**Le Grand Aïoli: A Provençal Feast of Garlic, Seafood, and Vegetables**
In the heart of Provence, where the sun-drenched hills meet the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea, lies a culinary treasure that embodies the region's vibrant spirit: Le Grand Aïoli. This Provençal feast, centered around the pungent and aromatic aïoli sauce, is a symphony of flavors, textures, and colors that pays homage to the bounty of the land and sea. From the succulent seafood and tender vegetables to the crusty bread and refreshing salads, Le Grand Aïoli is a celebration of Provençal gastronomy. Whether you gather with loved ones for a special occasion or seek a taste of Provence in your own kitchen, this culinary journey will transport you to the sun-kissed shores of southern France.
**The Recipes Unveiled:**
1. **Aïoli Sauce (Sauce Aïoli):** The heart and soul of Le Grand Aïoli, this rich and garlicky sauce is a flavorful accompaniment to every dish on the table. With just a few simple ingredients – garlic, olive oil, egg yolks, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard – you can create a smooth and creamy aïoli that will elevate your meal to new heights.
2. **Boiled Vegetables (Légumes Bouillis):** A colorful array of seasonal vegetables, such as green beans, carrots, potatoes, and cauliflower, are boiled until tender and served with a generous dollop of aïoli. The natural sweetness of the vegetables pairs perfectly with the garlicky sauce, creating a harmonious balance of flavors.
3. **Seafood Medley (Plateau de Fruits de Mer):** The bounty of the Mediterranean Sea takes center stage in this seafood platter. Mussels, clams, shrimp, and langoustines are steamed or boiled until cooked through, retaining their delicate flavors and textures. Served with a side of aïoli, this seafood medley is a delightful treat for any occasion.
4. **Grilled Fish (Poisson Grillé):** The freshness of the Mediterranean catch shines through in this grilled fish dish. Whether it's sea bass, sea bream, or dorade, the fish is expertly grilled to perfection, with crispy skin and succulent flesh. Paired with aïoli, grilled fish becomes an irresistible main course that showcases the region's culinary prowess.
5. **Salad Niçoise (Salade Niçoise):** A classic Provençal salad, Salade Niçoise, is a vibrant composition of fresh vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, and anchovies. Dressed with a tangy vinaigrette, this salad adds a refreshing touch to the hearty dishes of Le Grand Aïoli, providing a perfect balance to the richness of the meal.
6. **Tapenade:** A savory spread made from black olives, capers, and anchovies, tapenade is a delightful addition to any Provençal feast. Served with crusty bread or crackers, it offers a briny and umami-rich complement to the other dishes on the table.
7. **Socca:** A traditional Provençal flatbread made from chickpea flour, socca is a crispy and flavorful accompaniment to Le Grand Aïoli. Its nutty flavor and slightly chewy texture make it a perfect vessel for scooping up the garlicky aïoli and other delectable dishes.
LE GRAND AIOLI
Steps:
- The salt cod needs to soak in fresh cold water in the refrigerator for 24 hours. The water should be changed several times. Remove from the water and break into pieces. The rest of the components of the platter can be started a day in advance as well. Start with the aioli by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the bulb of garlic in a piece of aluminum foil with a few drops of olive oil. Bake for about 30 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool completely and then squeeze out the garlic into a mixing bowl. Add the egg yolk and slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and put in the refrigerator.
- The day of you picnic, simply make sure all the vegetables are in bite size pieces. For the artichoke, clean and cut in half lengthwise. Rub with olive oil and place on a hot grill for about 5 minutes.
- *RAW EGG WARNING
- Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.
GRAND AIOLI
This classic French dish is summer dining at its finest: no utensils required, and it pairs very well with chilled rosé. Of course, you can serve your aioli with any vegetables or seafood you like-consider this a good starting point.
Provided by Anna Stockwell
Categories Dinner Party Spring Summer Shrimp Potato Mayonnaise Garlic Green Bean Dip Egg
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Place potatoes in a medium pot; add cold water to cover by 1". Season with salt, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are fork-tender, 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl of ice water and chill until cold, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and pat dry, reserving bowl of ice water.
- Meanwhile, bring another medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook until crisp-tender, 2-4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beans to ice water; reserve hot water in pot. Chill beans until cold, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and pat dry, reserving bowl of ice water.
- Return water in green bean pot to a boil, carefully add eggs, and cook 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to ice water; reserve hot water in pot. Chill eggs until cold, about 5 minutes. Peel; set aside, reserving bowl of ice water.
- Return water to a boil, add shrimp, and cook just until pink, about 3 minutes. Transfer to ice water and chill until cold, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and pat dry.
- Meanwhile, pulse garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add egg yolks, lemon juice, and mustard; season with salt, then process to combine. With the motor running, slowly pour in grapeseed oil a few drops at a time. After about 1/4 cup has been added, scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Continue to add grapeseed oil with the motor running, then add olive oil and process until combined. If sauce is too thick, add water 1 Tbsp. at a time. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice, if needed.
- Transfer aioli to a serving bowl. Arrange potatoes, green beans, shrimp, halved eggs, endive, romaine, radishes, cucumbers, and tomatoes on a platter and serve alongside.
- Do Ahead
- Potatoes, green beans, and eggs can be cooked 2 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill. Aioli can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.
LE GRANDE AIOLI
Provided by Food Network
Time P1DT12h26m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Place the garlic in a large mortar and pestle and mash well. Add the egg yolks and mash. While mashing, very slowly add the olive oil, drop by drop, to create an emulsion. When the mixture is thick and the oil is all added, season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
- Soak the cod in water in the refrigerator for 3 days, changing the water 2 to 4 times a day. Drain well and cut into 2-ounce pieces. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the bay leaf and lower to a simmer. Poach the cod in the water until just cooked, about 4 to 6 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
- Place the cod, eggs, carrots, cauliflower, string beans, potatoes, and snails on a large platter. Drizzle with the aioli. Serve remaining aioli in a bowl.
GRAND AIOLI
The grand aioli of Provence, a classic dish of simply poached seafood and vegetables, is as unassuming as some of the sauvignon blancs we tasted.But an assertive garlic sauce alongside it becomes a game changer. And when artfully arranged, the array of yellow, orange, green and black has uncommon eye appeal, letting it anchor a summer dinner with relatively little effort.Plan the preparation so you can serve everything just tepid. Everything, that is, except the wine, which must be well chilled and should be poured freely.
Provided by Florence Fabricant
Categories dinner, main course
Time 1h
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Turn on a food processor, drop garlic in through feed tube and process until minced. Add eggs, then quickly add lemon juice. Slowly drizzle in olive oil to make a loose mayonnaise. Turn off machine and fold in minced fennel fronds. Season with salt. Transfer this aioli to a serving dish, cover and refrigerate.
- Place potatoes in a saucepan big enough for all the vegetables; cover with water. Over high heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add carrots and cook 3 minutes. Add haricots verts and cook 2 minutes more, then add the fennel bulb. Cook 5 minutes more. Drain. Arrange carrots and haricots verts on a large platter. Cut potatoes in half vertically and slice fennel. Place on platter, leaving room for seafood.
- Bring 1 cup wine to a simmer in a pan large enough to hold seafood in a single layer. Add mussels; cover and cook until they open. Scoop mussels from pan, leaving liquid. Add fish to pan, cutting it in pieces as needed to fit the pan. Add enough wine to cover fish, bring to a simmer, cover, cook 5 minutes. Set aside and let it cool in pan 10 minutes.
- Drain fish, cut to serving size and arrange on platter. Add mussels, in their shells, to platter. Cut remaining lemons into wedges and add. Scatter olives about. Drizzle fish and potatoes with a little oil and season with salt. Scoop aioli into a bowl and serve alongside.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 387, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 38 grams, Fat 4 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 39 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 1233 milligrams, Sugar 6 grams, TransFat 0 grams
GRAND GREEN AIOLI
"Le grand aioli" is a classic Provençal meal of vegetables and steamed seafood, centered on a rich and lemony garlic-laden aioli for dipping. Here, the sauce is vibrant with fresh parsley. This summery dish features a colorful mix of crunchy vegetables and crisp lettuces alongside steamed nutty edamame, to keep it vegetarian. But poached shrimp, rotisserie chicken, canned tuna and hard-boiled eggs would all be welcome for dipping. Very little cooking is required - just some quick boiling - making this perfect for a stress-free weeknight dinner or a celebratory get-together. Leftover aioli is a terrific sandwich spread, as well as a versatile dressing for roasted potatoes or pasta salad. To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter .
Provided by Kay Chun
Categories dips and spreads, vegetables, appetizer, main course
Time 15m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Prepare the vegetables: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add edamame and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer edamame to a bowl and cover to keep warm. Fill a bowl with ice water if using green beans, asparagus or snap peas. Add green beans and asparagus to the boiling water and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Cook snap peas, if using, for 1 minute, adding to the green beans and asparagus during the last minute of cooking. Drain and transfer vegetables to the ice water to cool, then drain again. Other vegetables should be served raw.
- Make the aioli: In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the egg yolks, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper and ¼ cup water. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and safflower oil until well blended. Add the parsley and purée until smooth. Transfer the aioli to a bowl. It can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Arrange the vegetables and lettuce leaves on a large serving platter. Serve with the edamame and aioli.
LE GRAND AIOLI
In the Provencal tradition, we served the aioli on a large plate and surrounded it with a colorful array of dipping items, such as celery, fingerling potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and blue-crab claws. Use whatever is fresh in your local market.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Appetizers
Yield Makes about 1 cup aioli
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Mince garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add egg yolks, a pinch of salt, and mustard; process to combine. With machine running, slowly pour in about half the canola oil through the feed tube, a few drops at a time. Stop to make sure the sauce is thickening, and scrape sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Add 4 teaspoons lemon juice. Resume processing; slowly pour in remaining canola oil and the olive oil. Season with salt and remaining lemon juice, and add the water; process 10 seconds more. If serving immediately, transfer to serving bowls.
Tips:
- Mise en place: Before you start cooking, make sure all your ingredients are measured and prepped. This will help you stay organized and ensure that your aioli comes together smoothly.
- Use fresh garlic: Fresh garlic has a more robust flavor than jarred or powdered garlic. If you can, use fresh garlic cloves for the best results.
- Don't overcrowd the pan: When frying the garlic, don't overcrowd the pan. This will cause the garlic to steam rather than fry, resulting in a less flavorful aioli.
- Use a good quality olive oil: The olive oil you use will significantly impact the flavor of your aioli. Choose a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best results.
- Emulsify slowly: When emulsifying the aioli, add the oil very slowly in a thin stream while whisking continuously. This will help to prevent the aioli from breaking.
- Season to taste: Once the aioli is emulsified, season it to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. You can also add other herbs or spices, such as parsley, chives, or paprika, to taste.
Conclusion:
Le grand aioli is a delicious and versatile sauce perfect for dipping, spreading, or dressing. It is easy to make and can be customized to your taste. With a few simple ingredients and a little know-how, you can create a flavorful and impressive aioli your friends and family will love.
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