"Aioli", the best of Provence in a dish!

Aioli, the best of Provence in a dish!

Here at Les Jardins de La Pascalinette®, we love good food and sharing delicious Provencal heritage recipes with our guests! And Aioli is one of them!

The origins of Aioli

Aioli means garlic (ail) and olives (oli) in Provencal dialect, as this tasty sauce is made with garlic and olive oil. The recipe, very commonly-found throughout the northern Mediterranean, Spain and Italy, is also a traditional Provencal speciality.

What is the recipe for Aioli?

“Grand Aioli” (the aioli itself is simply the sauce served with the dish) is made with salt cod and boiled or steamed local, seasonal vegetables. Potatoes, cauliflower, green beans, artichokes, beetroot and carrots are served whole, sometimes accompanied by hard-boiled eggs and shellfish (whelks) or Provencal-style snails. Often the subject of heated debate, the original recipe differs according to the cook, with various ingredients added or left out.

Aioli or garlic mayonnaise?

The original Aioli is made only with garlic, olive oil and salt. The art and science of whipping up the sauce is of vital importance too! Purists swear by a pestle and mortar to obtain the right consistency. And there’s no question of replacing the olive oil with sunflower oil even if it’s lighter: to them, substituting the oil, adding an egg, mustard or lemon – or using a dreaded blender – is tantamount to blasphemy and results in a simple garlic mayonnaise!

Friendly and complete, this dish exudes all the goodness of Provence. Neighbouring restaurants and delicatessens usually offer dishes to eat on site or take out, so you can savour this traditional dish on the terrace of your mobile home, while relishing a glass of Provence rosé.