Aioli
Condiment
Top 10 pairings
Aioli is the pungent garlic sauce of Provence and the Catalan Mediterranean, made by pounding raw garlic to a paste and working olive oil into it drop by drop until it thickens into a glossy, stiff emulsion. In its oldest form it is nothing but garlic, olive oil and salt — a fiercely garlicky cousin of mayonnaise that carries the flavour of raw garlic and fruity oil rather than egg and neutral seasoning.
Picking a good onedrag
Sealed, glossy, sharp and cleanFizzing, fuzzy, off
Cold and sealedEveryday bestSpoon it over grilled fish, prawns, artichokes or bread. Serve it cool or at room temperature and put it straight back in the cold; it is never cooked.
The pot before you open itAmbient jar, lid flat, seal button still down
Look across the surfaceA slightly dulled edge where it met the air
Stir it and watch the bodySoft-set, spreads smooth, no free liquid
Smell it closeGarlic softer, oil quiet, still clean and bright