Creole Aioli Recipes

CRAB CAKES WITH CREOLE MUSTARD AIOLI AND GRILLED CORN, RED ONION & RED PEPPER SALAD

Steps:

• For the crab cakes: To a large bowl, add the mayonnaise, Creole mustard, Worcestershire sauce, seafood seasoning, egg, lemon zest and juice and chives. Mix thoroughly to combine. Add the saltine cracker crumbs. Add the crabmeat. Gently fold the crab into the mixture, being careful not to break up the meat too much.
• Form the mixture into four equal-sized crab cakes. Preheat a large saute pan over medium-high heat with some canola oil until it shimmers. Gently place the crab cakes into the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
• For the salad: Preheat a grill pan over high heat. Place the corn and onions onto the grill pan and grill until charred, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip, then cook until charred and the onions are softened, another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the corn kernels from the cobs and dice the grilled onions. Set aside.
• Place the red bell pepper onto an open flame on your stovetop. Cook, flipping occasionally, until completely black and charred, about 5 minutes. (If you don't have a gas stovetop, you can broil the pepper in the oven on high, turning occasionally, until charred.) Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam until the skin pulls away, about 10 minutes. Remove the skin from the bell pepper and rinse under water to ensure all of the black char is removed. Remove the stem, ribs and seeds from the roasted pepper and dice.
• To a large bowl, add the corn kernels, onions, roasted peppers, cilantro, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes and kosher salt to taste. Toss to combine. In a separate bowl, add the arugula, lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and kosher salt to taste. Toss to combine.
• For the aioli: To a bowl, add the mayonnaise, Creole mustard, cornichons, cornichon juice, shallots and kosher salt to taste. Mix to combine.
• To serve, place the arugula onto each plate and nestle some of the corn, red onion and red pepper salad next to it. Top with a crab cake and drizzle some of the aioli around the crab cake. Enjoy!

AIOLI

Steps:

• Whether or not you are using a mortar and pestle for the mayonnaise, begin by mashing the garlic and salt together in a mortar and pestle. Mash to a smooth paste.
• Using the mortar and pestle (for egg yolks only; this is the traditional method, and will result in a very silky, creamy aioli if you do it correctly): Add the egg yolks to the mortar and beat with the pestle until smooth. Measure the grapeseed oil into a measuring cup with a spout, and drip by drip, work the oil into the egg yolks, gently but constantly stirring in one direction with the pestle. As the mayonnaise begins to emulsify, you can start adding the oil in a steady stream, but the stream must be a thin one, and you must stir constantly but not too fast. Once you have a good emulsion, you can scrape the mixture into a bowl and continue with a whisk if it's easier for you. It helps to rest the bowl on a damp towel shaped into a ring. Use up the grapeseed oil first, since it makes a better emulsion than olive oil, then continue with the olive oil. I find that once the egg yolks and oil are emulsified, it's easiest to drizzle in a tablespoonful of oil while beating, stop drizzling and really beat hard to work it in, then continue with another tablespoonful. When all of the oil has been added and the mayonnaise is thick, taste and adjust salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Using a food processor: Place the egg yolks or egg and egg white in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Turn it on, and begin drizzling in the grapeseed oil, then the olive oil, in a thin stream. Some food processors have little holes in the plungers meant for controlling the flow of oil into the mayonnaise. When all of the oil has been added, stop the processor and scrape in the garlic paste. Process for a few seconds, until the paste is well blended into the mixture. Taste and adjust salt. Refrigerate until ready to use. The mayonnaise will be thinner than the mortar and pestle version.

REAL AIOLI

Steps:

• Place garlic slices in a mortar with kosher salt. Mash with the pestle into a fine paste, 4 or 5 minutes. Mix in lemon juice. Add a teaspoon of olive oil; stir and mash until oil is incorporated. Add another teaspoon and mix in thoroughly. Continue incorporating olive oil, teaspoon by teaspoon, mashing and stirring until aioli thickens up. If the aioli gets thicker than you like, add a few drops of water.

CREOLE AIOLI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take a piece of aluminum foil about 12 inches long and fold it in half. Place the garlic in the center, and drizzle with olive oil. Fold the foil around the cloves to form a sealed packet. Roast the packet until the cloves are soft and a deep brown color, about 20 minutes. Mash the cooked cloves to a smooth paste. (If you wish to make extra garlic paste, it can be stored in a jar, covered with oil and refrigerated, for about a week.)
• In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 teaspoon garlic paste with the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Store refrigerated.