Aioli

A few months ago, I got interested in Basque food, in no small part courtesy of one of my favorite spots in New York City, the East Village restaurant Euzkadi. While we were there, two of our best friends shared pintxos with us, and while all of the dishes -- crispy ham croquettes, a bowl of lusty green olives, a plate of Spanish cheeses as moody and brilliant as a Sevillian sunset -- lent themselves to the companionship and hospitality that is the hallmark of this wonderful cuisine, for me the star plate was of simple potatoes, skins crispy from the olive oil they were fried in, flesh lush and creamy, and drizzled with garlicky aioli.

Aioli is commonly served with potatoes in Meditteranean cuisines, and so when I decided to learn how to make Basque food, I decided it was long overdue that I master aioli. I had tried to make it in the past -- cooking my way as many of us do through Julia Child master class -- with mixed results that were related to the student, not the teacher.

I remembered that 400 Sauces, a great cookbook I reviewed for Slashfood, had a recipe for aioli. Having had success with every recipe I've tried from this essential cookbook, I tried the recipe for aioli. Voila! This aioli -- with a technique, I should admit, not much different from any other I've tried -- emerged from the whip glossy and creamy-white, with a powerful garlic boom. (The yellowish tint in the photo is the result of the lighting in the kitchen). Sprinkled with Spanish paprika from my favorite herb and spice shop, this aioli formed a perfect union with potatoes fried in the Spanish way.

What I learned about making aioli is that all of the notes you read about how to do it are correct. Have all of the ingredients at hand (a practice worth following for any dish) and have all of the ingredients at room temperature. Incorporate the oil a drop at a time when you begin, increasing the amount as the aioli begins to build volume. Be prepared to get a good arm workout. It takes patience and effort -- qualities the best cooking doesn't just encourage, but occasionally demands -- but the results are literally consideration you, and your diners, can taste.