[Sca-cooks] aioli or allioli and mayon-naise

[Suey]

Ravaig wrote
> Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:50:53 -0400
>
>
> On Wed, 2008-04-30 at 23:31 -0400, ranvaig at columbus.rr.com wrote:
>   
>>> > >Fresh cod should be cooked in well salted water and if you want to 
>>> > >eat with white aillie of garlic and almonds, temper with vinegar and 
>>> > >fry in oil. Salted with mustard.
>>> > >
>>> > >Herring fresh and powdered with ail [ale? garlic sauce?]. Herring of 
>>> > >Gernemus with verjuice or with mustard. Fresh herring cooked in water 
>>> > >with hot pepper.
>>>       
Someone answered:
>
> > Could "aillie" and "ail" mean aioli?  I've heard that mayonnaise isn't period, I'm not sure if aioli is, but it could be a precursor.
>   

I think we could be sort of wagging the dog here... I had always heard
it said that aioli was so named for its garlic component. If we assume
something like "ail"= "garlic" [sauce], that might leave open the
possibility that "aillie"= "thick garlic" [sauce]. Which aioli generally
is, and which an almond-thickened garlic sauce would probably be,
compared to one without almonds.

Adamantius

Oioli is a sauce like mayonnaise. It is made today by thoroughly mashing 
garlic in a mortar and then mixing with one drop of olive oil at a time 
into it while constantly moving the pestle. The consistency is like 
mayonnaise. During the Middle Ages, almonds and breadcrumbs were mixed 
with it and it was dampened with a little broth. It is said to have 
originated in Provence. It was prepared especially for Provencal knights 
attending Suero de Quiñones' 1434 tournament in Leon.  Note, when this 
sauce was made for the Provencal knights, it was done on a clear day and 
outside the kitchen door for like mayonnaise, this garlic sauce cannot 
be made close to a fire or on stormy days because it will curdle. Today, 
/allioli/ continues to be made outside on sunny days.
It is said that mayonnaise was invented in Mahon (Mayon), the capital of 
Menorca, a Baleric Island which was under British rule at the time. As I 
do not study Spanish history after the 15th C I am only writing from 
memory as I have no notes. Anyway I believe it came about because the 
Duke of Richelieu tried conquering Mahon in 1756. It turned into a long 
battle and Richelieu's food sources dwindled down to eggs, lemon and 
olive oil. Risking his life the duke's chef mixed the ingredients. The 
duke loved it so much that he went home with his trophy, not the island, 
but the mayonnaise.
Suey