Eichardt’s is my ‘go to’ cozy, decadent make you feel all lovely in your tummy kind of place. Food there (tapas) is so delicious I always over order (and manage to eat), cocktails are plentiful and made well (and I’ve tried a few on the list) and the fire is always on when the wind is a howling outside.

I was delighted when the head chef there gave me a recipe for you all to try. Sauces to me have usually been in a bottle with the words ‘H’ and ‘P’ written on the outside so when I got sent Aioli (which I shamefully hadn’t had til I moved here) I was totally chuffed and had to give it to you all straight away. Chips are needed. And lots of them.

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Aioli
Aioli, which is simply mayonnaise with garlic (garlic improves almost anything) is surprisingly easy to make yourself. Once you’ve tasted the real deal, you will realise what a pale imitation standard supermarket mayonnaise is, and will be forced to keep on making it yourself. Sorry about that. Still, I bet you won’t regret it.

Makes enough to fill a 1-litre jar:
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, sliced
½ teaspoon salt
Juice of 2 lemons
500ml canola/vegetable/sunflower oil
200ml olive oil
Up to 200ml water

Put all the ingredients except oil and water into a food processor. Start it up and, while its running, add the canola (or other light flavourless oil) in a thin stream. The mix should start to thicken (emulsify) and turn pale. Once all the canola is in, do the same with the olive oil. As the aioli gets too thick to mix properly, thin it out with a splash of water, then continue adding oil. I like the final consistency to be very thick, but it’s up to your personal taste.

Your aioli will keep in the fridge quite happily for a month thanks to the acid in the lemons and the longevity of oil. You can make all sorts of flavoured aiolis too, simply by adding the extra ingredients at the beginning with the yolks. Here are some examples to get you started:

Herb
Chopped herbs by the cup: 1 parsley, ½ tarragon, ½ chives

Sundried tomato
½ cup sundried tomatoes, drained of oil

Saffron
Good pinch saffron soaked in 1 tbsp hot water for 5 minutes

Chipotle
2 tbsp chipotle peppers

Lemon
Extra juice of 2 lemons

Pro tip – the dreaded split aioli: Sometimes, due to adding oil too fast or too much, or warm ingredients, or an unfavourable moon, your aioli will split while you make it. You will know when this happens, as the mix will go instantly from thick and glossy to the consistency of water. Fear not! It can be saved:
Pour the split aioli into a jug, scraping the food processor bowl clean. Put one fresh yolk and a squeeze of lemon juice in the bowl, start the motor and slowly drizzle in a little canola/light oil. Once you see it’s starting to emulsify you can start slowly pouring in the split mix. Like magic, it will come together!

Thank you Will Eaglesfield- Executive Chef