Hand-Whisked Garlic Aioli

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A true garlic aioli built the way bistro kitchens do it: raw garlic crushed to a silky paste with coarse salt, then whisked into egg yolks with a slow stream of oil until it turns thick, glossy and pale gold. It takes about ten minutes of arm work and tastes nothing like jarred mayonnaise — bright, sharp with garlic, rich enough to stand a spoon up in. Serve it with fries, roasted vegetables, grilled fish, or as the backbone of a sandwich.

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and green germ removed
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice, divided
• 1 tsp cold water
• 3/4 cup neutral oil such as grapeseed or canola
• 1/4 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• to taste white pepper
• 1 tsp warm water, if needed to loosen

Instructions

1. Take the eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead. Room-temperature yolks emulsify far more reliably than cold ones. Combine the two oils in a measuring cup with a spout — blending them means you get olive-oil flavor without the bitterness a full-olive-oil aioli develops when whisked hard.
2. Halve the garlic cloves lengthwise and flick out the pale green sprout in the center; it is the source of harsh, lingering bitterness. Drop the garlic and the 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt into a mortar and pound and grind for 1 to 2 minutes until you have a smooth, ivory-colored paste with no visible pieces. Without a mortar, mince the garlic finely, sprinkle with the salt, and drag the flat side of a chef's knife across it repeatedly on the board for about a minute until it turns to paste.
3. Set a medium bowl on a damp kitchen towel so it can't skate around. Add the garlic paste, egg yolks, Dijon, 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice, and the cold water. Whisk hard for 30 seconds until the mixture is uniform, slightly lightened, and clings to the whisk.
4. Begin adding the oil literally drop by drop — no more than a thin dribble — whisking constantly. For the first 2 tablespoons, count to two between additions. This is where aioli is won or lost: the yolks need time to break the oil into fine droplets. After about 3 tablespoons of oil the mixture will visibly thicken and turn opaque.
5. Once thickened, increase to a slow, steady thread of oil about as thick as a pencil lead, whisking without stopping. Keep going until all the oil is in, 6 to 8 minutes total. If the aioli becomes so stiff that whisking is a struggle, whisk in 1 teaspoon of warm water to relax it, then continue with the oil.
6. Whisk in the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice, the cayenne, and white pepper to taste. The finished aioli should be thick enough to hold a soft peak and pale straw-colored. Taste and adjust with salt in small pinches — raw garlic sauces need more salt than you'd guess.
7. Scrape into a jar, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. The garlic mellows and the texture sets. Serve cool but not fridge-cold; let it sit out 10 minutes and stir before it hits the table.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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