What is Aioli and How is it Made?

Aillade is a name given to various condiments in Southern France that have a garlic base. Another name for aillade is aioli. Aioli is a sauces that is made of olive oil, water, garlic, salt, eggs, and lemon. These ingredients are mixed together and when completed the sauce looks somewhat like a mayonnaise. This sauce is served with meats and fish as well as with many vegetables. While garlic is not the only main ingredient is aioli, the sauce has an overriding taste of garlic.

Aioli has eggs in it; however, it is the whites of the eggs that are used. The garlic and salt is mixed together first. Then the egg whites are whisked after that the olive oil is gradually added in as the egg whites are being whisked further. As the eggs and oil are being whisked, they will become a creamy white thickened color. One will continue to add the remaining ingredients, lemon juice, and water slowly and then more olive oil will be worked into the mixture once again. This process results in a thick and creamy sauce.

It would seem that making aioli is a simple process however; even though the process is simple the sauce can separate if conditions are not right during the mixing process. The first thing that one should do when getting their ingredients together for aioli sauce is to make sure that the ingredients have time to gain room temperature. If the ingredients are cold, this will cause the sauce to separate. The rate of speed that aioli is mixed with the whisk is also essential as well as the speed that the ingredients are added to the mix. This process should not be too fast or too slow. It may take a bit of trail and error before one can make a great aioli but the effort will be worth it in the long run.