Chipotle Aioli

Printable version

The first time I ever tried chipotle aioli was at my favorite beer joint in Astoria, Queens called Sunswick. I would always ask for a side of it when I ordered their chicken tenders. I liked dipping the crispy tender into the smoky goodness before each bite. For years I made a homemade version by mixing minced chipotle pepper with mayonnaise. It was always tasty but it was never as good as what I had eaten at the Sunswick.

Recently I had a couple of chipotle peppers left over from another recipe – which is typical. I always seem to have a third of the can or more leftover every time I use them and they usually end up getting thrown away after a month in the fridge. Instead of letting the chipotle peppers go to waste I made it a point to use them. I decided it was time to make a chipotle aioli from scratch, not the easy chipotle mayo version I’d been making for years.

I made regular garlic aioli sometime ago that was inspired by a version from Cook’s Illustrated, it was ok, but after making it, I thought the olive oil the recipe called for wasn’t the right choice. I decided I would throw out any health conscious whims and use vegetable oil for the this aioli along with a few other modifications including the addition of two tablespoons of miced chipotle peppers.

When it was all said and done, I really loved the flavor of this aioli, it took me back to the tasty chipotle aioli I enjoyed at the Sunswick.

I realized the Sunswick was making it from scratch, which is why my previous attempts of chipotle mayo were never quit as tasty as the aioli. If you have a few chipotles left in the bottom of a can I highly recommend trying this for a spread, or do what I did with this batch - use it as a dipping sauce for fries.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Chipotle Aioli

It’s hard to believe that it has been over three years since I moved from New York City and enjoyed the chipotle aioli at the Sunswick. There are times when I really miss New York but I have to admit leaving was the best choice I have ever made. I've grown creatively, spiritually and best of all – reconnected with my family.

There may be a point in my life where I decide to reside in the Big Apple once again because I will always have a soft spot for it. I didn’t leave because of New York itself, I left to explore the place I grew up and to try and reinvent myself professionally. I feel like I have (with a long way to go yet) and I’m more inspired than ever to keep creating, it’s gotten me this far and I can’t wait to see where it will take me in the future.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Chipotle aioli

Makes 1 cup; 5 minutes
2 Egg yolks
1 Tbs Lemon juice
1 tsp Garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp sugar
2 Tbs Chipotle in adobo, minced
3/4 C Vegetable oil

Make aioli in processor
Place yolks, lemon juice, sugar, garlic, chipotle, salt and pepper to taste in a food processor. Pulse to combine ingredients. Turn processor on and slowly drizzle in oil. Once all the oil has been incorporated and aioli forms, stop processor and scrap down sides. Turn on for another few seconds more, remove and place in a bowl for service.

Bacon Aioli

My last post was of a basic garlic aioli from Cook’s Illustrated. It was the first step in recreating a bacon aioli I had tried with french fries at Box Frites, a concessions stand at Citifield, home of the New York Mets. I wasn't hoping to recreate the sauce exactly, really, I just wanted to make a good bacon sauce.

I thought that it would be easy to change out a few ingredients and make the aioli from Cook's Illustrated in a completely different way.

WRONG.

My changes to the recipe were to eliminate the garlic then add bacon and some of the drippings. I first tried making it by throwing everything in the processor at once. The drippings screwed with the science of the aioli and the oil never emulsified. That meant the first batch went into the garbage.

During the second attempt, I emulsified everything into an aioli, then added the bacon and drippings. So I basically made the aioli from the original recipe without the garlic. This was alright except that I used an olive oil that I don’t usually use because I ran out of my Felippo Berio brand. The less than stellar flavor of the oil and the missing garlic were noticeable. The overall batch wasn’t bad, but it wasn't great either.

That’s when I realized I needed to make the aioli according to the directions of Cook’s Illustrated, like I had originally, with good olive oil and mix in the bacon and drippings after the it was processed.

If it ain’t broke then don’t fix it!

I was hoping to invent a new sauce, but in the end I took a really good recipe from a trusted source and added bacon. I won’t use this for my print column or in a book of original recipes but it did make for a tasty sauce to dip some fries in.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Makes 3/4 cup; 5 minutes
2 Egg yolks
4 tsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Garlic, finely minced
1/8 tsp sugar
3/4 C Olive oil
4 strips Bacon diced
2 Tbs Bacon drippings reserved

Make aioli in processor
Place yolks, lemon juice, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper to taste in a food processor. Pulse to combine ingredients. Turn processor on and slowly drizzle oil in. Once all the oil has been incorporated and aioli forms stop processor and scrap down sides.

Add Bacon
In a pan over medium heat cook bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve two tablespoons of drippings from pan and let cool slightly. Add bacon and drippings to processor and pulse until combined with aioloi. Remove to a bowl for serving.

Garlic Aioli

I've been wanting to make aioli for quite a while. Back in the summer of 2009 Citi Field, home of the New York Mets opened in Queens. The famed Shae stadium had closed the season before. The new park featured a food court that could rival any stadium in the country.

One of the concession stands was a french fry shack called Box Frites that featured different types of dipping sauce including yummy flavors named Ballpark Mayo, Bacon Aioli, Bleu Cheese and Chipotle Ketchup. I eventually tried them all and one stood out – Bacon Aioli. Which was what it's name suggests – a bacon infused mayonnaise. Yum!

One night I got a little container of it to take home with me so that I could try and recreate it for a weekend project. Once my buddy and I got back to the neighborhood we went to our favorite bar called Sunswick. After a few beers, and a decent buzz, I decided it was time to call it a night. I left the bar only to realize in the morning that I had forgot the sauce at the bar. My project was bust.

Recently, I purchased Cook’s Illustrated's new book and found a recipe for garlic aioli. I instantly thought about my lost sauce from Citi Field. I now had a mission. The first step to making the bacon aioli would be to make the recipe in the book. I have never made aioli, so I needed a starting point.

I followed the recipe exactly. I must say I was impressed. I had it on a turkey sandwich for lunch and a sausage patty at dinner. It was creamy with a fresh flavor unlike any mayo from a jar. I loved how the lemon juice brightened up and enhanced the taste. Also, it was easy! Cleaning up was more difficult a task than making it. I don’t know if I’ll ever buy mayo again.

I liked the recipe so much that I thought I should share it. Now I'm going back to the kitchen to work on my very own bacon aioli - stay tuned.

BEHIND THIS BITE

Adapted from:
Cook’s Illustrated
The Science of Good Cooking
Aioli (Garlic mayonnaise)
Page 317, Concept 36: Emulsifiers Make Smooth Sauce

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Makes 3/4 cup; 5 minutes
2 Egg yolks
4 tsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Garlic, finely minced
1/8 tsp sugar
3/4 C Olive oil

Make aioli
In processor place yolks, lemon juice, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Pulse to combine ingredients. Turn processor on, slowly drizzle oil in. Once all the oil has been incorporated and aioli forms stop processor and scrap down sides. Turn on for another few seconds, remove and place in a bowl for service.

Rosemary-thyme aioli
Cook’s Illustrated says to add one teaspoon of fresh minuced rosemary and one teaspoon fresh minced thyme with the garlic to create an herb aioli great with grilled meats and vegetables.