Aioli: Artery Clogger of the Gods

Since the weather here is simply stunning right now, we decided to barbecue and eat outside last night.  Sometimes when we grill I have a hard time picking out what to make because I like so many things, but yesterday Dean suggested we just make deluxe burgers and I'm so glad he did!  We served the burgers with extra sharp New Zealand grass-fed cheddar cheese (on mine only of course) applewood smoked bacon and plenty of homemade chipotle bbq sauce. And yes, we had some honeydew melon on the side so as not to be complete carnivores. 

Since we were eating deluxe burger fare, I figured I would also try to recreate one of my favorites from our local Zin Burger.  They serve french fries with truffle oil aioli, and I can never get enough of it.  My heart may be clogged, but it is very happy whenever I eat those fries!  Truffle oil is a bit out of my league expense wise, (unless any of you dear readers know something I don't) so I figured I'd start with just regular old aioli which I'd never made before. 

I had seen a recipe for it in my America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, and figured I'd start there.  I have to admit, I'm usually a bit underwhelmed by ATK.  I know, I know it is practically sacrilege to admit that on a food blog, but it's true.  Maybe it's the hype about it, maybe it's the fact that they include a recipe for chili mac in their cookbook-(do people really need recipes for that?) or maybe it's the recipes that I've tried that have been just okay, and not worth the work required.  In spite of all this, I think ATK redeemed itself for me with their aioli.  (Or maybe aioli is just outstanding regardless.)  Their recipe was quick easy and delicious!  I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out beautifully.  It was quite amazing actually, in 15 seconds or less, eggs, lemon juice, garlic and some olive oil were magically transformed into a luxurious, creamy delight.  It was like magic.  Try it out people- I promise, (as always) that you won't be disappointed.

Here's the ATK recipe I used:
2 large egg yolks
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon (I didn't measure) sugar
3/4 cup olive oil- using extra virgin olive oil was not recommended, but it was all I had on hand so I went for it.  I think regular olive oil would be superior, but in a pinch the extra virgin was ok.

Process the egg yolks, lemon juice, garlic and sugar in a food processor until combined, about 10 seconds.  With the machine running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, about 30 seconds.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process 5 seconds longer.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  I also added a splash of lemon juice and grated parmesan & romano cheese to the top of mine before serving it, similar to what I'd seen at Zin Burger and it was excellent! Enjoy the creamy goodness!

Ps- since the aioli was an unplanned discovery, I regret that I do not have any pictures for this post. Try it out and see how it looks for yourself! :)