Liguria (medieval tradition)
The ancient Ligurian garlic sauce — a medieval condiment that predates pesto: raw or very lightly toasted garlic, walnut oil (or olive oil), vinegar, toasted breadcrumbs, and salt pounded together in a mortar to a rough paste. Used as a dipping sauce for boiled meats, grilled fish, and cooked vegetables. The agliata is a demonstration that Ligurian cuisine before the 16th century (when basil pesto emerged) had its own sophisticated condiment tradition rooted in medieval Arab-influenced saucing.
Pungent, acidic, textured garlic paste that cuts through rich boiled meats and grilled fish — the pre-pesto Ligurian condiment tradition, unchanged since the 14th century
{"Garlic: 4–6 cloves per person — the sauce is garlic-forward, not merely flavoured with garlic","Mortar technique: garlic and salt pounded first to a paste, then breadcrumbs, then oil added in droplets (like mayonnaise)","White wine vinegar added to taste — the balance is garlic-forward but acid-lifted","Toasted breadcrumbs are the emulsifier and body — use day-old rustic white bread crumbs dried in a pan","Serve at room temperature; the flavour develops over 30 minutes of resting"}
{"Soaking the breadcrumbs in a little water and then squeezing before using creates a more stable emulsion","The agliata keeps for 2 days in the refrigerator under a thin layer of olive oil","A modern refinement: a pinch of dried chilli and fresh flat-leaf parsley stirred in at the end"}
{"Food processor instead of mortar — the texture becomes too smooth; the agliata should be slightly coarse","Insufficient vinegar — the raw garlic needs the acid to be palatable","Olive oil too young and grassy — a milder, fruitier oil complements the garlic better"}
La Cucina di Liguria — Massimo Alberini