Horseradish Aioli

I really hate store-bought mayonnaise. I don't think I've ever bought a jar of it. The homemade stuff can be alright, though, as long as it has something going for it. This one does, and would make a good condiment to something that needs both richness and bite.

Use extra virgin olive oil if you like the strong taste that it gives. (I do.) For something less intense, use a milder variety of olive oil.

UPDATE 4/21/2008: Remember that garlic varies greatly in pungency. 3-5 cloves is meant to be emphatically garlicky. Adjust to tastes.

Thanks to eHow for the basic recipe I've used here.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 4 tsp. spicy (brown) mustard
• 3-5 garlic cloves (about 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp. chopped)
• 1 tbsp. chopped horseradish
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4. tsp. salt
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put the egg yolks, garlic, mustard and horseradish into the blender. Run on low for about 1 minute.
2. With the blender still on low, remove the plastic stopper at the top of the blender and very gradually add the olive oil. If your blender doesn't have a stopper, shut off the blender, add a couple tablespoons of oil, put the cover back on and turn it back on. This should take 2-3 minutes at least.
3. Add the lemon juice and salt. Continue running the blender on low for another minute or until the contents develop a thick, foamy consistency.

Use wherever you might have used mayonnaise.