“Aïoli epitomizes the heat, the power, and the joy of the Provençal sun, but it has another virtue—if drives away files.”

—Frédéric Mistral, Provençal Poet, 1830–1914

Old customs die hard, and though this very Catholic country of France no longer insists that there be a day without meat, Friday is still a fish day as far as the Provençal diet is concerned. You see fish trucks parked in nearly every village, so that housewives can fill their baskets with sardines and anchovies, mackerel, and sweet, tiny mussels from the Bassin de Thau off the Mediterranean. But the favorite Friday fish of all is salt cod, the main ingredient of the popular one-dish meal known as aïoli, which is served with the garlic-rich mayonnaise of the same name. Traditional aïoli includes good portions of poached salt cod, which the French call morue salée, along with steamed green beans, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, and hard-cooked eggs. Some cooks add the local tiny snails known as petits gris, and others add cooked beets and steamed artichokes. A proper aïoli is served only at lunch, giving the digestive system a good long time to deal with the richness of the sauce. The meal is a festive affair, and often the sauce is served direct from the giant stone or marble mortar and olive-wood pestle essential to every Provencal kitchen. Since it is usually quite hot when aïoli is served, it’s perfectly fine if everything is at room temperature, but never cold. As one drives around Provence in the summer months, one often see posters tacked on a tree announcing an Aïoli Géant! Follow the signs and you are sure to have a festive meal, downed with plenty of chilled local rosé.