What You Need to Know
The sauce relies on natural emulsifiers in olive oil and starches from bread or nuts to stabilize oil droplets dispersed in an aqueous phase. Gradual addition of oil while whisking creates a fine emulsion, while the presence of lecithin and starch forms a network that resists separation. Allicin from garlic provides flavor and antimicrobial properties, but excessive grinding can release bitterness.
The Science
Primary Reaction
Formation of an oil-in-water emulsion stabilized by natural emulsifiers (oleic acid, lecithin, starch).