Grand Aïoli
In the south of France, an aïoli is both the garlic and olive oil mayonnaise sauce itself and the dish for which it is the raison d’être, which can be either grand or petit. Le grand aïoli is a festive Provençal free-for-all meal in itself, typically consisting of the sauce in its mortar surrounded by platters of seasonal vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, beets, green beans, artichokes, potatoes) all freshly boiled; poached salt cod and stewed octopus; and tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs. Summer is the time for an aïoli extravaganza; with crisp cold rosé wine, it is the perfect dish on a hot evening. Garlic is juicy and firm and in season, and the summer vegetables that are so good with the garlic mayonnaise are plentiful. The ingredients listed below are suggestions; add whatever vegetables and fish you like.
Recipe information
Yield
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Make a double recipe of the Garlic Mayonnaise on the previous page. Use more garlic if you like an intense and pungent aïoli.
Step 2
Trim and prepare the vegetables: Peel the carrots and leave them whole with half an inch or so of stems attached. Separate the cauliflower into florets of similar size. Top and tail the beans. If the potatoes are small, wash and leave them whole; otherwise, peel and cut into chunks of similar size. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the prepared vegetables separately, until just tender. Roast the peppers, peel and seed them, and cut into strips (page 85). Or leave the peppers raw, cut out the membranes and seeds, and cut into strips. Peel the eggs, and cut into halves or quarters. Stem the cherry tomatoes and cut in half, or core larger tomatoes and cut into slices.
Step 3
Clean the squid, season with salt and pepper, and thread the bodies and tentacles separately onto bamboo skewers. Grill the squid over a hot fire. If cooking fish, season the fish with salt and pepper, moisten with olive oil, and either grill or bake the fish until just cooked.
Step 4
Arrange the vegetables, squid, and eggs on a large platter, and serve family style with the aïoli and fresh crusty bread.
