Zuni Cafés Small Batch Aioli Recipes

ZUNI CAFé'S SMALL-BATCH AIOLI

Steps:

• Cut garlic into a few pieces, and pound them in a mortar. Add a pinch of salt, which will act as an abrasive and help you smash the last solid bits of garlic.
• Add the egg yolk and stir with the pestle to combine the mixture. Using the pestle, work in oil, a cautious trickle or a few drops at first, then gradually increasing the flow as the yolk becomes tacky and opaque.
• Slowly stir in remaining oil, or as much as you can. As the yolk reaches saturation, the mixture will make a satisfying clucking sound (The aioli will be quite thick at this point.)
• Stir in a few drops of water. The water will whiten and soften the aioli, allowing you to add a little more oil, in case the garlic seems too aggressive when you taste the aioli. You'll need the water in any event, or the sauce will be too stiff. (Stirring in 1/2 teaspoon water will allow you to incorporate as much as 1/2 cup more oil.) Stop adding oil when the sauce has the consistency you like. Taste and adjust salt, and thin again with a little more water, if necessary.

CLASSIC AïOLI

Steps:

• Blend 1/4 cup garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons oil in a blender on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes, then transfer to mortar. Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil very slowly, 1 to 2 teaspoons at a time, stirring and mashing constantly and vigorously with pestle. This will take about 15 minutes, and mixture will become very thick and glossy. (Aïoli will separate if oil is added too quickly.) Transfer to a bowl. Make second batch with remaining ingredients.

ZUNI CAFé'S HAMBURGER

Steps:

• Cut meat into 1-inch chunks or strips. Sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat well, and refrigerate, covered, for about 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
• Assemble your meat grinder, using the grinder plate with 3/16-inch holes. Chill the grinder in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes or refrigerate for several hours. With motor set to medium speed, drop cold meat into grinding tube and let the machine pull pieces through (resist forcing the meat through with pushing tool) into a chilled bowl. Grind the meat twice. (You may also hand-chop the meat in small batches or use a food processor with a very sharp blade, but the patties will be a bit more fragile.)
• Working quickly, form 6-ounce patties by hand, first making spheres, then flattening them to a 3/4-inch thickness. Press patties slightly thinner in the middle. (This ensures an even thickness in the finished burgers.) Keep patties refrigerated until ready to cook.
• If grilling, prepare your coals. Grill patties over medium-hot coals, flipping them three times to make sure they don't char. A cold 6-ounce patty will take about 9 minutes for a rosy medium-rare. Rest for 2 to 3 minutes off the heat, as you would a roast, before serving. If using a preheated cast-iron pan over medium heat, cook burgers for about 10 minutes, also flipping three times, plus resting.
• To serve, warm a piece of focaccia for each burger and split the bread horizontally. Smear the bottom half with a dab of aioli, the add lettuce leaves and the cooked burger. Top with the other half of the focaccia. Serve with zucchini pickles and red onion pickles.

GARLIC AIOLI

Steps:

• Mix mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

MY OWN LARGE BATCH LESS EXPENSIVE BUT GOOD AIOLI MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• Peel garlic cloves and place in food processor bowl. Chop fine.
• Stop processor.
• Separate all but the one whole egg, saving separated whites for another use.
• Place yolks in food processor bowl and let them rest a bit, warming to room temperature in food processor bowl. Meanwhile, (with processor still turned off) measure out the two halves of the oil amount: the olive oil half and the canola half. Mix them together. This mixing will save the expense of pure olive oil and if you use extra virgin, it still makes a very respectable tasting aioli.
• Have ready a large spoon and a measuring cup that you put the oil in should have a pour spout, for the next step of beginning the infusion of the oil a bit at a time into the egg/garlic mixture in the processor bowl.
• After you have the oil ready in your measuring cup and you have separately measured out the mustard and the lemon juice, you are now ready for the next step of infusing the oil into the egg mixture in the processor.
• MAKING THE AIOLI.
• Turn on food processor and begin it whirring the egg/garlic mixture.
• A drop or two at a time using your large spoon, begin dripping oil into the whirring egg mixture).
• Leaving the processor running: very very slowly at first, add the oil a few drops at a time. As you dip oil out of your measuring cup with the spoon, this allows you to stop pouring in between drizzles for a second to let the oil absorb the oil. At first do this a small drizzle at a time.
• Then as you progress through the oil dripping it in, you can gradually increase the rate at which you put in the oil. About half way through you should be able to begin a thin more steady drizzle pouring directly from the spout of your measuring cup and putting aside the spoon. Pause after each drizzle to let the egg absorb the oil.
• Resume same process until all the oil is incorporated and the egg and oil stiffen into mayonnaise.
• You can go a little faster as you near the end of drizzling in the oil.
• Final part of the process is adding the lemon juice, mustard and salt.
• When all the oil is now into the yolk mixture, you should have a nice, fairly stiff consistency of mayonnaise.
• When you have incorporated all the oil stop the processor and if you haven't already done so, measure out the lemon juice, the mustard and the salt.
• Again start the processor and a bit at a time gradually add the lemon juice stopping for a second after each drizzle of lemon juice to let the mayonnaise absorb the lemon juice. Stop processor when lemon juice is absorbed.
• Adding mustard can be done all at once as the processor is whirring. Add the salt next as the processor continues.
• It is important to stop here to get the final balance of flavors. Taste the aioli. It should have a subtle nice tang and just the right garlic 'bite' to it.
• If the aioli mayonnaise is not tangy enough, (tart enough) or hasn't salt enough add whatever you think is missing in very small amount and re-taste.
• Be careful not to add too much lemon juice as this will overpower the flavor of the mayonnaise. It is easy to think if a litttle is good, a lot is better but not in this case. You can also add a little bit more mustard if you think it needs it but again it is easy to overpower the delicate balance of flavors if you get carried away.
• STOP EACH TIME YOU ADD A BIT MORE OF SOMETHING AND TASTE IT.
• You'll know when it is right. It will just 'knock your socks off' it is so good.
• When the aioli suddenly comes to life, then stop right there. Place the resultant mayonnaise mixture in refrigerator for at least an hour, to chill it and let the flavors blend some more.
• Enjoy!