FARGO — I love the ease of summertime cooking. We use our grill nearly every night to cook steaks, burgers, chicken, fish and vegetables, usually with the simplest preparation of just olive oil, salt and pepper. To add a little flair to our meals, I keep a batch of my "Basic Aioli" on hand to use as a sauce or condiment, and sometimes even as a dip. Simple, quick and delicious, this small addition can add significant flavor to your summertime fare.
An aioli is a cold sauce typically made with egg yolks, olive oil and garlic, which are blended until fully emulsified. Many people liken aioli to mayonnaise, but as a recovering mayo-phobe, I have never cared for that comparison because aioli has so much more flavor than mayo. While I may never enjoy mayonnaise as a condiment unto itself, in recent years, I have come to appreciate its place in my kitchen.
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You can make an aioli from scratch, but I like to simplify my summer cooking to maximize our time outdoors.
This "Basic Aioli" is made with just five ingredients and can be whipped up and ready to serve within five minutes, from start to finish. All you need is fresh garlic, lemon juice, good mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Simply pop these ingredients into your food processor or blender and blitz for about a minute until the sauce is well combined. It is as simple as that.
"Basic Aioli" is terrific on its own, but it can also be used as the base to create an endless variety of flavors by adding just a few ingredients, like fresh or dried herbs, spices, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, mustard or ketchup, to name a few.
Grilling fish or shrimp for dinner? Add some lemon zest, fresh dill, Old Bay seasoning and a splash of W sauce. For steaks, burgers and chicken, add a couple roasted red peppers and crushed red pepper flakes. For Mexican fare like tacos and fajitas, add some cumin, cayenne and chili powder, or even just a packet of taco seasoning.
The recipe is simple, so the quality of ingredients you use does matter. I recommend using good mayonnaise, like Hellman’s or Duke’s, fresh garlic, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. After blitzing the ingredients together, taste the sauce and adjust the flavor to your preference. You can use the sauce immediately after it is made, or you can prepare it in advance and refrigerate it for up to 10 days.
I keep it in steady supply throughout the summer, and my family’s current favorite variation is an "Easy Roasted Red Pepper Aioli." Sometimes I roast the peppers myself, but that can take a lot of time, so I often turn to a store-bought version, instead. Both work great.
My "Basic Aioli" and "Roasted Red Pepper Aioli" are easy to make, big in flavor and a great way to sauce up your summer grilling.
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Sarah’s 'Basic Aioli'
Makes about 1 cup for the basic aioli, 1½ cups for the roasted red pepper aioli
Ingredients:
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about ½ a lemon
- ½ cup good mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For "Roasted Red Pepper Aioli," add 2 roasted red peppers (charred skin removed) and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper.
Directions: In a food processor or blender, blitz the garlic and lemon juice together until finely ground. If using, add the red peppers and crushed red pepper flakes and blitz again until pureed. Add the mayonnaise, salt and pepper and process until well combined. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 10 days.
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