Friends, sandwich season is upon us. We’ve got our buns and bread down. Let’s polish up on our condiments. I had forgotten how much I love flavored mayonnaise till a few weeks ago, when I ordered the 44 Special at the Copake General Store. The garlicky mayonnaise spread across the toasted bread provided a creaminess and richness while also imparting bite and flavor. I have no idea if the CPG makes their mayonnaise from scratch, but I returned from Copake eager to make aioli, which in essence is a very garlicky mayonnaise—the two condiments are made nearly the same way.
How to Make Aioli
The variations are endless, but with ramps (wild garlic) in supply, I couldn’t resist making a ramp aioli, which whipped into a minty green emulsion tasting both garlicky and herbal. It has a really lovely flavor. When I worked at Fork, the chef always put capers in the aioli, so I always do that, too, but feel free to leave them out.
The Food Processor Trick to Foolproof Aioli (or Mayonnaise)
As with mayonnaise, a food processor really shines at making aioli. The trick, which I learned from a Mark Bittman article years ago, is to pour the oil down the food pusher insert, so that it enters the food processor through the teensy pinhole at the bottom of the pusher—you know that teensy hole, right? If you have never done this, you might not know the hole exists, but using it will ensure you do not add the oil too quickly, which is the critical step when making aioli and mayonnaise. You can watch a how-to video on Instagram Stories here. PS: Ramp Pesto | Pickled Ramp Bulbs Here are the ingredients for the ramp aioli: fresh lemon, capers, 1 egg, salt, ramps, and oil (not pictured):
Garlic aioli ingredients: capers, 1 egg, a ton of garlic, fresh lemon, and oil (not pictured):
No reviews If the raw egg worries you, you can boil it for as long as 4 minutes. Shock it in an ice bath, peel it, and proceed with recipe.
