Eggless Aioli - Does it break down shortly after it is made?

[Rella]

Eggless:
After stirring in a mortar and pestle for a length of time; after finishing, will it break down within a period of time?

[bushwickgirl]

You're recipe is just garlic and oil, in the Catalan tradition, and when made by hand, it will separate after awhile. It's tough to make by hand; it should have a thicker consistency than mayo, and you'll be a bit more successful when using a food processor or blender, or best yet, an immersion blender. By hand, very slow oil emulsification is the name of the game.

Adding dry bread crumbs or cooked potato will stabilize the aioli or allioli, if you're having trouble getting it to bind. It's cheating but eh.

[Rella]

I was looking Eggless Aioli p. 889 in "The Gourmet Cookbook" which is the November COTM which gives the recipe as making it by hand.

Whereas on the same page, it give the "Quick Aioli" made with Eggs as making it in a blender.

I really don't understand why the diffrence in technique with eggs and without eggs.

[paulj]

If someone is specifying the hand method using mortar and pestle it is because that is the traditional method, in fact the only one before electric machines.

[Rella]

The ecipe book called for the traditional method/technique when using no eggs.

But when it came to using egg, the recipe was given using a quick (modern) method.

It is a bit confusing to me. But I think I'll try the eggless in a blender.

[paulj]

If you are going to cheat and use an egg, you might as well cheat with the machine. :)

[bushwickgirl]

Since the advent of blenders and food processors, I do believe Spaniards use egg in their aioli, or at least some Spaniards. Have no fear, either do it the traditional way or use an egg, all will be good. Eggless in the blender will work just fine, and you'll have classic aioli.

I like paulj's attitude, but I'd rather cheat with bread crumbs and a machine than an egg.

[Rella]

Ah, I was hoping for this answer: " Eggless in the blender will work just fine, and you'll have classic aioli."

Bread crumbs - now I'm intrigued further -- may I ask, "Breadcrumbs in place of egg"??

[Rella]

I thought I'd beat the odds and use a vitamix -- didn't thicken, just got a bit warm; however, it will be a good dressing for mesclun tonight.

I do have a bamix blender, but it is too heavy for me to use, and DH who does the heavy work will not use it - I have previously stated before ad nauseum about my problem with it and/or any blender.

I am thinking of trying it with the foodprocessor, which has the tiny little hole in the top for dripping of the oil slowly.

The taste is fantastic. Just now I used it as a dressing with an equal amount of added vinegar to thinly sliced cabbage, and a bit of minced onion. As a non-mayo user, we have used oil and vinegar for coleslaw for several years now, so it is no mystery to me how coleslaw made this way tastes. But the added aioli instead of just plain olive oil is quite nice!

[bushwickgirl]

Yes, breadcrumbs in place the an egg, if you're having binding issues.

I wonder why the Vitamix didn't thicken it, what were your garlic to oil proportions? Try it with the FP, but there tend to be issues with making mayo or aioli in that appliance; I don't normally have difficulty, but other posters have mentioned using an immersion blender over the FP and having much more success. My food processor also has a little hole in the pusher for slowly adding oil.

I'm sure it tastes great. Good luck with your further experiments.

[Rella]

"Good luck with your further experiments." Thanks.

My proportion was as in Gourmet COTM November: 1 cup olive oil 1/4 cup garlic. I think probably there was not enough volume, as some of the garlic did not even cut up.

The main reason I will not try it again in the Vitamix is because the usual clean-up (putting soap and water in it and turning it on to high speed) did not clean the olive oil off the container after 3 go-arounds. I will have to wash it by hand. That will take some cleanup in those long vertical grooves. :-(

[bushwickgirl]

+1.

Edit; this was for paulj's traditional comment.

[Rella]

I've seen the +1 a number of times - wish I knew what it means :-))

[paulj]

I take it to mean 'I second that'

[bushwickgirl]

+1.