aioli

The salmon melted in my mouth and was perfectly complimented by the alioli.

We couldn't decide which of the five salads to choose from so we ended up ordering two - one consisting of baby gem, fragments of crispy bacon and Mrs Kirkham's Lancashire Cheese with, of course alioli again, and the other boasting confit sweet potato, feta, green beans and mint; a delicious combination which I vowed to repeat at home, but which I am yet to get around to.

Receiving rave reviews are the bar snacks like smoked chorizo with saffron alioli, chips cooked in pork fat, Spanish and Italian cheese and charcuterie platters.

If you like, serve with alioli (a garlicky mayonnaise).

SEA BREAM WITH CRAB, NEW POTATO, SPINACH AND ALIOLI Ingredients | Sea bream fillet per person (ask your fishmonger to fillet this if you are not confident of doing so) | 30g picked white crab meat (available from your fishmonger) | 3 new potatoes | 1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced | 1 handful of washed spinach | 1/4 tsp mild smoked paprika | Olive oil | Alioli | Salt and pepper Method Boil the new potatoes until just tender, then cool and slice into halves lengthways.

There's also alcachofa, fried artichokes with anchovy alioli, and La Vara's take on albondigas, made with lamb.

Today I'm responsible for the alioli, which is made with egg yolk, garlic, sea salt, lemon and Spanish olive oil.

Las salsas: la mas difundida para tomarla con carne asada o a la brasa, patatas asadas o hervidas, es la salsa alioli (del catalan alli, ajo, y oli aceite).

Items include Mini-Deli Sandwiches with Alioli Sauce, Chicken Nuggets with Potato and Sweet Potato Gratin, and unique desserts such as Chocolate drink with Orange Granita.

It was an utter luxury to lunch on fresh mussels from the River Fowey, bathed in local cider, at the Porthminster Cafe in St Ives, or nibble on crispy fried squid dunked in fresh alioli at The Beach Hut while gazing at the surf of Watergate Bay.

We all thought we'd done rather well, lugging our contributions to the meal up the mountain track until we saw Freddy open his rucksack and disgorge several bottles of wine, oil, olives, a huge selection of cheeses, ham, alioli, peaches, plums, cherries and tomatoes.

While the prepared foods counter started off offering traditional Southern fare, the menu has been expanded to some 20 daily gourmet offerings like tequila & lime salmon, ravioli & spinach alioli, beef Wellington, and strawberry and walnut chicken salad.

Though small in quantity compared to the oceans of olive oil produced in Spain, many of the great single-estate varietal olive oils come from here, and are used effectively on dishes such as their much-loved pa amb tomaquet, or grilled bread rubbed with fresh tomato and drizzled with olive oil (three ingredients and it's one of the most delicious things you'll ever taste); alioli, or garlic mayonnaise which they claim to have invented; and further down the coast in Tarragona, the fabulous romesco sauce, a blend of tomatoes, peppers, almonds, garlic, and olive oil that is shown at its best in the spring to accompany the sensuous grilled spring onions, or calcots.

Later I was with friends at a beachfront pub, dipping chunks of bread in alioli - mayonnaise with garlic.

A garlicky mayonnaise called alioli is a suitable dipping sauce for both the fish and potatoes.