Provençal Aioli Platter
Serves 8 to 12
Roasted Garlic Aioli
- ½ cup peeled garlic cloves
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (about ¼ bunch)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¾ cup high-quality mayonnaise, homemade or purchased
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Pinch of cayenne
Accompaniments
- ½ pound frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted and rinsed under cold water
- ½ pound each: green beans and/or wax beans, stems trimmed
- 2 to 3 carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into long sections
- 1 pound young beets, preferably gold and red (or ready-to-use roasted beets)
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cut into thin wedges and soaked in ice water with lemon juice
- 1 pound small gold potatoes, halved or quartered if larger
- 6 hard-cooked eggs, quartered
Poached Fish
- ½ cup dry white wine
- Bay leaves, sprigs of thyme, a few peppercorns and fennel seeds
- ½ lemon
- 2 pounds fish steak preferably on the bone such as cod, halibut, hake, salmon, or black cod
- Prepare the Aioli: Combine all but 2 of the garlic cloves, oil, and thyme in a small pot and cook over medium heat, shaking often, until the garlic begins to turn golden. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
- Mash, crush, or use a garlic press to reduce the 2 garlic cloves to a fine consistency. Transfer both kinds of garlic to a food processor and purée to a fine paste. Add the vinegar, mayonnaise, salt, and cayenne. Process again until smooth. Taste for seasoning. (The aioli will keep well for 3 weeks if tightly covered and refrigerated.)
- Prepare the Veggies: In a vegetable steamer basket over boiling water, steam the green and wax beans for 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender but still brightly colored. Lift out the steamer basket and rinse the beans under cold running water.
- Set the steamer up again, adding enough water to the pot to reach a depth of at least 1 inch. Trim off the beet greens, if any, leaving about 1 inch of stems attached to the tops. (Be careful not to cut into the root end of the beets or they will bleed and lose much of their bright magenta color.) Steam the whole beets for 30 to 20 40 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. When cool enough to handle, rub the skins off the warm beets and trim off the root ends. (To prevent staining, wear rubber gloves and cut the beets on a nonporous surface.) Cut into wedges and reserve.
- Bring a medium pot of water to the boil and add salt to taste. Add the potatoes, bring back to the boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until tender when pierced, about 15 minutes. Drain and reserve.
- Poach the fish: Combine the white wine, herbs, lemon half, and enough water to cover the fish. Season with salt and bring the liquid to the boil. Add the fish and bring back to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the fish flakes, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly in the broth and then drain. Pull out and discard the center bones in each piece. If desired, strain the broth, cool, and refrigerate or freeze for fish soup. (I made a soup with the leftover fish and cut-up vegetables, combined with the broth, and served with garlic croutes.)
- Transfer the aioli to a small bowl. On a large platter, arrange the vegetables, eggs, and fish in an attractive pattern, with the bowl of aioli in the center for dipping. Serve at room temperature.
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