I got this idea from the BLT that is served at Choice Market in Clinton Hill. I think years ago it was featured on some Food Network show, and I remember being very intrigued that the sandwich had basil aioli that was made in house on it. Originally I'd hoped to make basil aioli to pair with a chicken salad recipe I was trying to develop, but instead I realized you could simply grill the chicken and make a sandwich, and then use this dressing on anything else you liked, like, say, a BLT.
I sort of hacked this together from a recipe that was originally posted by Self Proclaimed Foodie. Their recipe was really great, but I thought it needed more basil and I didn't want to use canola oil, so I opted for all extra virgin olive oil, which might be too strong for some peoples taste. I also reduced the amount of garlic because I wanted to get as much basil flavor as I could infused into my aioli. If you want to add more garlic, go for it!
- 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup fresh basil
- 1 minced clove of garlic
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Place basil, garlic, yolks, lemon juice, and salt in food processor. Pulse to combine.
- Turn processor on and slowly pour in olive oil mixed with the vegetable oil. Process until aioli forms, about a minute. Turn processor off, scrap sides, process again until combined.
- Serve immediately or store in air tight container in refrigerator until ready to use. Makes approximately one cup.