Non-Traditional Aïoli

Adapted from Pedaling Through Provence by Sarah Leah Chase

Makes About 2 Cups

This recipe is from a small, sweet book, Pedaling Through Provence, which would make a lovely small gift for someone who loves France—or for someone heading there on holiday.

This is not a traditional Provençal aïoli because it contains bread and heavy cream, which give it a lush, light texture. It is particularly lovely with salad niçoise and with fish in place of tartar sauce.

1 thick slice day-old French bread, crust removed
¼ cup heavy cream
5 or 6 cloves garlic, minced
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I like Edmund Fallot)
1 cup vegetable oil
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Sea salt

Tear the crustless bread into coarse pieces, put them into a small bowl, and add the cream. Let it sit for 5 minutes so the cream soaks into the bread. Once the cream is absorbed, squeeze out as much liquid as you can with your hands.

Put the squeezed bread, garlic, egg yolks, and mustard in a food processor. Process until smooth. With the machine running, pour the oils through the feed tube in a thin, steady stream until a thick emulsion—the consistency of mayonnaise—forms.

Transfer the aïoli to a bowl and season to taste with lemon juice and salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The aïoli can be served chilled or at room temperature.

NOTE: Sarah Leah Chase’s books are elegant, practical, and full of recipes that work. These are the ones on my shelves:

Nantucket Open-House Cookbook
Cold-Weather Cooking
Pedaling Through Provence
Pedaling Through Burgundy
The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook
New England Open-House Cookbook