Alioli / Aioli (Oil to Garlic to Egg Yolk)

200 ml (8 parts)

Extra-virgin olive oil — Use a mild-fruity oil; aggressively bitter oils make the final sauce harsh

25 ml / 1 large yolk (1 part)

Egg yolk — Room temperature; provides lecithin for stable emulsification in the egg-yolk version

2–4 cloves (0.5 part)

Garlic — Pounded to a smooth paste; quantity adjusts to heat preference

5–10 ml

Lemon juice or white wine vinegar — Acid loosens the emulsion and brightens; added in two stages

fine sea salt to taste

Salt — Added to the garlic paste during pounding to act as an abrasive

Mortar method: pound garlic with salt to a smooth paste. Add oil literally drop by drop, working the pestle in tight circles until the mass holds each addition — a broken all-i-oli cannot be rescued. Egg-yolk method: whisk yolk, garlic paste, acid, and salt together. Begin adding oil one drop at a time, whisking constantly. Once an emulsion forms (after 2–3 tablespoons), oil can be added in a thin, steady stream. Finish with remaining acid; adjust seasoning.

• All ingredients must be at room temperature — cold yolks resist emulsification.
• If the emulsion breaks, start fresh with a new yolk in a clean bowl and whisk the broken sauce into it drop by drop.
• For the mortar method, the garlic must be pounded to a perfectly smooth, sticky paste before a single drop of oil is added; any chunk will defeat the emulsion.
• Resting the finished sauce for 30 minutes mellows raw garlic's heat and allows flavors to integrate.
• An immersion blender whole-egg method (using one whole egg instead of a yolk) produces a lighter, slightly less rich sauce and is virtually unbreakable.
• Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; the egg-yolk version firms as it chills — thin with a drop of warm water before serving.

• Traditional Catalan all-i-oli (egg-free)

  Garlic, salt, and olive oil only — requires patience and a heavy marble mortar; breaks easily if oil is added too fast

• Provençal grand aïoli

  Egg-yolk base served as a centerpiece dish with salt cod, boiled vegetables, and hard-boiled eggs at fête de l'aïoli

• Saffron aïoli (rouille-adjacent)

  Add a pinch of saffron bloomed in a teaspoon of warm water; deepens color and adds subtle earthiness for fish soups

• Smoked paprika alioli

  Stir in ½ tsp pimentón de la Vera after emulsification; standard accompaniment to patatas bravas in Barcelona

• Lemon-herb alioli

  Add lemon zest and finely chopped flat-leaf parsley after emulsification for brightness

• Mayonnaise (Oil to Egg Yolk)

  Alioli's close cousin — same emulsification principle, minus garlic, plus a neutral oil

• Rouille

  Provençal saffron-garlic sauce built on the same oil-yolk base; served with bouillabaisse

• Vinaigrette (Oil to Acid)

  Temporary emulsion using the same oil-acid pairing without an emulsifier

1. 1.The Flavor Bible — Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg
2. 2.Catalan Cuisine — Colman Andrews
3. 3.On Food and Cooking — Harold McGee
4. 4.Larousse Gastronomique — Prosper Montagné (ed.)

Confidence: high