How to Mash Garlic: Mashed garlic blends in better than finely chopped garlic. To mash a clove of garlic, first chop it finely then mash it into a smooth paste on a cutting board with the flat side of a chef's knife. 

Room Temperature Egg Yolk for Aioli: When making aioli, it's really important to use an egg yolk that is at room temperature, not cold straight from the refrigerator. If the egg yolk is cold, the sauce might not thicken. To warm an egg, set it in a warm bowl of water for 3 minutes. 

Homemade Aioli Ingredients and Instructions
(For helpful tips and photos, read the blog post section "how to make aioli)

Homemade Aioli Ingredients

• 1 garlic clove, mashed into a smooth paste
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon warm water
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature 
• ¼ teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup neutral oil (such as sunflower or grape seed) OR ½ cup neutral oil and ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions 

1. In a medium bowl, combine the mashed garlic paste, lemon juice, water, egg yolk and salt. Whisk the ingredients together until smooth. 
2. Pour the oil into a measuring cup with a pour spout. Drizzle a thin stream of oil very slowly into the bowl with the egg yolk, whisking constantly as you pour. 
3. Continue whisking and slowly drizzling in oil. The mixture will start to thicken and have the consistency of mayonnaise. 
4. The consistency of the aioli should always look smooth as you whisk, and the oil should immediately blend in. If the consistency looks lumpy or the oil isn’t blending in, stop drizzling the oil for a moment and whisk vigorously until the consistency is smooth and well-blended again. 
5. Take your time slowly pouring all of the oil into the bowl, whisking the whole time, until the aioli is thick and smooth.
6. If the aioli seems too thick when it’s done, you can whisk in water a teaspoon at a time.