This black garlic aioli recipe is a delicious mayo-like sauce that can be used to enhance all sorts of meats, vegetables, and fish dishes.
Black garlic can be a tough ingredient to find, but if you a garlic fanatic, then the sweet and savory of black garlic really come to the front in this recipe.
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What is Black Garlic?
Black garlic is simply standard garlic that has been cooked on very low heat for an extended period of time.
This can often be more than a month. This ages the garlic and gives it its dark color.
Specifically, the black color comes from the enzymes that break down and encourage a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugar, called the Maillard reaction that “brown” food.
The process requires strictly regulated humidity and temperature to reach the perfect sticky consistency that reminds of the texture of dates. This environment breaks down the enzymes that are responsible for the sharpness of fresh garlic.
Black garlic has been used as a culinary and medicinal superfood in several Asian countries for centuries. They include Korea, Thailand, and Japan.
It is believed that it originates from Korea, where the production process has been developed over centuries.
Black Garlic vs Normal Garlic
Black garlic has a slightly sweet, tangy taste, with umami notes similar to that of soy sauce. It is a more delicate choice than raw garlic, which is sharper.
The flavor is often described to be like molasses. The mild sweetness behind the umami can add extra layers of flavor to meat dishes.
A good comparison is to think of black garlic as a caramelized form of garlic, in the same way caramelized onions are like onions.
This is because the fermentation process increases the number of antioxidants that raw garlic typically contains.
Buying Black Garlic
Black garlic isn’t a very popular ingredient, so you may struggle to find it in your local retail store – particularly if you live outside of the US.
Therefore, it’s best to order it online – you can find it at a good variety of the big retail stores:
Why You Should Try this Black Garlic Aioli
There are a number of reasons you should try this black garlic aioli.
- Healthy dip sauce that contains lots of antioxidants.
- Uses ingredients you’ll likely have on hand (except the black garlic).
- Has a unique flavor that can add complexity to meat, fish, and vegetable dishes.
- Takes less than 10 minutes to prepare.
- It has so many uses (once you try it once, you’ll want to use add it to everything!).
Ingredients (+ Substitutions)
- Black garlic cloves: These are the heart of the recipes, so no substitutions here!
- Fresh garlic cloves: Fresh garlic adds flavor to the recipe.
- Egg yolk: Egg yolk is used as an emulsifier that brings the mayonnaise together into a creamy dip. Since the eggs aren’t cooked, you can choose pasteurized eggs if this concerns you.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is always preferable to packaged versions. Lime juice is also a good substitute as well.
- Salt: You’ll notice something is missing
- Extra virgin olive oil: Although EVOO has a stronger flavor than other oils, it’s still great to use in this recipe. Ensure you find the highest quality oil so that the flavor really shines through. If you want to use a more subtle oil, choose a neutral oil (such as sunflower, canola, or avocado oil).
How to Make Black Garlic Aioli
The recipe is easier to make if you have a food processor or blender. However, if not, then you can still do it, but it’ll take a little longer.
Step 1 – Peel the garlic and black garlic. In a blender add the black garlic and garlic and process until a smooth paste. If you don’t have a blender, use a pestle and mortar and crush the garlic until the paste is formed.
Extra notes – if using a blender, make sure you scrape the sides down often until it turns into a smooth paste. If you don’t puree the black garlic first, some of the lumps may not get incorporated into the mixture.
Step 2 – Crack an egg and add the egg yolk to a skimmer to drain the egg whites. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice and salt to the garlic paste and mix.
Step 3 – Slowly add the extra-virgin olive oil. If you pour too fast, the emulsion will break. If you are using a blender, make sure the motor is running. If you’re whisking, make sure you whisk vigorously whilst adding the oil.
Step 4 – Serve immediately or place in a container for storage.
Cooking Notes
Add the Oil Slowly and in Stages
You must add the oil slowly when emulsifying. Emulsifying is the process of combining two liquids that don’t want to mix. In the beginning, add the oil literally drop by drop to ensure that is incorporated.
To begin with, the mixture will thicken more slowly. Once 1/4 cup of oil has been added, you can speed this up. Keep whisking throughout, but you can take a break if your arm tires. After 1/2 cup of oil, you can speed up more.
How to Fix the Aioli if the Emulsion Breaks
The easiest way to bring the emulsion back together if it breaks is simply to add an extra fresh garlic clove. If that doesn’t work, there are a few extra methods that can work:
- Add 1 tbsp tomato paste or dijon mustard to the food processor. These ingredients can help hold the emulsion together
- Whisk an egg yolk in a separate bowl, then slowly drizzle the broken aioli whilst whisking.
Keep your Bowl Stable Whilst Whisking
If you aren’t using a food processor, you will need to whisk with one hand whilst adding the oil with the other. Therefore, it’s important to keep the bowl steady whilst doing this.
You can do this in a few ways:
- Slightly dampen a kitchen towel, fold opposite ends, twirl it around and (see this video for a demonstration)
- Sit down and hold the bowl between your eggs
What to Serve with Black Garlic Aioli
Here are some ideas for you to try!
- On a steak or pork chop
- Dip for chips, fries, or roasted potatoes
- Serve with fried fish, grilled vegetables or other grilled meats
- On a sandwich or burger
- On bread, crackers or raw vegetables
Black Garlic Aioli
This creamy black garlic aioli is the perfect accompaniment to any fish, chicken or veg dish you have. It's quick to make and adds layers of flavors.
Ingredients
- 6 black garlic cloves
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (180 ml) extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Peel the garlic and black garlic. In a blender add the black garlic and garlic and process until a smooth paste. If you don't have a blender, use a pestle and mortar and crush the garlic until the paste is formed.
- Crack an egg and add the egg yolk to a skimmer to drain the egg whites. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, and salt to the garlic paste and mix.
- Slowly add the extra-virgin olive oil. If you pour too fast, the emulsion will break. If you are using a blender, make sure the motor is running. If you're whisking, make sure you whisk vigorously whilst adding the oil
- Serve immediately or place in a container for storage.
Notes
- Add the Oil Slowly and in Stages: You must add the oil slowly when emulsifying. Emulsifying is the process of combining two liquids that don't want to mix. In the beginning, add the oil literally drop by drop to ensure that is incorporated. The mixture thickens more slowly, to begin with. Once 1/4 cup oil has been added, you can speed this up. Keep whisking throughout, but you can take a break if your arm tires. After 1/2 cup of oil, you can speed up more.
- How to Fix the Aioli if the Emulsion Breaks: The easiest way to bring the emulsion back together if it breaks is simply to add an extra fresh garlic clove. If that doesn't work, either add 1 tbsp tomato paste or dijon mustard to the food processor or whisk an egg yolk in a separate bowl, then slowly drizzle the broken aioli whilst whisking.
- Keep your Bowl Stable Whilst Whisking: If you aren't using a food processor, you will need to whisk with one hand whilst adding the oil with the other. Therefore, it's important to keep the bowl steady whilst doing this. You can do this by slightly dampening a kitchen towel, fold opposite ends, twirl it around, create a nest and place the bowl on.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 30Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 31mgSodium 196mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 1g
Want More Delicious, Mediterranean Style Recipes?
If you’ve cooked this recipe, be sure to leave a comment or review! But if you’re looking for more:
- Find more Mediterranean-style recipes on our website.
- Try our free 7 day Mediterranean diet plan with 20 recipes.
- Get our 4-week Mediterranean diet plan, Med in 28 plan, that makes following the Mediterranean diet a breeze!