Aioli sauce: recipe and preparation. What to serve with aioli?

2025 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2025-01-23 12:50

Culinary art is unthinkable without sauces. Thick and liquid, sweet and sour and spicy, spicy and fresh - they all add completeness and harmony to the taste of any dish. Contrary to popular belief, sauces are not that hard to make, especially those with multiple ingredients. This is exactly what aioli is. There are, of course, many variations, but it's worth trying a traditional recipe that has been around for centuries.

Aioli sauce: ingredients

The sonorous and beautiful name of the fragrant aioli sauce from French is translated very simply - garlic and olive oil. In fact, it is named so due to the composition of the ingredients. It is difficult to say when this recipe appeared, probably from the moment when the inhabitants of the northern part (from Spain to Italy) of the Mediterranean coast began to cook food. Over time, the original composition has undergone changes, innovations have been made. And it's not about individual chefs, butin entire regions. Even in the same country, aioli sauce and its ingredients can vary significantly in different areas.

In the traditional version, only olive oil and garlic. The sauce is prepared as simply, quickly and tasty as possible - this is the whole secret of genius. In addition, an egg (yolk or protein), mustard, lemon juice, pear (in Catalonia), biscuit crumbs and tomatoes (in M alta), etc. are often added to the sauce. For cooking, use high-quality olive oil, you don’t need so much per serving, but the difference in taste compared to the cheapest varieties will be very noticeable.

Traditional recipe

To prepare the aioli sauce, take 120 ml of olive oil and 2-3 cloves of garlic. First, in a mortar and pestle, grind the garlic and a pinch of s alt, and then gradually add the oil and grind until a homogeneous thick mass. Of course, you can use a blender, but, according to many chefs, the charm of taste is lost from this.

Aioli Sauce: Egg Yolk Recipe

For it you will need: 250 ml olive oil, 2 egg yolks, 4 large garlic cloves, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of lemon juice and s alt to taste.

Garlic and s alt must be ground until smooth. Then add egg yolks and lemon juice one at a time. Pour the olive oil into the mixture in a thin stream and beat thoroughly. Use a mortar and pestle or a blender. When the mass reaches a thick consistency, carefully cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate the sauce for one hour. Serve to the tablechilled.

Catalan aioli with pear

This version of the sauce is a real discovery. Delicate and refined taste with a light fruity aroma and garlic pungency. Pear aioli is the perfect accompaniment to beef steak, pork, poultry and oily fish. For its preparation you will need: 1 large conference pear, 1 tsp. sugar, 120 ml olive oil, 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, one head of garlic and s alt to taste.

Pear cut into large cubes and blanch in sweet water for a few minutes. Lightly peel the head of garlic and cut off the top cap. Then wrap it in foil and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes at 180°C. Remove the pear pieces, let the water drain, then add the baked garlic cloves and other ingredients. Thoroughly beat everything with a blender until a homogeneous consistency. The key ingredient in the aioli sauce in this case is the sweet pear. As an experiment, you can try replacing it with peaches or quince, for example.

Aioli with almonds

This is a variant of a mild sauce with a distinct nutty flavor. To prepare it, you will need: a small handful of almonds, 120 ml of olive oil, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, one large chicken egg and a pinch of s alt.

The process is simple. Garlic needs to be peeled, and then, together with almonds, a pinch of s alt and an egg, mix thoroughly in a blender. Then add the vinegar and pour in the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking the mixture occasionally. Use low speed and do it more time so that the sauce does not delaminate, but mixes evenly, acquiring a slight yellow tint.

What to serve with?

Aioli sauce is perhaps one of the most versatile, basic additions to a main course. It can be served with the following dishes.

Vegetables, such as fresh, thinly sliced or julienned, ideal as a snack. You can also dress salads. And in French Provence, aioli is traditionally served with boiled vegetables, fish and eggs

• To the seafood. A rich garlic flavor will best set off tender meat. Absolutely everything will do, but French chefs especially recommend it with white sea fish with dense flesh (for example, cod, perch). It should be boiled or poached. Assorted seafood with a small bowl of fragrant sauce is also popular, and in Spain they eat paella with it.
• To meat baked in the oven or grilled, along with vegetables.

Be sure to prepare the aioli sauce. You can take a traditional recipe or with a pear, which, by the way, can be easily replaced with quince, with almonds or tomatoes, greens, dried red peppers, etc. Experiment and find your perfect taste.