For today’s Tip Tuesday I offer a few helpful tips for getting the most of out garlic in your cooking.
When I cook I frequently use fresh garlic with one caveat – I prefer it season the food, not overpower it. That being said, the best male cook I know has a lower garlic tolerance (GT) than me. By that I mean he’s not particularly fond of food strongly flavored with fresh garlic. I guess for that matter, neither am I, except maybe dressing for a well-made Caesar salad.
When we entertain (have friends and family over for a meal) I try to be sensitive to their GT. Who wants to walk around smelling like they just ate more than their fair share of fresh garlic? Funny story: back in the day, when I worked as a personal chef, I was at a client’s home preparing Garlic Roasted Pork Tenderloin. As a result I spent more than a few intimate moments with a head of fresh garlic. Just as the roast was coming out of the oven one of my sisters called me. She was being admitted to the hospital that afternoon to have her labor induced. Her baby was overdue and the time for the blessed event had come. After I finished cooking, I went home, cleaned up, changed my clothes, and headed to the hospital where fresh baby would soon arrive. You know what my sister’s most memorable memory was about her labor and delivery? The smell of garlic in the room. Yes, from me, and the garlic in the pork I’d roasted. In retrospect I’m mortified that the smell of garlic was so strong. We laugh about it now. Oh well, we live and learn. Despite this occurrence, fresh garlic remains a favorite way to begin a batch of gazpacho, a dish of salsa, or a skillet full of red beans and rice.
1. Use fresh garlic. Nine times out of ten the brightest flavor comes from cloves of garlic. Just like fresh lemons, and freshly ground black pepper, it pays to keep one head of garlic in your kitchen. (BTW: a head of garlic is the entire bulb. The head of garlic contains many cloves. Cloves of garlic can vary in size from teeny tiny, to the size of my top thumb joint.)
2. Peel garlic by laying a garlic clove on a stable cutting board and smashing it with the side of a large chef knife. When the clove is smashed in this way, the skin loosens without any other kitchen gadgetry. I remember the first time I saw this technique demonstrated, I thought to myself, “Well, that makes peeling garlic look much easier.” And it is. Be careful though. And be sure to use the flat side of the knife.
3. For ease, press the peeled garlic through a garlic press unless otherwise directed in a recipe to slice the garlic. Some would argue pressed garlic is different from minced which is still different from chopped garlic. I would agree to a certain extent (pressing might extract more garlic juice), but not enough agreement to take the time to hand-mince garlic and not press it. Sliced garlic is a different story but, for most applications, a clove or two of pressed garlic works just as well as a clove of minced, and tastes almost exactly the same.
4. Garlic powder can be easier for some recipes. While I don’t use garlic powder very often, I do keep it on hand. For guacamole and my brown sugar rub, garlic powder works equally well (in my opinion). The flavor is acceptable and my ability to control the strong flavor of garlic even better. For best results buy a reputable brand of garlic powder and buy it in small quantities. I like buying spices from Penzey’s, but a national-brand from the supermarket is OK too. Make sure your garlic powder doesn’t have an overpowering “tinny” taste. It should be fresh and, well, garlicky. Do not substitute garlic salt for garlic powder. It’s not the same thing.
5. Steer clear of chopped jarred garlic. I know, I know. It saves time I hear you say. But it really doesn’t take too much time to peel and press a clove of fresh garlic (see #1). Once upon a time I purchased a small jar of chopped garlic. The time-saving factor sold me as well and it seemed like a good idea at the time. All I remember is smelling the jarred garlic smell every time I opened the door of the refrigerator. Woo wee. Then, when the garlic smell permeated my half & half for my beloved morning coffee, I had enough. Away with the chopped jarred garlic. Much like store-bought ground black pepper, jarred chopped garlic releases flavorful oils into the air and not into your food. A lot of fresh garlic flavor is lost. Stick with the fresh heads and cloves of garlic if you can.
Here are some fresh and simple recipes using good ol’ fresh garlic:
Basil Pesto
Hummus
Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Black Eyed Peas and Greens Soup