Easy Roasted Red Pepper Aioli Recipe with Garlic (2024)

FAQs

What is red pepper aioli made of? ›

Place roasted red peppers and basil in a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped and combined. Add lemon juice; pulse 3 times. Scatter garlic halves over mixture; pulse to chop, 4 to 5 times. Add mayonnaise and sugar; pulse until smooth, 5 to 7 times.

Unlike mayonnaise, which is made by emulsifying oil into egg yolks, aioli is made by pounding garlic into a paste and then gradually adding olive oil to the mixture, creating a thick and creamy sauce. The garlic gives aioli its characteristic pungent flavor, while the olive oil adds richness and depth.

It combines lemon juice, mayonnaise, a roasted garlic bulb, and a drizzle of olive oil. That's it— it is as simple and satisfying as can be.

Is garlic aioli the same as garlic sauce? A thick garlic sauce, aioli is a traditional condiment in the cuisine of Provence, France, and Catalonia, Spain. True aioli is an emulsion created with just garlic and extra virgin olive oil. This makes the common menu item, “garlic aioli,” rather redundant.

In its most traditional form, aioli is simply fresh garlic emulsified with olive oil. But the aioli we know and love includes egg yolks for extra richness, and today, this version seems to dominate, which adds to the confusion.

There is an ongoing debate as to whether an aioli is healthier than its cousin mayonnaise. Mayo is essentially any neutral flavored oil, with egg yolk, vinegar and lemon juice, whereas an aioli begins with pounding garlic, which has many health benefits, with a mortar and pestle and using olive oil instead of canola.

I love aioli, of all types. Though making your own aioli (like mayonnaise) calls for raw egg yolks. Food safety in mind, I prefer to temper my eggs in a double boiler, much like one does when making hollandaise sauce. Alternatively, these days, you can purchase pasteurized eggs in most grocery stores.

How to Store Aioli. While garlic aioli is best enjoyed on the day it's made, it will last up to 7-10 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Avoid freezing, as the mayonnaise will split and become unpalatable.

Kidding aside, American eating has essentially defined aioli as fancy flavored mayo, usually flavored with garlic but also blended with everything from black truffles to chipotle chiles. In France and Spain, though, aioli is a different sauce entirely.

Commonly served as a dip with fresh or cooked vegetables, aioli is also stirred into soups and stews like Bourride, a Provencal fish stew. In the States, we often see it on restaurant menus served alongside fries or slathered on a hamburger.

What can I substitute for aioli? ›

If you ask me, aioli is quite similar to mayonnaise. They're both made of raw eggs emulsified with oil (mayonnaise is made with neutral oil, while aioli is made with olive oil) and a little bit of acid (mayonnaise uses vinegar, while aioli uses lemon juice). Sometimes the French add a little bit of mustard.

While basically garlic-flavoured mayonnaise, aioli is more of an experience than a food. Our classic aioli recipe uses two cloves of garlic, which is the perfect amount. Enough to permeate the mayonnaise but without having the astringent taste that raw garlic can sometimes add.

The Difference Between Aioli and Mayo

Although aioli and mayonnaise are both creamy emulsions, aioli is made from garlic and olive oil while mayo is made from egg yolks and canola oil. The final result may look similar but the two sauces have distinctly different flavors.

Etymology. The word is a transparent compound of the words meaning "garlic" and "oil". The English spelling comes from the French aïoli, which itself comes from Occitan. The spelling in Occitan may be alhòli, following the classical norm, or aiòli, following the Mistralian norm.

Aioli is a creamy garlic sauce made with raw garlic, salt, olive oil, and sometimes egg. It's popular in the cuisines of the Mediterranean coast like Provence, France, and Catalonia in Spain.

aioli, sauce consisting primarily of garlic and olive oil. aioli. Related Topics: mayonnaise. See all related content → Aioli is a characteristic sauce of the French region of Provence, although it is widely used in neighbouring Spain and Italy as well.

Overall, aioli offers minimal health benefits but it does enhance the flavor and palatability of the dishes it is added to like meats, vegetables, and sandwiches. There is even some evidence that when a consumer enjoys the taste of their food, they may find it more satiating, which in turn may aid in weight management.

Kidding aside, American eating has essentially defined aioli as fancy flavored mayo, usually flavored with garlic but also blended with everything from black truffles to chipotle chiles.