What You Need to Know
The technique involves slowly pouring olive oil into a mixture of lemon juice and garlic while whisking, creating a stable emulsion through the formation of a complex network of lipids and proteins. The key variables are temperature, pH, and the ratio of oil to lemon juice.
This technique is unique to Ligurian cuisine, where it is used to create a variety of vinaigrettes and sauces, such as salsa alla ligure.
Steps
- 1.
Salsa alla Ligure (Genoa, Italy): Forms the base for this classic Ligurian sauce combining emulsified oil with garlic and herbs
- 2.
Trofie al Pesto (Liguria, Italy): Emulsion principle applied to create the creamy texture in traditional pesto
- 3.
Vitello Tonnato Sauce (Piedmont, Italy): Adapted technique creates the velvety tuna-mayonnaise emulsion
The Science
Primary Reaction
Emulsification