When it comes to condiments, it’s hard to imagine a more versatile variety than homemade aioli. Whether you’re dipping, dunking or spreading it, one thing is certain: The flavor customizations of homemade aioli are truly endless.
And now, the process of making aioli is totally effortless thanks to the KitchenAid® Pro Line® Series Cordless Hand Blender. Read on for tips and tricks of mastering homemade aioli then get ready to spice up your sandwich with three unique flavors, including Roasted Garlic, Smoky Sriracha and Zesty Herb.
Before a single ingredient is blended, it’s important that all of your ingredients are at room temperature to ensure the eggs and oil bind without any issues. And because the eggs in classic aioli are raw, it’s also important to use the freshest pasteurized eggs you can find.
Mayonnaise and aioli, while often used interchangeably on restaurant menus, actually aren’t the same thing. Mayonnaise is made with eggs, neutral-flavored oil and some sort of acidity (such as lemon juice or vinegar). Aioli, while also an emulsion, is traditionally made with garlic, eggs and olive oil, which forms a much smoother sauce-like condiment distinctively flavored with garlic.
In this recipe, I’ve provided options for using vegetable or olive oil to make the base of the three varieties. And rather than add garlic directly to the base, I’ve kept it plain so you have the option of transforming it into any type of flavored spread imaginable.
Once you’ve blended the eggs and lemon juice with your Cordless Hand Blender, it’s then time to stream in the oil, which is what will significantly thicken the mixture. The slower you stream in the oil, the better chance you have of the ingredients coming together. Often times when oil is incorporated too quickly, the mixture will “break,” which means the ingredients separate.
You’ll notice the mixture will begin to thicken after just a few seconds of blending, and this is the beauty of using a Hand Blender versus a traditional whisk, which takes much longer to go from raw ingredients to a thick and shiny spread.
Within minutes, the mixture will thicken to a creamy consistency. At this point, you can enjoy the plain spread on sandwiches and use it as a dip for crudité, or you can take it a step further and season it with a variety of fresh herbs and spices.
Divide the mixture into three bowls to create the Roasted Garlic, Smoky Sriracha and Zesty Herb flavors. Then all that’s left to do is stir in the additional ingredients. The result? A tasty trio of dips or spreads perfect for spicing up any sandwich or veggie platter.
Homemade Aioli 3 Ways
INGREDIENTS
For the base
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 to 2 cups vegetable or olive oil
For the roasted garlic aioli
1 head garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the smoky Sriracha aioli
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
For the zesty herb aioli
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or thyme
DIRECTIONS
For the base
Combine the egg yolks, salt and lemon juice in a small bowl. Blend the ingredients together with the KitchenAid® Pro Line® Series 5-Speed Cordless Hand Blender until they’re well combined. With the blender running, stream in 1/2 cup of the oil until well combined, then stream in the remaining oil in 1/2-cup increments. (You will need between 1 1/2 and 2 cups to achieve a thick consistency.)
Divide the mixture into three small bowls and continue with the recipes below to make the three flavored options:
For the roasted garlic aioli
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Slice off the top one-third of the head of garlic. Place the bottom portion of the head of garlic on a piece of foil, drizzle it with the olive oil, then sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Place the top back on the head of garlic and crumple the foil up around it so it’s sealed tightly.
Roast the garlic for about 40 minutes until it’s soft and golden. Squeeze the cloves into the bowl with the aioli and stir until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
For the smoky Sriracha aioli
Stir the smoked paprika and Sriracha into the aioli and stir until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
For the zesty herb aioli
Stir the lemon juice, chives and rosemary into the aioli. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Serve aioli immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.
*The Contributor of this post has been compensated by KitchenAid for this post, but this post represents the Contributor’s own opinion.*
