JLoeats.com

thanks for inspiring me this week Way!

Got this in my inbox today! Sweet! :)

*Janet,
think you can school me on how to make aioli? seems super freaking simple, actually, but i ask you because you the bomb.

school me, as in, what should i know, what ways can i experiment to make it interesting, etc? i always hear about lemon aioli, and that sounds plain to me. and while i don’t see mayonnaise in there, it always seemed like there was, to me (probably because it’s an emulsion?).

and if you want to go further and tip me on an awesome artichoke dish, please do :]

thanks…
w*

hahaha — EMULSIFICATIONNNNNNNN
is all you need to know in terms of technique –

an aioli is simply emulsified garlic and olive oil — meaning, taking something of a base — mushed up garlic / garlic puree and suspending oil droplets into the mixture to homogenize two liquids that have two different viscosities….WOW SCIENCE! :) LOL :)

think mayonnaise texture — if you wanna spice things up — hand made mayo is pretty awesome too. esp if you make it spicy and lemony ;)

so you need a big bowl, and the bigger the whisk the better! – the bigger the whisk, the more air you pump into the mixture faster….oh and your manly arm strength. haha

some ppl add egg into the aioli to help emulsify it — you can add whatever you like
lemon would be standard, but a classic…

if you think there’s mayo in the aioli or it taste like it, it’s probably cuz there’s mustard and or egg in there along with the oil, and lemon juice — actually those are the ingredients for mayo from scratch :) salt, pepper to taste …

so you can pretty much start off with any “base” — (this goes with salad dressings too –)
wines, juices, vinegars, pureed veg, pureed fruit — and then add your garlic, and whisk in your oil/liquid fat — (doesn’t even have to be olive, cuz some eVOo’s are really intense in flavour, try them, as in take a shot of it – the crappy/cheap ones taste like dish soap :P)

oh yeah, if your mixture “breaks” and separates — or if it’s too thin –
no fret!
add a little more of the base and re – emulsify your mixture, as in — pour in a little bit of new oil slowly and whisk it in — or BLEND/BLITZ THAT SUCKER in a food processor or blender if you want a lil extra power, and saves you time

if it’s too thick — whisk in more oil — :)

and
mmm, artichokes are my favourite — b/c it’s all about the dipping sauce ;)
i find the simpler the artichoke prep, the better, -
if you’re prepping a lot of artichokes — make sure you keep them in acidulated water on the side –
water with cut and squeezed lemon or lime in a large bowl will suffice beautifully here –
find ones that are tightly bunched up together, and a good bright green colour.
watch out for the pricklies too! (but like flowers, the pricklier it is, the more there’s to protect! yummm)

you can use kitchen sheers to cut off all the thorns and chop off the top as to expose it like a flower, and trim/ cut the bottom so it sits flat.

i’ve seen baked artichoke recipes, pickled ones, grilled, ya dee da — and frankly, artichokes are such a pain in the ass to prepare with not much yield, that the goal and the reward to eating it is when you finally reach the heart anyway! So say, KISS it, keep it simple stupid — and instead experiment with your AIOLI! :)

i find if you can blanch them in salt water, or steam them, it’s the easiest and freshest way.
baking them makes them brown and dry out, and grilling a round sucker is just annoying. b/c you’ll have to cut it straight down the middle to expose the heart if you want to grill — but you’ll have to cover your bbq to cook it all the way thru too :)
hmm, also if you wrap them up in tin foil — you can steam them on the grill if you’re in your backyard patio for instance and on the bbq anyway.

in need of a lil more inspiration? (from tastespotting: beautiful food styling included)

aghh, nothing like getting my hands dirty with a big ole california artichoke,
it totally reminds me of summer… :)
so nostalgic,
so yum yum! :)

i can’t wait for the heat!!
enjoy! :)

xoxo J xoxox

Tags: Aioli, Artichokes, Fat, Olive Oil