Entree: France – Provence – Aïoli Garni (Platter of boiled vegetables, seafood or salted fish, and eggs served with garlicky mayonnaise)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 40 min

Cook 25 min

Total 1 hr 5 min

Ingredients

- For the aioli:
  - 2 large egg yolks
  - 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  - 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
  - 1 cup (240 ml) extra‑virgin olive oil
  - 2 tbsp (30 ml) light olive oil or neutral oil (optional, to temper flavor)
  - Salt to taste
- For the platter:
  - 1 lb (450 g) salted cod (morue), soaked 24–36 hours with several changes of cold water, drained
  - 1 lb (450 g) small new potatoes, scrubbed
  - 8 oz (225 g) green beans, trimmed
  - 1 small head cauliflower, about 1 lb (450 g), broken into florets
  - 4 large eggs
  - 1 lemon, cut into wedges
  - Fresh flat‑leaf parsley for garnish
  - Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare the salt cod: after soaking and draining, place the cod in a saucepan, cover with fresh cold water, bring to a gentle simmer and poach for 8–10 minutes until just cooked through; remove, flake into large pieces and keep warm. Reserve a little cooking liquid.
2. Cook the vegetables and eggs: simmer the potatoes in salted water until tender, 12–15 minutes; add the cauliflower and green beans for the final 5–7 minutes so all are tender but not mushy. In the same pot or a separate one, hard‑boil the eggs to desired doneness (about 10 minutes for hard‑boiled). Drain and cool vegetables briefly.
3. Make the aioli: in a bowl, mash the crushed garlic with a pinch of salt to form a paste. Whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice until smooth and pale. Very slowly, drop by drop at first, whisk in the olive oil until an emulsion forms; continue adding oil in a thin stream until thick and glossy. If desired, add the light oil near the end to soften flavor. Taste and adjust salt and lemon.
4. Assemble: arrange potatoes, cauliflower, green beans, flaked cod and halved hard‑boiled eggs on a large platter. Spoon a generous bowl of aioli in the center. Garnish with parsley, lemon wedges and a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately, using aioli as a dip for the components.