Filling the center of an artichoke is one use for aioli.
Mayonnaise at best is thick, creamy and bland, but swap out mayonnaise with a garlicky aioli and the flavor intensifies. Aioli is basically garlic-flavored mayonnaise. It can be made from homemade or bottled mayonnaise, but the garlic is a requirement. This flavorful thick sauce can be used at every stage of food preparation. Expand your culinary horizons by incorporating aioli into your go-to ingredients list.
Baste for Meat
Instead of marinating meat for hours in an acid-based marinade, Red Bone Alley suggests spreading aioli onto the surface of meat just before cooking. The aioli seals the moisture into the meat and adds flavor. Use this technique to jazz up bland boneless, skinless chicken breasts, lean pork roasts or white fish fillets.
Oven-fried Meats
Take a simple aioli-coated piece of meat to the next level and add a crunchy coating. Spread a thick coating of aioli on both sides of chicken. Dip the coated chicken into crushed crackers, cereal or breadcrumbs to create a crunchy coating that is baked instead of fried. Bake the chicken or 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until the meat is cooked through. This application is similar to oven-fried chicken recipes using mayonnaise, but substitutes aioli for more flavor.
Fish Stew
Enhance the flavor of fish stew with a dollop of aioli on top of the stew, as the Chow website recommends. As you eat the stew, the aioli mixes in with the soup base, adding a creamy texture and garlicky flavor. Bon Apetit magazine published a recipe on the website Epicurious that featured a Mediterranean fish stew served with a side of aioli for the diner to either spread on toast points or mix into the stew as desired. Further this application and spread aioli onto toasted bread. Cube the bread and use the cubes as croutons to top a fish stew. The bread and aioli add body and flavor to the stock in the dish.
Fried Food Dipping Sauce
French fries have ketchup, chicken fried steak has gravy, and beer-battered fried asparagus has garlic aioli. Though this last pairing might not be the first to come to mind, chef Guy Fieri has a recipe showing that it should. His recipe combines crunchy, fried asparagus with a creamy, garlicky aioli spiked with cayenne pepper. The aioli adds moisture and flavor to the fried asparagus. Asparagus is not the only fried food with which aioli could be combined. Any fried food that would taste better with garlic can be dipped into aioli. Try fried fish with aioli instead of tartar sauce or use it as a dipping sauce for fried or steamed artichokes. Even french fries can be dipped into aioli creamier alternative to tomato ketchup.
Sandwich Spread
Update a regular BLT sandwich with a smear of aioli instead of mayonnaise, as the website Chow suggests. You can also replace the mayonnaise in a tuna salad recipe with aioli for a more robust-tasting sandwich filling. Pair aioli with your favorite meats and cheeses, especially drier, lean cuts of meat such as turkey or chicken breast or fish. Spread a fried fish sandwich with aioli instead of tartar sauce for a twist, or try it on a hamburger for a garlic-lovers improvement on plain mayonnaise.
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