You may have heard about Aioli sauce, or even tasted it, but wondered what the heck it was. Aioli is a simple emulsion dish of smashed garlic, olive oil and a few other ingredients for smoothing everything out. A traditional Aioli doesn’t include mayonnaise, but working with mayo is far simpler and less intensive than using egg yokes.
The term emulsion means bringing various ingredients together so they stay together rather than separate (think oil and water). A proper emulsion turns oil droplets into very tiny bits so they remain combined. You now have a suspended mixture.
Aioli is flexible to your menu. While this recipe focuses on basil for a pesto-like flavor profile, you can add other herbs, spices, and even vegetables to the mix. Examples include hot sauce, roasted red pepper, roasted minced onion, and anchovy paste.
You can use this Pesto Aioli in many ways
- As a condiment on sliders or seafood
- Flavoring for potato wedges when crisping
- As a braise for brussels sprouts or cabbage
- In salad dressing
- For marinating chicken
- As a binder for other spices (excellent on lamb).
- Sautee the minced garlic in olive oil.
Pesto Aioli
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves (no stems)
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ½ tsp Worcestershire
- Salt & cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mince up the basil
- Sautee the minced garlic in olive oil.
- Transfer the basil, garlic, and oil into a blender or food processor.
- Pulse them all together until they’re smooth and well-integrated (about 3 minutes)
- Store in an airtight container until you need it. It has a 10-day shelf life in the refrigerator.