Alioli

Have you ever been to Cataluña? If so, then you cannot have missed this sauce, which is more like a staple food there. And rightfully so! This recipe was taught to me by a very good friend of mine while we were studying, and obviously we had loads of it. Just toast some bread, break out the mixer and you're off! This is the quick version; the traditional version calls for crushing of the cloves in a mortar etc. Also, often in Cataluña, people will use an egg yolk instead of milk for added taste and improved emulsion. For this traditional recipe, please visit Nuria's blog at http://recipespicbypic.blogspot.com/2007/07/allioli.html

What do you need?

1 or more garlic cloves (depending on how strong you want it to be)
1 measure of milk
2 measures of high quality olive oil (extra virgin if possible)
Salt

Preparation?

1. Peel the cloves of garlic and put them in a bowl together with the milk. You can decide the amount of milk yourself, just make sure to add the double of that amount for the olive oil.

2. Using the mixer (handheld) chop up the garlic and mix it with the milk.

3. Once you'ved mixed the garlic and milk completely, slowly add in a little bit of oil. Keep on adding the oil, little by little. You will see the alioli get thicker and thicker. Once in a while stop pouring in the oil for a minute, but keep on mixing. You must not complete this process hastily!! If you do, your sauce will not stiffen up and you'll end up with a runny sauce far less alluring to the eye.

4. Add the salt (according to your own taste).

5. Once the sauce is thick and stiff enough so it'll hold a shape, then you're done. Taste to check of you've added enough salt, if not, add a little more.

Now just toast some bread and put some of your homemade alioli on it! You'll also be able to keep this type of alioli a little longer than the egg yolk variant.

Catalans will also often mix alioli in with their fidéua, making an already delicous dish even more heavenly (and even more heavy!....I've never been able to finish an entire plate on my own). You can find a good recipe for fidéua on Nuria's Spanish Recipe blog as well.


Buen provecho!!!