Jason Stanhope’s Le Grand Aioli.

Who better than chef of Charleston hotspot, FIG, to whip up inspo for a summer bite that’ll bring your tastebuds joy and make your toes curl? Get your veggies ready, and let’s do it up - the Stanhope way.

Jason Stanhope

“The pinnacle of abundance and entertaining. The Le Grand Aioli is meant to be a guideline for inspiration, rather than a strict recipe. This is closely related to a crudites platter and has familiar correlations to something communal like a Lowcountry Boil. This is a vehicle for the season, your pantry and your garden. The center piece is the soft, garlicky aioli. A refined mayonnaise. A perfect sauce. The supporting roles are chilled or room temperature vegetables and proteins. This dish can be prepared and assembled early or even days in advance, so you can be present in the moment with guests and family. For me it’s a chance to use fancy antique china, sip chilled delicious juice and eat with my fingers. “

“The following is snapshot of what is exciting to me, right now, in Charleston. Go crazy with herbs, shellfish and pickles. When selecting ingredients for the Le Grand Aioli more is more. For the preparation less is more. Raw, poached and blanched are generally the best choices, but don’t be afraid to grill or roast. “

Blanched Young Leeks from Spade and Clover

Skillet Okra from Nat Bradford

Heirloom Tomatoes from Grandfather Mountain

Sungold Tomatoes from Spade and Clover

Gem Lettuce from Vertical Roots

English Cucumbers from Kurious Farms

Marinated Shiitake Mushrooms from Rebecca Farms

Bravo Radish from Lowland Farms

Heirloom Carrots from Lowland Farms

Poached Butterball Potatoes from Rosebank Farms

Herbs from my garden

Boiled Eggs from my chickens

Poached White Shrimp from Tarvin Seafood

Roasted Pork Loin from Keegan-Filion Farms

Toasted Tiller Levain

Aioli and Garlic Confit

What to do with these:

LEEKS - Split the leeks ¾’s of the way down. Wash and tie them with twine. Blanch in salted boiling water for approx. 3 minutes. Shock in ice water and set aside to drain.
OKRA – Cook over high heat in a cast iron skillet with a small splash of neutral oil. Once they are in the pan, add some salt and don’t move them. Allow them to char for 30 seconds. Give them a quick toss, remove them from the pan and toss with olive oil and lots of sea salt. This high heat, low-fat cooking method should prevent the okra from becoming slimy.
TOMATO – Slice or wedge with the sharpest knife you have. Just before serving, season with sea salt and black pepper. We never store tomatoes in the refrigerator!
LETTUCE – Peel and wash the leaves. Store cold and a ziplock bag or covered container.
CUCUMBERS – Wash and cut into spears.
SHIITAKE – Gently saute on med heat with plenty of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Before they are done deglaze your pan with your favorite vinegar. I love to use a good Japanese rice wine vinegar.
RADISH – Wash and slice.
CARROTS – When they are young and tender like these, you only have to wash them.
POTATOES – Freshly dug are always, preferable. In the off season, commodity fingerlings are my favorite. I like to poach them in salted water with a couple bay leaves. Cook till tender.
EGGS – Bring water to a boil. Drop in room temperature eggs and set an 8 minute timer. At 8 minutes, remove and toss in a bowl to crack shells. Drop in to ice water and peel while they are still warm.
WHITE SHRIMP – Peel and devein. I gently poach these at 150 F a court boullion. At home I poach in 2 quarts of water, 2 cups of wine, juice of 2 lemon, old bay, thyme and bay leaves. Season with salt and chile flake. Cook time will vary, but poach the shrimp, tasting often until just set, but tender.
PORK – I love chilled roasts, slice thin. I cook pork in a cast iron pan on medium heat. As it finishes in a 400 F oven, I like to add a tablespoon of butter, crushed garlic and rosemary. Cook to an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
TOAST – I always serve this with toast, good bread or something crispy for all of the gluten lovers out there.

The Aioli

”This recipe is pretty advanced. It is from Daniel Boulud’s Le Grand Aioli recipe. It is worth the trouble. There are certainly easier recipes out there. Feel free to find another or use Greek yogurt, green goddess dressing, caesar, bagna cauda or any of your favorite dippers. This is my favorite. This recipe is accompanied by a video online. Check it out!

What you need:

4 ea large cloves garlic, peeled

1 ea large egg, poached

2 ea egg yolks

1 TBL Dijon mustard

3 TBL water

¾ tsp kosher salt

½ cup evoo

1 ½ cup canola oil

pinch piment d’espelette

Directions

Cut the cloves of garlic in half lengthwise and remove the germ. Bring 6 halves of the garlic to a boil in cold water, then discard the water and repeat once more, cooking the garlic until tender the 2nd time.

Fill a small saucepot with a few inches of water, a splash of white vinegar and a pinch of salt. Crack the whole egg into a cup.

Bring the water to a simmer and slide in the whole egg. Poach for 2 minutes (the white will solidify but the yolk will remain runny). Transfer the poached egg into a blender or food processor and add the cooked and raw garlic, egg yolks, Dijon mustard, water and salt. Puree until well combined/

While the machine is still running, add the olive oil and then the canola oil in slow steady streams. The sauce should emulsify, with a thick, pale consistency similar to mayonnaise. Taste for seasoning and then transfer into a bowl and serve.