Cooking with garlic

Use a good chef’s knife, or Asian equivalent, for the purpose. An 8-inch chef’s knife is a good all around size for the kitchen, and with a bit of practice, one can make quick work of slicing, chopping, or mincing.

One sometimes sees kitchen cooks using small knives for such chores – and indeed, with small cutlery, they do become chores. Paring knives are for paring. Chef’s knives are for chopping and mincing (and many other tasks as well).

7. WHOLE. Roasted garlic is essentially cooked whole, without chopping or crushing. It has a mild, sweet, caramelized taste that has broad appeal. The flavor is simpler and very much different than if the garlic had been chopped or crushed prior to cooking.

Roasted garlic is a tasty spread on crusty bread or toast and is even good in mashed potatoes.

There are various methods of roasting garlic. Here are a few:

Remove the outer skins from a head of garlic, slice off the top of the head so that the clove tips are exposed. Drizzle the exposed tips with oil, cover in foil and roast at 350°F for about an hour.

As a variation, add about of tablespoon of water as well as the oil. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, uncover the garlic and baste with the juices. The heat and cooking time required will vary depending on the size of the heads and your preferences.

Dry roasting individual cloves in a fry pan is another approach that yields garlic that is more toasty and toothy and less caramelized and pasty. Place unpeeled cloves in a skillet and toss and turn periodically for about 8 to 12 minutes until the cloves skins have browned. Vary the time and browning according to the size of the cloves and your preference.

– Adapted from Ted Jordan Meredith, The Complete Book of Garlic: A Guide for Gardeners, Growers, and Serious Cooks, (Timber Press, 2008)
All recipes copyright © 2008 by Ted Jordan Meredith.

Corn on the Cob With Garlic and Olive Oil

4 medium cloves of garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cooked ears of corn

Crush or finely mince the garlic and place in a small bowl. Add the salt and press the salt into the garlic with the back of a spoon macerating the garlic into a slurry. Add olive oil, mix, and drizzle or brush over the ears of cooked corn.

Roasted Garlic, Fresh Goat Cheese, and Arugula on French Bread

1 head of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
Salt
French bread
Fresh goat cheese (Chèvre)
Arugula

Remove the outer skins from a head of garlic. Slice off the top of the head so that the clove tips are exposed. Drizzle with oil, add a tablespoon of water, cover in foil, and roast at 350 degrees F. for about an hour.

Lightly toast slices of crusty French bread, drizzle or spritz with olive oil, and lightly salt. Squeeze the roasted garlic paste from the skins and spread on the oiled toast. Top with a smear of goat cheese and chopped arugula. For a closed sandwich, place another piece of oiled toasted bread on top.

Garlic and Olive Oil Bread Dip

Garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt

In restaurants one sometimes encounters a dish of olive oil, or olive oil and balsamic vinegar, for dipping bread – a tasty alternative to butter. This alternate version features the nutty toasty character of minced sautéed garlic.

This preparation method brings out the best in any garlic but is especially good with garlics having a deep, complex character, such as Asiatics, Creoles, Rocamboles, and Purple Stripes.

On the other hand, if you have some aggressive Silverskins on hand, this will tame their harshness and bring out their nutty best.

Finely mince (do not use a garlic press to crush) several cloves of garlic and sauté in several tablespoons of olive oil. Adjust quantities as needed. As the sautéing begins, salt the garlic to taste, and stir occasionally until the garlic is a straw to light tan color. Undercooked and white, the garlic will be less richly flavored and nutty. Overcooked and dark brown, the garlic will begin to taste burnt and acrid. Cooked to a straw to light tan color, and the flavors will be ambrosially rich and nutty.

Transfer the garlic and flavored olive oil into a shallow dish or small bowl.

To eat, dip a piece of good crusty bread into the mixture so that each bite has a bit of the oil and some garlic bits. For a more substantial snack or appetizer, cheese is an excellent accompaniment, as are garden tomatoes and basil, for a variation on the bruschetta theme.

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