aioli

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Making provençal aioli

Aioli of garlic, salt, egg, and olive oil in a mortar

Aioli with olives

Aioli ( /aɪˈoʊli/; Provençal Occitan: alhòli, IPA: [aˈʎɔli];^[1] Catalan: allioli, IPA: [ˌaʎiˈɔɫi]) is a Provençal traditional sauce made of garlic, olive oil, and (typically) egg. There are many variations, such as the addition of mustard or, in Catalonia, pears. It is usually served at room temperature. The name aioli (alhòli) comes from Provençal alh 'garlic' (< Latin allium) + òli 'oil' (< Latin oleum).

Aioli is, like mayonnaise, an emulsion or a suspension of small globules of oil and oil soluble compounds in water and water soluble compounds. Egg yolk can be used as an emulsifier and is generally used in making aioli. However, mustard and garlic both have emulsion-producing properties and some variants (such as Catalan Allioli) omit the egg.

Generally, egg yolks, garlic and Dijon mustard (if adding this as a common variation on the basic aioli) are combined first with a whisk, then the oil and the lemon juice are added slowly with whisking to create the emulsion. The additions of the dissimilar ingredients must be slow to start and then can be faster once the initial emulsion has formed.

In Occitan cuisine, aioli is traditionally served with seafood, fish soup, and croutons, in a dish called merluça amb alhòli. In Malta, arjoli or ajjoli is commonly made with the addition of either crushed galletti or tomato. In the Occitan Valleys of Italy it is served with potatoes^[2] boiled with salt and bay laurel.

In Provence, aioli (or more formally, Le Grand Aïoli) also designates a complete dish consisting of various boiled vegetables (usually carrots, potatoes, and green beans), boiled fish (normally, desalted salt cod), and boiled eggs served with the aioli sauce.

Other forms of aioli

Similar sauces are found elsewhere in the region.

Allioli

Allioli (Catalan: [ˌaʎiˈɔɫi]) or alioli (Catalan: [ˌaɫiˈɔɫi]), from all i oli, Catalan for "garlic and oil", is a typical paste-like cold sauce of Catalonia, Balearic Islands and Valencia. It is made by pounding garlic with olive oil and salt in a mortar until a smooth texture is obtained. In Catalonia and Balearic islands, traditionally, it differs from Provençal aioli and Valencian allioli or ajoaceite in that it does not use egg, and cooks pride themselves in their techniques, as it may be difficult for the uninitiated to get the mixture to emulsify. However, some contemporary preparation instructions suggest the use of a small quantity to allow faster and easier mixing. The mix of eggs, oil and garlic is pejoratively referred to as mayonnaise with garlic^{[by whom?]}. It is traditionally served with grilled lamb, grilled vegetables and arròs negre, and comes in other varieties such as allioli de codony (allioli with quince paste) or allioli with pear.

Aillade

Aillade is the name used in southern France for two different garlic-based condiments. In Provence, it is a garlic-flavored vinaigrette, while in some other areas^[which?], it is a form of garlic-flavored mayonnaise. In the latter meaning, it is a synonym for aioli.

See also

• Toum, an Arabic garlic sauce
• Skordalia, a Greek garlic sauce
• Mujdei, a Romanian garlic sauce

Notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Aioli

• Aioli in the USA
• Video on making Alioli in 2 minutes