What You Need to Know
This technique involves slowly adding olive oil to garlic and lemon juice while whisking, creating a stable emulsion. The emulsion is stabilized by the formation of a complex network of olive oil droplets and garlic-lemon juice molecules. The process requires careful control of the oil-to-garlic-lemon juice ratio and the whisking speed to achieve the desired emulsion stability.
Ligurian olive oil aioli is a key component of traditional Ligurian sauces, adding a rich and creamy flavor to dishes.
Steps
- 1.
Trenette al Pesto (Liguria, Italy): Used as a finishing emulsion to bind pesto to pasta
- 2.
Bouillabaisse (Provence, France): Served as a garlicky accompaniment to the fish stew
- 3.
Patatas Bravas (Spain): Forms the creamy base for the spicy sauce
The Science
Primary Reaction
Emulsification of Oleic Acid