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Aioli, alioli, garlic mayo... what’s the difference?
“In French it’s called aioli, in Spanish alioli and in Catalan allioli — from the words for garlic (ail/ajo/all) and the root word for oil (oli) — but often, these days, it’s just another way of saying garlic mayonnaise. To get technical, though, mayonnaise and aioli are actually different sauces.”
The Hollweg recipes
Makes 200-250ml
Hands-on time 10-20 min
PURIST AIOLI vg
Put a large pestle and mortar on a tea towel on the work surface to stop it moving. Put 8 chopped garlic cloves in the mortar and bash to a purée. Put 200ml fruity extra-virgin olive oil in a jug and add a few drops to the mortar, stirring vigorously with the pestle, until incorporated. Keep adding the oil, a drop or two at a time, stirring hard. Eventually, the sauce will start to thicken. Keep adding the oil in this way, until it has all been incorporated – it could take 20 minutes. Season with a good pinch of sea salt and the juice of ½ lemon (some purists will frown) and beat in well.
Per tbsp 104kcals, 11.3g fat (1.6g saturated), 0.2g protein, 0.3g carbs (0.1g sugars), 0.2g salt, 0.1g fibre
EGG-BASED AIOLI (AKA GARLIC MAYONNAISE) v
Put a bowl on a tea towel on the work surface to stop it moving. Put 2-3 crushed garlic cloves (or more to taste) in a bowl with 1 tsp dijon mustard and 2 egg yolks, then whisk until combined. Put 150ml sunflower oil in a jug and add a few drops to the bowl, whisking until fully incorporated. Repeat, a few drops at a time, whisking, until the sauce has thickened – you’ll feel its weight on the whisk. Now you can add the oil in a thin stream, whisking hard to incorporate it. Whisk in 50ml extra-virgin olive oil in the same way, then season with salt and add the juice of about ½ lemon or more to taste.
Per tbsp 97kcals, 10.6g fat (1.4g saturated), 0.5g protein, 0.1g carbs (0.1g sugars), 0.2g salt, trace fibre