Catalonia 3: Allioli 🌞

[justaprogressive]

ALLIOLI (Garlic Olive Oil & sometimes Eggs)

Allioli might be called the Catalan cat-
sup—though of course it is better and far more
reputable gastronomically than catsup. It’s the
all-purpose tabletop relish, the diner’s friend,
the enhancer of good food and disguiser of bad
In one form or another, it can go on or into
almost anything—seafood, noodle and rice
dishes, soups, stews, vegetables, snails, It is all
but obligatory with grilled meats, especially
pork, rabbit, and chicken. It even gets spread
plain on bread. For all I know, folks take baths
in it Strictly speaking, the name is the recipe:
all (garlic), i (and), oli (oil). The oil, of
course, is olive oil; that’s a given in the paisos
catalans, Salt, of course, is added, another
given. Anything else, claim purists, is just
shall we say "gilding the lily".

*********************

Allioli Auténtic
(AUTHENTIC ALLIOLI)

Allioli in its purest form is white and
shiny, rather like lemon sorbet in appearance
It is very strong in garlic flavor, and a little goes
a long way—except among the garlic-mad, of
course, It is, as noted, practically de rigueur in
Catalan cooking to accompany grilled meat and
fowl (especially chicken, rabbit, and pork),
and is traditional as well with snails and with
many kinds of fish and shellfish. Fishermen are
famous for their mastery of its manufacture, in
fact, as are rural mothers and grandmothers—
while some of the region’s most famous chefs
openly admit that they can’t always get the
damned thing to work. The tricky part is coax
ing an emulsion to form without eggs or other
thickeners, and this takes a lot of practice. In
answer to the obvious question, no, you cannot
make Allioli Auténtic in a food processor, at
least in my experience; the very thought is sac-
rilege to a good Catalan (that’s part of his heri-
tage you're threatening to throw into that ma-
chine, for heaven's sake). More to the point,
though, the oil and garlic get too homogenized
in a processor, and the emulsion doesn’t hold.
If all this doesn’t discourage you, and you'd
still like to, er, try your hand at making the real
thing, this is how it’s done

TO MAKE 1- 1 1/4 cups

6 cloves garlic (or more to taste), peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil (see note)

Cut each clove of garlic in half lengthwise
and discard any green pieces, then mince the
garlic finely.

Scatter salt in the bowl of a large mortar
and add the garlic. Mash the garlic gently with
a pestle, mixingit with the salt until it takes on
the consistency of a thick paste

Add the olive oil very slowly, a few drops
at a time, while stirring the mixture with the
pestle, using slow, even motions and always
stirring in the same direction. Continue adding
oil until an emulsion forms. Less than a full
cup might be sufficient to obtain this result, in
which case do not use the rest, as it will
“break” the emulsion.

Serve immediately

*Note: Its very important for the success of the emulsion
that all the ingredients be at room temperature—even the
garlic.

*************************************************

llioli amb Ous
(ALLIOLI WITH EGGS)

This, as noted, is by far the most common
kind of allioli in the paisos catalans today—
and, tradition aside, the fact is that there's
nothing wrong with it at all. Some Catalans
even prefer it to the original version, because
it’s subtler and adds garlic character to dishes
without overpowering them. Allioli with eggs
can be made in a food processor quite easily,
though it’s not particularly difficult by hand
either. The following recipe, a plain and simple
formula based on the preceding one, will work
equally well (with minor variation) for either
method. I haven’t included lemon juice or vin-
egar in the recipe, incidentally, because I like
my allioli without their added bite; but a few
drops of either (or both) stirred in at the last
minute won't affect the emulsion and will cut
the sauce’s richness a bit.

TO MAKE 1-1 1/4 Cups

6 cloves garlic (or more to taste), peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks (or 1 egg yolk and 1
whole egg; see below)
1 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil

BY HAND:
Prepare a garlic paste as in the previous
recipe.

Add the egg yolks to the mortar, mix with
the garlic paste, and then proceed as in previ-
ous recipe, adding the oil slowly until an emul-
sion forms

BY FOOD PROCESSOR:

Again, prepare a garlic paste as in the previous recipe

Put the paste into the work bowl of a food
processor, and then add 1 egg yolk and 1 whole
egg (instead of 2 egg yolks)

Process for several seconds, then, with the
machine still running, pour a slow, steady
stream of oil through the feed tube, until an
emulsion forms.

Serve immediately (although, unlike the
eggless version, this allioli will hold its emul-
sion for several days at least if refrigerated)

*********************************

Allioli Negat
(‘DROWNED” ALLIOLI)

“Allioli negat, dona'l al gat,” says the
proverb—"‘Give ‘drowned’ allioli to the cat
Disregard this advice. Drowned allioli, a sp.
cialty of the Costa Brava, is broken allioli, alli:
oli with its molecules unclasped, allioli that
has turned from a creamy emulsion into a bath
of liquid oil swamping (drowning) the minced,
crushed garlic it contains. It is an intentional
mistake, in other words—regular allioli, with
or without eggs, deliberately pushed too far,
made to shatter. The result is delicious, and
somehow even more unctuous than its emulsi-
fied forebear. Allioli Negat is always stirred
into something—most often fideus noodles
and fish soups or stews—and it adds much
character to them. The cat has character
enough already.

TO MAKE 1-1 1/4 Cups

6 cloves garlic (or more to taste), peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks or 1 egg yolk and 1 whole egg (optional)
1-1 1/4 cups mild extra-virgin olive oil
(see note)

Follow the instructions in one of the two
preceding recipes, for allioli with or without
eggs, but continue adding oil after an emulsion
forms, until it breaks again, and the sauce
thins. The amount of oil necessary to achieve
this effect will vary. Watch the allioli care-
fully, and don’t add more than you need to get
it to break. The finished Allioli Negat should
look curdled

Note: Again, make sure that all the ingredients are at room
temperature before beginning.

From "Catalan Cuisine" by Colman Andrews


MMmmm Garlic!!

[markodochartaigh]

1. a limerick

There was a Catalan cat,
Who liked his allioli negat,
Into his fur,
The concoction he'd stir,
This fragrant Catalan cat.

[justaprogressive]

2. wow!

[brer cat]

3. Do you know how long this will keep

in the refrigerator?

[justaprogressive]

4. Here you go.

1 to 2 weeks in the fridge, stored in an airtight container at a temperature of 40°F (4°C) or below.
3 to 6 months in the freezer, stored in an airtight container or freezer bag.

Store-bought aioli, on the other hand, can last longer due to the addition of preservatives.
However, it’s still essential to check the expiration date and follow proper storage guidelines.

[brer cat]

5. Thank you! I would like to try this recipe

but a little goes a long way and only 2 of us here to eat it. I will probably make 1/2 the recipe and see how well it keeps.

[justaprogressive]

6. If you think of it as Catsup

you'll use it more quickly!