Green Goddess Grand Aioli
Whether you’re looking for a show-stopping party bite or an effortless dinner on a steamy summer night, this classic Provençal meal is one of my favorites. The silky, rather garlicky mayonnaise is blended with a mix of tender green herbs and a dab of anchovy paste for a Green Goddess-inspired dip. Serve it with a platter of vibrant peak-season produce, steamed seafood like mussels or plump shrimp and a few ever-so-undercooked hard boiled eggs. Lay the whole spread out on the table with some good crusty bread and a chilled bottle (or two) of wine and you’ll be summering just like the French do.
Makes 1 1/2 cups; serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer
Aioli
1 cup loosely packed mixed herbs (such as tarragon, dill, parsley, basil and mint)
2 large egg yolks (see Note)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 1 jarred anchovy fillet
1 garlic clove, finely grated
½ cup neutral oil, such as vegetable or grapeseed oil
½ cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dippers (for serving)
Chilled vegetables (such as blanched green beans, blanched asparagus, radishes, cucumber spears, carrot sticks, gem lettuces, cherry tomatoes and boiled fingerling potatoes)
Steamed tail-on jumbo shrimp and/or mussels
Halved hard-boiled eggs (see Note)
In a blender, puree the herbs, egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard, anchovy paste and garlic until almost smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
With the blender running, slowly stream in both oils until the aioli is thick and smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape the aioli into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare your dippers.
On a large platter, arrange cut up raw and blanched vegetables, halved hard-boiled eggs and cooked seafood around the bowl of aioli. Serve at room temperature.
NOTE
If you are concerned about the raw egg yolks in the aioli, pasteurized eggs are a safer alternative. Or you can skip the eggs and olive oil all together and use store-bought mayonnaise. In a food processor, puree the herbs, lemon juice, mustard, anchovy paste and garlic with 1 cup of mayonnaise until smooth.
For the perfect hard-boiled egg, bring a medium pot of water to a steady boil. Gently lower in 4 to 6 large eggs and cook for 10 minutes over moderately-high heat. Transfer to an ice bath and let cool for 2 minutes. Drain and peel while still warm.