Allioli. Allioli. Allioli. I love how the vowels and lulling Ls roll off the tongue - softly and whimsically - almost like a child's nonsense word. all-ee-oh-lee. It's a melodic sound. Allioli is a Catalan version of classic aioli, and it differs fundamentally from Provençal aiolis in that it is made without egg yolk - offering just a combination of good quality olive oil, fragrant garlic and unrefined sea salt.
In this version of allioli, I've augmented the classic Catalan combination of olive oil, garlic and salt with the bright flavors of preserved lemon and fresh mint. This is a raw recipe - teeming with beneficial bacteria, vitamins and food enzymes. Preserved lemon, a fermented food featuring prominently in North African cuisine, provides a lovely but well-tempered sourness to the allioli. Preserved lemon, a combination of little more than lemon, unrefined sea salt and time, is extraordinarily rich in nutrients including vitamin C, food enzymes and beneficial bacteria. The raw garlic provides a boost of additional vitamin C and can be a powerful antioxidant. Olive oil features prominently in this sauce, so it's essential to choose a very good quality unrefined oil. A good olive oil should be fragrant, rich and bold.
Preserved Lemon Allioli
Ingredients
- 1 preserved lemon seeded and chopped fine
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- ½ teaspoon finely ground real salt
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Toss the chopped preserved lemon, peeled garlic cloves and chopped fresh mint into the basin of your food processor along with a dash unrefined sea salt. Pulse the ingredients together for a few seconds until they’re well-combined.
- Continue to process the ingredients while pouring the unrefined extra virgin olive oil into the mixture in a very thin stream until the allioli is well-emulsified and smooth.
Edward says
Thank you sharing this recipe, This is a fantastic way to use our lemons yet in another way. We just love your recipe and now it will always be in our selection of dips!
Milana Marquez says
How do u preserve lemons?
merce says
how long does it last in the fridge? i guess long time as there is no egg and it is partially preserved
would it make sense to make more than a pint?
mar says
You made a catalan happy today! me:) I was starting to fear everyone else thinks olive oil is bitter or too strong for mayo or allioli. I think freshly made good quality olive oil isn't necessarily strong. It can become too powerful if it has been extracted with too much pressure, or heated, etc during the delicate milling process.
Sarah, using sunflower would be non-traditional and less healthy. Please find a great unfiltered oil and get ready to go to heaven 😉
greenmama says
thanks for the recipe! I've been looking for a new way to use my preserved lemons. What do you tend to serve this allioli with? Do you use it as a dip? A spread?
Jenny says
I use it as a sandwich spread and as a dip. Love it in place of mayonnaise.
Sandra Mort says
I was sure you ,misspelled it but googled it first. Turns out you hadn't. 🙂 I found this article's comment especially amusing: The Catalan allioli is garlic and oil and salt — no egg yolk except when there is — crushed and stirred in a mortar until a fragile emulsion is formed.
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/alloli-the-catalan-accompaniment/