Lovage Aioli

Lovage is a lesser known herb that resembles parsley when young, but with a lighter color. The beautifully pointy leaves omit a fresh, celery-like scent, which explains why the herb earned the nickname "false celery." That’s not its only relation to the crisp, green veggie. The seeds of the lovage plant are known as celery seed.

Lovage tastes like celery, with undertones of parsley and a hint of anise. It's mild enough to use with fish and poultry, but has just enough spice to make it interesting.  This sauce can be adjusted to a thicker consistency by adding more oil to make it a dip.  Trust us, you’ll want to put it on everything!

For more information about Lovage google “Lovage uses and benefits”.  Enjoy!

 Ingredients

• ¼ cup fresh lovage leaves and tender stems
• 1 large egg yolk (raw is preferred; you can use a hard-boiled yolk if you like, but it will only last a day or two)
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt to taste
• 1 medium fresh garlic clove
• 2 Tablespoons of cold water
• 1 cup of Avocado oil; add an extra 1/3-1/2 cup to make a dip/spread

Optional additions

• 1 Tablespoon Dijon or other mustard
• 1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger
• 1 Teaspoon hot pepper, like habanero or jalapeno

Method

• Bring a pot of water to a boil, and add the lovage for a few seconds until just wilted then remove to a bowl filled with cold water. Squeeze dry, chop roughly and reserve.
• Add the egg yolk, lovage, water, salt, lemon juice, garlic, and any optional ingredients to a food processor.
• Working slowly, carefully drizzle the oil in a thin, steady stream. Once the blades start to purée the mixture you can add the oil in a thicker stream.
• Don’t over blend the mixture by pouring the oil too slow. You want an even, steady stream.  If the aioli gets warm in the processor, you’ll lose the bright green color.
• When all of the oil has been added, the sauce should thicken, but still be pourable. If you want a thicker aioli to use as a dip or spread, you can add up to another half cup of avocado oil.
• Store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container like a jar. You can place the jar of aioli in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes to ensure it stays that bright green color.
• This sauce is delicious over fish, chicken, veggies, or as a dip for chips/crudité.