Black garlic aioli is an immersion-blender emulsion: one egg yolk, half a head of squeezed black garlic cloves, a teaspoon each of lemon juice and balsamic, then about half a cup of olive oil. Start the blender flat on the bottom of the cup and lift slowly — it thickens exactly like mayo, sweet-savory and almost chocolate-dark. The potatoes are just the excuse. Makes about 6 servings.
Instructions
- 1
Drop the egg yolk into the immersion-blender cup — it holds the whole sauce together.
- 2
Add the black garlic cloves, lemon juice and balsamic — the acidity balances all that sweetness.
- 3
Pour in the olive oil.
- 4
Start the blender flat on the bottom of the cup, then lift it slowly — the sauce thickens exactly like mayo.
- 5
Serve with fries or roasted potatoes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the raw egg yolk safe?
Use a fresh, clean, refrigerated egg — or a pasteurized one if you prefer zero risk — keep the aioli chilled, and eat it within two to three days. It is the same food-safety math as any homemade mayonnaise.
Why start the blender at the bottom of the cup?
The emulsion has to begin in the yolk layer: with the blade flat on the bottom, oil is pulled in a little at a time as you lift, so the sauce builds from thick to thicker. Start high and you just whip oily liquid that never comes together.
What if my aioli stays runny?
It usually means the oil went in faster than the yolk could hold. Rescue it like broken mayo: pour the runny mix into a jug, put a fresh yolk in the cup and repeat the bottom-start, slow-lift blend, feeding the broken batch in as the new emulsion builds.