Best Lowcountry Aïoli Recipes

LOW-COUNTRY BOIL WITH SHRIMP, CORN, AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Cook the shrimp boil:
• Fill stockpot with 6 qt. water (if using 2 pots, divide ingredients and water between them). Add lemons, bay leaves, salt, peppercorns, and 1/2 cup seasoning, cover, and bring to a rolling boil. Add potatoes, return to a boil, and cook 7 minutes. Add sausage and onions, return to a boil, and cook 5 minutes. Add corn, return to a boil, and cook until corn is cooked and potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 5 minutes more.
• Add shrimp and cook (no need to return to a boil), stirring gently, until shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes. Remove insert or drain through a very large colander.
• Make the cocktail sauce:
• Stir ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and hot sauce, if using, in a medium bowl.
• Make the lemon-butter sauce:
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in lemon juice and hot sauce, if using. Taste and add more lemon juice, if needed. Cover and let sit in a warm place.
• Serve the shrimp boil:
• Serve shrimp boil on a newspaper-lined table or large platters. Dust with additional Old Bay, if using. Serve with sauces alongside, if desired.
• Do Ahead
• Cocktail sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.

AIOLI

Steps:

• Combine garlic, lemon juice and salt in a blender or food processor and let sit a minute or two. Add eggs and blend until combined. With the blender running, slowly add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream. You can use a mortar and pestle if you prefer.
• Taste for seasoning and add more salt and lemon juice if needed.

AIOLI

Steps:

• Smash the garlic cloves with the side of a chef's knife and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Finely chop the garlic, using the side of the knife to periodically mash it against the cutting board, until it becomes a smooth paste. (You can also do this in a mortar and pestle.)
• To make the aioli in a mini food processor, put the garlic paste in a mini food processor, add the lemon juice and egg yolks and pulse to combine. With the machine running, add the neutral oil a few drops at a time, making sure it incorporates into the yolks and the mixture emulsifies. Once all of the neutral oil is added, scrape down the sides of the work bowl and add the olive oil in the same manner. (If the machine seems like it is working too hard or straining while adding the oil, add the tablespoon of water at this point to loosen the mixture a bit; otherwise, add the tablespoon of water once all of the oil has been added.) Mix in the cayenne. The aioli should be thick, shiny and smooth, with a spreadable consistency similar to jarred mayonnaise. If you want a slightly thinner sauce, add 1 to 2 tablespoons additional water slowly, with the machine running, until you reach the desired consistency. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
• To make the aioli by hand, dampen a kitchen towel and roll up. Form the towel roll into a circle and anchor a bowl in the center. Whisk together the garlic paste, lemon juice and egg yolks in the bowl. Whisk the oils into the mixture as directed above, using one hand to add the oil drop by drop and the other to whisk constantly. Add the oil very slowly at first. Once the mixture has formed a thick emulsification, you can stream the oil in a little faster. If it gets too thick, add the water to loosen it up and continue. Mix in the cayenne.

LOWCOUNTRY AïOLI

Steps:

• Toss onion, tomatoes, bell pepper, and chile with oil in a shallow (1-inch) baking pan and arrange vegetables, cut sides down, in 1 layer. Roast, turning onion once or twice, until vegetables are charred and tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Discard skins from tomatoes and bell pepper. Chop tomatoes and drain in a sieve, discarding juices. Finely chop onion and bell pepper. Mince chile.
• Mince garlic and mash to a paste with kosher salt. Blend together mayonnaise, garlic paste, and black pepper in a food processor. Add chile, about one fourth at a time, tasting for desired heat. Transfer to a bowl and stir in tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and vinegar.