Allioli Tradicional

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy ceramic or stone mortar, 14 to 16cm across, with a rough interior
• •Broad wooden pestle
• •Small spouted measuring jug

Instructions

1. 1

   Pound the garlic

   Make sure the mortar is completely dry. Put in the garlic and salt, then pound straight down until the cloves break apart. Grind firmly around the sides for 3 to 5 minutes, gathering the garlic back toward the centre as needed, until it becomes a smooth, sticky paste with no visible pieces. This matters because thoroughly crushed garlic provides the water and natural binders that will hold the oil.

   Run the pestle through the paste and look closely. If you can still see a grain of garlic, keep grinding. The smoother the foundation, the steadier the allioli.
2. 2

   Add the first drops

   Measure the oil into a small spouted jug. Move the pestle in steady circles while adding the first 15ml of oil literally drop by drop, waiting until each drop disappears before adding the next. Take 5 to 7 minutes over this first spoonful. The paste should turn paler, glossy, and thick enough to cling to the pestle. Rush this part and the oil pools; go slowly and the emulsion builds its own strength.

3. 3

   Build the emulsion

   Add the next 60ml of oil 5ml at a time, grinding until each addition is completely absorbed. Once the allioli holds a firm ridge behind the pestle, add the remaining 175ml in a very fine, steady thread. Keep the pestle moving and never let a visible pool of oil collect. After 12 to 15 minutes, the sauce should be pale ivory with a green-gold cast, glossy, and firm enough for a spoonful to hold its shape.

   If the sauce turns loose and oily, stop adding oil. In a clean, dry mortar, pound the reserved garlic clove to a perfectly smooth paste, then add the split allioli to it drop by drop as though it were the oil. It will come back. Nadie nace sabiendo, nobody is born knowing.
4. 4

   Serve or chill

   Taste without adding lemon, vinegar, or egg; the clean force of garlic and olive oil is the point. Serve at once with grilled meat, fish, boiled potatoes, snails, or vegetables, or cover the surface closely and refrigerate. Bring chilled allioli out 20 minutes before serving so the olive oil softens and the sauce regains its full flavour.

Chef Tips

• •Buy firm, tight-skinned garlic without soft spots or green shoots. Old, sprouting garlic tastes harsh and stale; if a green germ is present, split the clove and remove it before weighing.
• •Arbequina is a natural Catalan choice, while Valencian homes use the good local oil at hand. Far from Spain, choose any mild, fruity extra virgin olive oil that tastes pleasant from a spoon. A robust, peppery oil gives a stronger and slightly more bitter sauce.
• •Use a heavy mortar with a rough interior and a broad wooden pestle. A smooth decorative mortar lets the garlic skate around instead of turning into paste. A high-speed blender can make extra virgin olive oil taste bitter and is unreliable here without egg.
• •Temperature matters. Cold oil thickens before it can disperse properly, while warm oil loosens the emulsion. Keep the garlic, mortar, and oil together at ordinary room temperature before beginning.
• •For an outdoor meal, put out a small bowl and replenish it from the refrigerator rather than leaving the whole batch in the sun. Refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 2 days.

Advance Preparation

• •Set the garlic, oil, and dry mortar at room temperature 30 minutes before beginning. Pound the garlic only when you're ready to make the sauce, because crushed garlic grows harsher as it waits.
• •Allioli can be made up to 4 hours ahead. Cover its surface closely and refrigerate, then let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving. Keep refrigerated and use within 2 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 16g)