Philippe Rispoli’s French Picnic
The day I was at his PB Boulangerie Bistro in South Wellfleet, Philippe Rispoli told me, “My wife, daughter and I usually like to relax on my day off. I prepare everything ahead of time, fill a basket, and then head to the beach. For starters, I like a crudite using summer’s vegetables, radishes, zucchini, cucumber and whatever is available in the market. I like serving it with a simple aioli dipping sauce. For the main course, a nice roast chicken and potatoes. All this is served with a French rose. For dessert we have my individual strawberry tarts from our bakery.”
Chef Rispoli's Aioli with Saffron
This can be a dipping sauce, or served with fish, or dolloped on a French Bouillabaisse.
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, green center removed
- Salt to taste
- 2 free-range organic egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Pinch saffron
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil*
- 1 tablespoon boiling water
Preparation
Mince the garlic and salt together on a chopping board to make a paste: tilt the knife at a 30-degree angle to the board and drag it over the garlic and salt mixture, scraping it across the surface of the board. Pile up the garlic again, and scrape again. Repeat 3 to 4 times until the garlic is a smooth paste. Set aside.
In a blender combine the eggs, lemon juice, garlic mixture, cayenne and saffron. With the machine running on medium speed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. This process must be done very slowly to allow the mixture to emulsify and thicken. When all the oil has been added, and the aioli is thick, taste and add boiling water. This stabilizes the mixture.
Place in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
*For a lighter aioli, use half grape seed or corn oil, and half olive oil.
