I've always thought mayo was one of those food items that had no place in proper cooking. You used it to slap on sandwiches and that's about it.
But when I went to Spain and started experiencing their cuisine, I realized the local version of it, called aioli or allioli depending on the type, was a big part of the cuisine. A touch of it goes a long way in many delicious dishes.
My mom explained in the old days if you wanted to make a potato salad or something of that sort, you'd whip up some home made mayo, and I suppose this is the same principle.
By making it at home, you can control the salt level, forgo preservatives and also ensure that you're using quality oil. This recipe calls for using raw garlic and a fair amount to boot. Cut back a bit on it if you're not really a garlic fan.
Allioli is one of the ingredients in the stuffed zucchini's I made for this week's food page recipe.
Here's how to make it according to Anya von Bremzen's The New Spanish Table
Basic one-cup allioli
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup peanut or canola oil (vegetable, safflower or any other light oil is fine)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 large egg yolks
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Sea salt or kosher salt
Stir together both oils in a measuring cup with a spout. Place the garlic, egg yolks and lemon in a blender or food processor and pulse until combined in a coarse paste.
With the motor running, add the oil in a slow, thin steady stream. The mixture will be the consistency of a thick mayonnaise.
Scrape the allioli into a bowl and season with salt to taste and add more lemon juice if desired. Let stand for at least one hour before serving and cover and refrigerate when not using. It should keep in the fridge for three days.
In addition to being used in the zucchini dish, my dad really liked the taste of the allioli as an alternative to tartar sauce with a fish dish.