How to Make Parsley Basil Aioli

This variation of aioli, or garlic mayonnaise, uses fresh parsley and basil to give it both a refreshingly herbal taste and a bright green color. This recipe makes about a cup of sauce and can be made with raw egg yolks or prepared mayonnaise.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 2/3 cup olive (not virgin) oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustards
• 2-3 pinches white pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 lemons
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 3-4 tbsps fresh parsley (roughly)

1. Place the garlic and oil in a blender or food processor and blend them together until the garlic is completely pureed into the oil.
2. Pour out as much of the oil as you can and reserve, scraping the inside of the bowl with a spatula.
3. Place the yolks and mustard together in the bowl and pulse them together 3-4 times. Don't let the machine run too long or the blades will heat up and the mixture will separate.
4. With the reserved garlic oil ready, start the machine running on low speed and drizzle in about a third of the oil in a very slow, thin, steady stream. (If using a food processor, keep the white insert in the feed tube; it has a hole in the bottom that lets the oil dribble in at the perfect rate.) Shut off the machine.
5. Add the parsley and basil, pulse them together, then repeat step four with the remaining oil.
6. Squeeze in the juice from half the lemon, and season well with salt and black and white pepper.

Tips & Warnings

• This sauce goes well with virtually any seafood or light poultry dish. It is especially good on shellfish and fried appetizers.
• You can substitute many herbs instead of the parsley or basil, especially softer ones that blend well, like cilantro and tarragon. Sturdier herbs, like fresh thyme and oregano, should be pureed as finely as possible before they're added to the mixture.
• Without a blender or food processor, mince the garlic and herbs as finely as possible, and whisk the sauce together in a bowl. Add the oil very slowly so the mixture doesn't break.
• To make the sauce without the raw egg yolk, puree the garlic, mustard and herbs in about a third of a cup of olive oil, pureeing as finely as possible, then add the lemon juice and mix the mixture into about half a cup or so of prepared commercial mayonnaise.