Catalan Style Aioli Recipes

Steps:

• Place garlic and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, or in a blender. Pulse for 2 seconds. Add the egg yolk and lemon juice, and pulse on and off until blended. Turn on and begin adding the olive oil (pure first, then extra-virgin) in a thin stream. If it becomes too thick, thin it out with some room-temperature water and continue adding oil until you've used it all. Finish with pepper and (if necessary) a bit more salt.
• The reason for using 2/3 pure olive oil is to keep the flavor of the oil from becoming overpowering. This is a perfect example of how by using a fully-flavored extra virgin oil you can use much less, thereby saving money and getting better flavor.

Steps:

• Garlic cloves in your mortar, add a pinch of salt, and start pounding with the pestle. Pound and mash the garlic and the salt with the pestle until you obtain a very fine and smooth paste. This step is essential for binding garlic and olive oil properly with mortar and pestle. If your garlic paste is not smooth and fine enough, the aioli will tend to break much easier. Now, while you stir the mixture with the pestle in one hand, start adding the olive oil very slowly, almost drop by drop. Stir constantly until you obtain a thick paste.

Steps:

• Put garlic paste and egg yolks in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Whisk in olive oil slowly, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture begins to thicken. (Caution: Adding oil too quickly may cause the sauce to curdle.)
• When 1/2 cup oil has been added and sauce is quite thick, whisk in 2 to 3 tablespoons water, then continue to add oil gradually, thinning once more if necessary. The consistency should be like whipped cream, but not too stiff. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for up to several hours. Sauce tastes best the day it is made.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, beat eggs well with a wire whisk. Stir in garlic. Gradually add oil in a thin stream, beating constantly until light and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice. Refrigerate.

Steps:

• Place all ingredients, except the olive oil, into a bowl and whisk until thoroughly blended.
• If you have an electric mixer with wire beaters, use them during this next step, or continue with the whisk.
• While beating constantly, add the oil a few drops at a time.
• Slowly increase the flow to a light drizzle until you've used all the oil and the sauce has thickened.
• Allow the sauce to meld at room temp for several hours before using.

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onions, stirring occasionally, and cook until they begin to soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly golden, 1 minute.
• Stir in saffron, and pour in fish stock and wine. Add potatoes, fennel seeds, orange peel, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 25 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
• Season fish with salt and pepper. Remove orange peels from soup and add fish. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat until fish is opaque and flaky, 4 to 14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Using a metal spatula or knife, break the fish into chunks.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, remaining garlic and Aleppo pepper. Slowly stir in a ladle of hot stock into mayonnaise mixture. Gently stir mayonnaise mixture into simmering soup. Heat through, without reaching a boil (the mayonnaise will curdle). Stir in parsley and taste, adding more salt if you'd like. When serving, garnish with more parsley and Aleppo.