Aioli

Aioli is technically a mayonnaise — egg, oil, emulsified together — with one ingredient that changes everything: raw garlic, worked into the base from the start so its sharpness permeates every spoonful rather than sitting on top. The name comes from the Provençal words for garlic and oil, which were the only two ingredients in the original version, pounded together in a stone mortar until they formed a dense, ivory paste. The egg came later, added to stabilize the emulsion and make the sauce accessible without a mortar. What remains is a condiment with considerably more character than standard mayonnaise — assertive, aromatic, and Mediterranean in a way that's immediately recognizable.

In practice, homemade aioli is one of the most versatile sauces in the repertoire. It works alongside steamed shellfish, grilled white meat, roasted or fried potatoes, and seasonal boiled vegetables — carrots, green beans, new potatoes. Spread on toasted bread it enriches a fish soup; stirred into a burger it replaces everything else on the plate. The Ligurian version sits close to the Provençal original; the Spanish alioli traditionally skips the egg entirely. This recipe uses a whole egg, which gives a creamier, more stable result and takes minutes with a hand blender.