described by Blancard (1927) as the ‘triumph of the Provençal kitchen’, is in effect a garlic mayonnaise. But it is not just a sauce; it can take the form of Aïoli garni which is a whole dish in itself, traditionally served on Christmas Eve and incorporating beef or a boiled chicken.
Among the items which aïoli accompanies are potatoes, beetroot, fish and other seafood, and boiled salt cod. It may also be amalgamated with fish stock to make a thinner and pale yellow sauce to be poured over the fish in the famous Provençal dish called Bourride.
Aïoli does have a reputation for being indigestible, if eaten in quantity. Olney (1974) comments: ‘A more easily digestible but less silken aïoli may be prepared by substituting boiled potato … for the egg yolks.’ The same author observes that the quality of the olive oil is important; and that an aïoli ‘is traditionally prepared in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle; the weight of the mortar prevents it from slip-sliding around as one turns the pestle with one hand while dribbling the oil with the other.’
See also Spanish regional cooking for the Catalan allioli.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
Blancard, E. (1927), Mets et produits de Provence, 3rd edn, Toulon: Bordato.
Olney, Richard (1974), Simple French Food, London: Jill Norman.
