Allioli a la moderna

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..little by little

The cheat's way to make allioli (Garlic mayonnaise) using an electric hand mixer or a food processor with a metal blade attachment.

If you have the time and want to try the authentic method using a pestle and mortar, we have the recipe for Allioli a la Catalana

Ingredients

• 1 small egg
• 1 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or fresh lemon juice
• sea salt to taste

Method

1. Break the egg into a small mixing bowl
2. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the crushed garlic cloves and the vinegar or lemon juice
3. If using a food processor, tip the contents of the bowl into the food processor
4. At full-speed, mix until the garlic is combined into a paste
5. Little by little (don't rush this stage), add the olive oil whilst blending at high speed
6. Add salt to taste - but not too much. My first attempt was ruined because it was too salty.

Chef's notes

If the allioli is too thick, add a teaspoon of water to loosen it.

It will probably be too runny if you use a large egg, so if you have no choice of size, use less of the white. You can always add more if needed; you can't take it out afterwards though!

This can also be made in a food processor with a blade attachment.

If you add the olive oil too quickly and the mixture separates into an oily mess, try the rescue method recommended by the award-winning Spanish chef, José Andrés: "Measure out 1 tablespoon of lukewarm water and add to the mix little by little until you have the creamy sauce you wanted".

Having tried the above suggestion a few times to no avail, I would suggest adding another whole fresh egg into the split mixture, maybe a dash of nice vinegar and just blitz for a minute or so. You'll hear the difference as the curdled mixture starts to coagulate properly. This fix has worked for me, every time.

See also

• A huge variety of different mayonnaise recipes