Ingredient of the Week

Aioli

We’ve all heard the phrase, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

Well, last week I altered it a wee bit to, “when life gives you garlic, make aioli”. This was because I received a pungent package of fresh, organically-grown garlic from my old friend Chris who grows all manner of organic veg and fruit in his Lancashire allotment.

What a welcome package it was – with garlic that’s so fresh and with such flavour I decided to make it the star of the dish.

Aioli is popular throughout most of the Med, however it is in the Provençal region of Southern France that it is truly revered – so much so it’s known as “beurre de Provence”.

I first tried these fried new potatoes with aioli years ago in an unassuming local bar in Nice and, despite eating lots of delicious long lazy lunches and dinners whilst there, it’s this little bar snack that I often think about.

The contrast of the salted, almost fudgy, new potatoes hot from the pan and the pungent olive oil rich aioli is absolutely delicious. When you add an ice-cold local beer, you have the makings of a lovely afternoon.

Although aioli is an emulsified sauce and the ingredients are the basically the same as mayonnaise, aioli is far older than mayonnaise and a condiment in its own right – unlike mayo, it’s never served cold, always at room temperature, allowing the flavours to shine.

The best example of its versatility can be found in the Provençal dish, “Le grand aioli” a true celebration of summer using the best local ingredients including potatoes, carrots, green beans, boiled eggs and fresh fish – salted cod or shellfish – all served around the amazing aioli. Enjoy.