oil drop-by-drop initially. Only increase to a thin, constant stream once the yolk and garlic have fully absorbed the first few tablespoons.
The method.
Prepare the base
Mash the garlic and salt in the bowl using the back of a spoon until it forms a smooth, sticky paste.
Whisk in the yolk
Add the egg yolk and lemon juice to the paste. Whisk vigorously for 30 seconds until the mixture is pale and slightly frothy.
Stabilize the bowl
Place the bowl on a damp kitchen towel to keep it from sliding while you whisk with one hand and pour with the other.
Add the oil
Whisk constantly while adding the oil drop-by-drop. Once the mixture thickens and looks like loose mayonnaise, move to a thin, steady stream of oil.
Finish
Continue until all oil is incorporated and the aioli stands up on the whisk. If it is too thick, stir in a few drops of warm water.
Other turns to take.
Herbed Aioli
Fold in one tablespoon of finely minced fresh parsley or chives at the very end.
Roasted Garlic Aioli
Replace raw garlic with one whole head of roasted garlic, squeezed from the skins, for a mellow, nutty base.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the sauce breaks and looks oily or curdled, stop. Take a clean bowl, add a fresh egg yolk, and very slowly whisk the broken mixture into the new yolk as if it were the oil.
Do not use highly aggressive extra virgin olive oil, as its bitterness can overpower the garlic.
Keep the aioli refrigerated and consume within two days.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use a food processor?
You can, but it is easier to break the emulsion. Use the pulse button and pour the oil very slowly.
Why does the aioli taste too spicy?
The bite comes from the raw garlic. Let the aioli sit for 30 minutes in the fridge; the sharpness will mellow out as the garlic infuses the oil.
How real cooks make it.
No one’s shared their version yet. Be the first to put your kitchen on the map.
Cook this your way?
Share your version — your steps, your story. We’ll feature it right here.
Add your recipe