Making aioli from scratch is not terribly complicated, but if you get a little distracted and add too much oil at once, a broken emulsion is no fun and not so easy to fix. Store-bought mayo, doctored with a bit of acid, some aromatics, and a drizzle of olive oil never fails to deliver.
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced roasted red bell peppers or piquillo peppers
Directions
MAKE THE AIOLI
On a cutting board, using the side of a chef’s knife, mash the garlic with a pinch of salt to form a paste. Transfer the garlic paste to a small bowl and whisk in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, and paprika until smooth.
In a slow and steady stream add the olive oil, whisking constantly until glossy and creamy. Stir in the roasted peppers and season with salt and pepper. Use right away or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Pro Tips
Pair it Up
Serve with fish and chips, fish sandwiches, pan-seared halibut, lingcod, or rockfish, or stir some into a brothy fish stew for extra body.
Know Your Cook
Grace Parisi
Culinary Director Grace Parisi is a cook, writer and cookbook author. Formerly the Senior Test Kitchen Editor at Food & Wine Magazine and Executive Food Director at TimeInc Books, her work has appeared in Cooking Light, Health, O Magazine, Epicurious, Fitness, Today, Serious Eats, Martha Stewart, and many more. She’s the author of more than 6 books, among them The Portlandia Cookbook and Get Saucy, which was nominated for a James Beard award for Best Single Subject Cookbook.
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