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The name literally means garlic oil and this sauce has been known in many parts of Spain and in Provence for hundreds of years. It was also known and appreciated by the Romans 2,000 years ago.
The basic recipe is garlic pounded in a mortar and mixed with olive oil, salt and lemon juice. There are many variations which include the addition of cream cheese, walnuts, almonds or eggs.
The Spanish cla”n that alioli was the original recipe from which mayonnaise was developed in France. According to one story, the Duc dc Richelieu, while on a visit to Mahon in Minorca in 1756, so enjoyed the alioli and egg sauce that he took the recipe back to France. The French changed it by excluding the garlic and increasing the lemon juice and the result was called Mahonaise.
In France the sauce is called aioli and is usually served with boiled fish, but it also sometimes accompanies cold meat. A popular Provencal dish is aioli garni, a combination of boiled cod, octopus, fennel, onions, carrots, French beans, artichokes, baked potatoes, hard- boiled eggs, little snails and chick peas, arranged on a platter and served with aIoli sauce.
Posted in World Recipes