Homemade Aioli Sauce

My favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities, Barbette, has the best pomme frites (french fries) I have EVER tasted. As a bit of a french fry connoisseur, I have sampled many fries. Theirs have the perfect amount of flavor, a dark golden, crunchy exterior, a fluffy interior, and are small enough that they actually stay crunchy instead of getting soggy. But perhaps my favorite part of their pomme frites is the sesame aioli sauce that they serve on the side. It is, in a word, divine. (ok, is anyone else hungry for french fries now? Sorry).

So, last weekend, I decided that I really needed some fries with aioli. I knew that I was going to fail miserably at making fries like Barbette, so I decided to focus on the sauce instead. I have never tried making this sauce before, but when I found a recipe online I realized that I had all the ingredients on hand. And it looked rather simple! The recipe is from Epicurious.

Ingredients:

• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Mince the garlic and the salt together to form a paste (a butter knife or the back of a spoon works well). In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, lemon juice, and mustard. Combine the oils and begin to slowly add into the egg mixture, whisking the whole time. The mixture should start to emulsify, if it doesn't, stop adding oil and just whisk until it comes together again. Once the oil is all added, whisk in the garlic paste. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Chill for at least 1/2 hour before serving.

Aioli sauce is also wonderful with egg dishes, on sandwiches, burgers, and fish. There are so many uses for this flavorful, tangy sauce! I think I will be making it quite often.