Catalan garlic and oil sauce (Allioli)

1. Peel the garlic cloves, halve them and remove any green sprout (it would make it bitter).

2. Pound the garlic with a pinch of salt in a large mortar until you have a completely smooth, glossy paste.

3. Moving the pestle slowly in circles, always in the same direction, start adding the olive oil drop by drop – in the first few minutes literally just drops.

4. When the mixture starts to thicken and turn white, you can add the oil in a thin stream, but keep working steadily in the same direction until you have a thick, mayonnaise-like sauce (about 15 minutes).

5. If the sauce "breaks" (the oil separates), you can rescue it with a teaspoon of lukewarm water added drop by drop.

6. Serve at room temperature with rice dishes (fideuà, arroz negro), grilled meats, fish or potatoes.

Tip: Original allioli is made only from garlic, oil and salt, without egg – if you're a beginner, an egg yolk makes it foolproof, but then it's really "ajoaceite".