Grand Aioli Food

AIOLI

Steps:

• Place garlic and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, or in a blender. Pulse for 2 seconds. Add the egg yolk and lemon juice, and pulse on and off until blended. Turn on and begin adding the olive oil (pure first, then extra-virgin) in a thin stream. If it becomes too thick, thin it out with some room-temperature water and continue adding oil until you've used it all. Finish with pepper and (if necessary) a bit more salt.
• The reason for using 2/3 pure olive oil is to keep the flavor of the oil from becoming overpowering. This is a perfect example of how by using a fully-flavored extra virgin oil you can use much less, thereby saving money and getting better flavor.

LE GRAND AIOLI

Steps:

• On the night before you serve the grand aioli, gently season the cod with kosher salt on both sides; cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 400. Place beets in a small roasting pan. Coat the beets in 4 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the red-wine vinegar and 4 tablespoons water to the pan. Cover with foil, and roast until beets are tender, approximately 1 hour. Check beets halfway through cooking, and add more olive oil and water if the roasting pan looks dry. Remove beets from oven, and uncover the pan. Cover the beets with a clean kitchen towel, and let them stand at room temperature until cool enough to handle. Using the kitchen towel (or paper towels) to help you, rub off the outer skin of the beets. Peeling the beets while they are still quite warm makes the otherwise difficult task easy. Set aside the peeled beets until completely cool, then halve or quarter, depending on the size.
• Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water, and bring to a boil. Season aggressively with salt. In this case you want the water even saltier than the sea. It should nearly make you pucker when you taste it. Be sure to taste it!
• Lower the heat so that the water is at an energetic simmer. Add the potatoes, and cook until easily pierced with a skewer, approximately 12 minutes. Remove from the simmering water with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a sheet tray lined with a clean kitchen towel to cool.
• Add the green beans and wax beans to the simmering water, and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove using a slotted spoon, and transfer to the sheet tray to cool.
• Add the zucchini to the simmering water, and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon, and transfer to the sheet tray to cool.
• Turn the heat up on the pot of water, returning it to an aggressive boil. Gently lower the eggs into the boiling water using a slotted spoon, being careful not to crack their shells. Cook 10 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water, and peel them quickly under cool running tap water. Cut them in half lengthwise.
• Once the vegetables are cool, slice the potatoes in half. If the zucchini are very small, you can leave them whole, otherwise halve or quarter them lengthwise.
• Fill a large bowl with cold water, and drop in the radishes. Agitate the radishes to help shake loose any sand, then let it settle on the bottom of the bowl. Lift the radishes out, and set aside. Repeat this process 2 or 3 more times, using fresh water each time, until the radishes are clean and free of sand. Let dry, then halve or quarter, depending on their size.
• Cut the little gem lettuces in half, and drop into a large bowl of cold water. There should be enough room in the bowl so that the lettuces float easily in a single layer. Let stand for 5 minutes so that any sand drops to the bottom of the bowl, then gently lift the lettuces out, and set aside. Repeat this process 2 more times, using fresh water each time, until the lettuces are clean and free of sand. Pat dry or spin gently in a salad spinner.
• Scrub the mussels under running water, and debeard them. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high in a pot large enough to hold the mussels in a single layer. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the garlic, shallot, thyme sprigs and chile flakes. Let the aromatics toast, but not brown, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.
• Add the mussels, then pour in the wine. Cover the pot with a tightfitting lid, and steam 2 minutes. Check the mussels, and remove any that have opened to a platter. Continue cooking, removing each mussel as it opens so they do not overcook. Discard any that do not open after 10 minutes. Set mussels aside to cool.
• Arrange a steamer basket in a large pot, and fill with 1/2 inch of water; bring to a simmer. Arrange cod in steamer (cut into large pieces, if necessary), and cover with the lid or foil. Gently steam until just cooked through, about 7 minutes. Remove the cod from the steamer, and set aside to cool.
• Grate the garlic into the bowl of a food processor using a microplane. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of water and a generous pinch of kosher salt. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil. The aioli will start to thicken and emulsify after a few minutes. If the aioli is too thick, add another tablespoon of water to loosen. Taste the aioli, and adjust for seasoning, adding more salt, lemon juice or microplaned garlic, as needed.
• On several large platters arrange all the beautiful ingredients in neat but loose bundles. Serve with the aioli for dipping.

GRAND AIOLI

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a medium pot; add cold water to cover by 1". Season with salt, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are fork-tender, 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl of ice water and chill until cold, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and pat dry, reserving bowl of ice water.
• Meanwhile, bring another medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook until crisp-tender, 2-4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beans to ice water; reserve hot water in pot. Chill beans until cold, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and pat dry, reserving bowl of ice water.
• Return water in green bean pot to a boil, carefully add eggs, and cook 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to ice water; reserve hot water in pot. Chill eggs until cold, about 5 minutes. Peel; set aside, reserving bowl of ice water.
• Return water to a boil, add shrimp, and cook just until pink, about 3 minutes. Transfer to ice water and chill until cold, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and pat dry.
• Meanwhile, pulse garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add egg yolks, lemon juice, and mustard; season with salt, then process to combine. With the motor running, slowly pour in grapeseed oil a few drops at a time. After about 1/4 cup has been added, scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Continue to add grapeseed oil with the motor running, then add olive oil and process until combined. If sauce is too thick, add water 1 Tbsp. at a time. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice, if needed.
• Transfer aioli to a serving bowl. Arrange potatoes, green beans, shrimp, halved eggs, endive, romaine, radishes, cucumbers, and tomatoes on a platter and serve alongside.
• Do Ahead
• Potatoes, green beans, and eggs can be cooked 2 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill. Aioli can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.

GRAND AIOLI

Steps:

• Combine egg yolks, mustard, garlic, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl set on top of a kitchen towel laid across a small heavy pot (this setup will anchor the bowl while you whisk so you have a free hand for pouring). Whisking constantly, add oil to egg mixture, starting with just a few drops and gradually increasing amount to a fine steady stream. Stop adding if there is any unincorporated oil in the bowl; going slow is key. Keep whisking until emulsified, then whisk in lemon juice. Taste and season aioli with more salt if needed. Serve with vegetables and proteins of choice.

LE GRAND AIOLI

Steps:

• The salt cod needs to soak in fresh cold water in the refrigerator for 24 hours. The water should be changed several times. Remove from the water and break into pieces. The rest of the components of the platter can be started a day in advance as well. Start with the aioli by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the bulb of garlic in a piece of aluminum foil with a few drops of olive oil. Bake for about 30 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool completely and then squeeze out the garlic into a mixing bowl. Add the egg yolk and slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and put in the refrigerator.
• The day of you picnic, simply make sure all the vegetables are in bite size pieces. For the artichoke, clean and cut in half lengthwise. Rub with olive oil and place on a hot grill for about 5 minutes.
• *RAW EGG WARNING
• Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

LE GRAND AIOLI

Steps:

• Mince garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add egg yolks, a pinch of salt, and mustard; process to combine. With machine running, slowly pour in about half the canola oil through the feed tube, a few drops at a time. Stop to make sure the sauce is thickening, and scrape sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Add 4 teaspoons lemon juice. Resume processing; slowly pour in remaining canola oil and the olive oil. Season with salt and remaining lemon juice, and add the water; process 10 seconds more. If serving immediately, transfer to serving bowls.

GRAND GREEN AIOLI

Steps:

• Prepare the vegetables: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add edamame and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer edamame to a bowl and cover to keep warm. Fill a bowl with ice water if using green beans, asparagus or snap peas. Add green beans and asparagus to the boiling water and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Cook snap peas, if using, for 1 minute, adding to the green beans and asparagus during the last minute of cooking. Drain and transfer vegetables to the ice water to cool, then drain again. Other vegetables should be served raw.
• Make the aioli: In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the egg yolks, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper and ¼ cup water. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and safflower oil until well blended. Add the parsley and purée until smooth. Transfer the aioli to a bowl. It can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• Arrange the vegetables and lettuce leaves on a large serving platter. Serve with the edamame and aioli.