Aioli

Directions

1. 1
   Peel: 2 or 3 small garlic cloves.
2. 2
   Pound until smooth with a mortar and pestle, along with: A pinch of salt.
3. 3
   Separate into a mixing bowl: 1 egg yolk.
4. 4
   Add about half the garlic and: 1/2 teaspoon water.
5. 5
   Mix well with a whisk.
6. 6
   Into a cup with a pour spout, measure about: 1 cup olive oil.
7. 7
   Slowly dribble the oil into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
8. 8
   As the egg yolk absorbs the oil, the sauce will thicken, lighten in color, and become opaque.
9. 9
   This will happen rather quickly.
10. 10
    Then you can add the oil a little faster, whisking all the while.
11. 11
    If the sauce is thicker than you like, thin it with a few drops of water.
12. 12
    Taste and add more salt and garlic, as desired.
13. 13
    When I serve a roast, I love to add some of the roasting juices to the finished aioli.
14. 14
    A boiled crab with aioli is even more delicious when a little crab butter is added to the aioli.
15. 15
    (Crab butter, or tomalley, is the soft yellow matter inside the shell of a cooked crab.)
16. 16
    For an intense aioli, add lots of chopped capers and anchovy.
17. 17
    made the same way as aioli, but without garlic, and finished with a touch of vinegar or lemon juicecan be varied in many different ways:
18. 18
    Mustard or horseradish mayonnaise is wonderful for sandwiches.
19. 19
    An herb mayonnaise with chopped herbs such as parsley, chives, tarragon, and chervil and a little lemon juice goes extremely well with fish and shellfish.
20. 20
    To make tartar sauce, add chopped pickles, pickle juice, grated onion, capers, parsley, and a pinch of cayenne.
21. 21
    To make a beautiful green mayonnaise, pound watercress or basil in the mortar and pestle and add to the mayonnaise.