Zuni Café’s Small-Batch Aioli Recipe (2024)

In the South of France, we add one cooked potato cut in small pieces to the egg yolk and garlic, mash until it's well blended, then start adding oil slowly, as described. It's great.

Hello! I’m always worried abut eating raw eggs. Can you make this any other way?

RIP, Judy Rodgers. Your beautiful recipes live on!!!

Heresy I know, but I made mine in a blender, running on its highest setting. I added one egg yolk plus one egg, one teaspoon of salt, and four or five small cloves of garlic. Keeping the machine running, I added (as slowly as possible) one cup of vegetable oil. It emulsified beautifully. To finish, I added the juice of 1/2 of a lemon and more salt to my taste.

I have made aioli both with a blender and using this method. We greatly prefer the aioli made in this manner at our house. We only use good quality oil. It has a feel that I can best describe as velvety. I have had aioli made with oils other than good quality extra virgin olive oil. I have also tasted Miracle Whip.

If you get eggs from a healthy farm, not a gross supermarket, (and eat it right away) it should be totally safe! Get unwashed eggs if you can and them wash them only right before use-that way the term-proof barrier which protects the egg will not be broken until the last second.

Add a little fresh lemon juice and a dash of cayenne pepper

The capacity of my mortar is too small for mixing the entire recipe so I shifted to a larger bowl and whisk. Worked just fine.

This is my second try at making this with no success . Today I started in the mortal and pestle and eventually switched to an immersion blender. I must have worked on it for 15 to 20 minutes but it never fully thickened. I don’t know what I am doing wrong

I agree with Maria's comment. I have been using raw eggs in food my entire life with no bad effects, but I buy only fresh eggs from a small farm and clean them at the last minute. I am rewarded with lovely, orange-y yolks, and superb taste. I typically use them within 1 to 3 days, and do not refrigerate them - I store them in my garage (cool environment, even in summer), Otherwise, they will smell up your refrigerator, as usually they come smeared with chicken poop.

Made this again this time using a immersion blender with a 2 cup measuring cup. No mess, quick easy and delicious. I did change the recipe: used one whole egg room temperature, added one teaspoon lemon. I’ve made the mortise pestle version, this one is less strenuous. And easy clean up. Store in measuring cup with cling film cover.

Many years ago I had a burger at Zuni Cafe, with their aioli sauce. It was and still is the best hamburger I ever had.

A video on this technique would help. Handmade is notoriously tricky.

Some days you just need to stay out of the kitchen. Today was one. I’ve made this aioli successfully many time. Today I attempted to make it six times. Each time it failed, either broke or never came together. Tried every rescue I knew...room temp eggs and oil, add a yoke, whip more fiercely, add a bit of water. Nothing worked and I wasted a lot of good I ingredients and only have a sore arm to show for it.

Worked and worked this recipe in a large pestle and mortar, but wasn't satisfied with the chunks, so pulverized it in my Cuisinart, with creamy results. Dipped freshly-baked focaccia in it. Addictive.

This is the first NYT recipe that has defeated me. I have now tried this 3 times and each time I have returned to Melissa's aioli recipe in the food processor, which works perfectly. I recognize the potential difference between the two. I would prefer to make an aioli with one yolk. But no matter how vigorously or slowly I incorporate the dribbles of oil, the emulsion does not happen. The viscosity remains far too thin. I really wanted this to work.

Not thickening enough and tired arm forced to use immersion blender. Success.

Mine never thickened, so I brushed it on bun and griddled it. Where might I have gone wrong?

Mine would not thicken. Not sure where I went wrong.

Made this with my seldom (never) used mortar and pestle. I love aioli but most recipes make too much for this solo cook. Amazingly easy and excellent results..be careful with the garlic amount though, it can be pretty assertive.

Add several drops of lemon juice.

In the South of France, we add one cooked potato cut in small pieces to the egg yolk and garlic, mash until it's well blended, then start adding oil slowly, as described. It's great.

Add a little fresh lemon juice and a dash of cayenne pepper