Garlic

Posted in Spices and Herbs Tell-a-Friend
Garlic Cloves 

Garlic is indispensable in many cuisines. Before preparation, a whole clove has only a mild bouquet; it is only marginally stronger when sliced, but it has a very powerful flavour with a lingering aftertaste and aroma once chopped or crushed. The flavour is sharp, with a lot of punch for such a small ingredient.

A mature head of garlic contains anywhere from 6 to 24 individual cloves that release a notoriously strong aroma when crushed. There are two main types of garlic bulbs: softneck and hardneck (or rocambole). Softneck has a fibrous stem that dries into a grasslike top that can be braided. Pleasingly fragrant hardneck garlic has a long hard central stem surrounded by firm, easy-to-peel cloves with an intense flavour.

Purchase
Peeled cloves should be a clean creamy white without blemish. Make sure that the bulbs are closely packed and firm.
Storage
Store garlic in a cold dry place, away from strong light.
Preparation Tips

There are different schools of thought on how to crush garlic; here are three suggestions.

  1. Trim the root end from a garlic clove, place it in a mortar and give it one blow with a pestle to release the skin. Discard the skin, then crush the flesh with a tiny amount of salt to absorb the juices that might otherwise be lost. The salt also prevents the garlic from flying out of the mortar.

  2. Place the unpeeled garlic on a chopping board, cover with the flat blade of a knife and press hard. This releases the skin, which should be removed, then press again before finely chopping the flesh with a tiny amount of salt. Wash the chopping board and knife with hot soapy water to remove any odours.

  3. Garlic Press and Garlic 

    If you have a garlic press, leave the garlic clove unpeeled and cut off the root end. Place the clove cut end down in the press. Crush the garlic clove into a small bowl, or directly into the cooking pot. The garlic skin can be removed from the press in one neat piece, making the press easier to clean.

Culinary Use
  • Garlic is an essential ingredient in thousand of dishes from around the globe. Along with ginger and onion it forms a “trinity” of flavours that is familiar in Cape Malay, Oriental and Asian cuisines.

  • Garlic is also widely used in Western cooking — roasted as whole cloves or cut into slivers and inserted into meat, or cooked in sauces and casseroles. It flavours savoury butters, dressings and sauces for pasta, fish, poultry, meat, game and vegetables.

  • Garlic butter is the classic accompaniment for snails, and it is served with shellfish or fish steaks. Alternatively, it can be spread on sliced French bread and baked in foil.

  • Raw garlic is used in salad dressings and some sauces, particularly in aïoli and rouille. For just a hint of garlic in a salad, rub the inside of the salad bowl with a cut clove of garlic.

  • Garlic products include purée, dried flakes and garlic salt, but it’s best to use fresh garlic wherever possible.

  • When frying, never allow the garlic to brown or else it will taste bitter.

Food Affinities
  • basil

  • broccoli

  • chicken

  • crab

  • mushrooms

  • potato

  • shrimp

  • spinach

  • steak

  • tomatoes

  • tomato sauces

Category: Spices and Herbs

Sub Category: Spice

Total Views: 1569

Word Count: 779

Comment on Twitter

More Articles in "Spices and Herbs"

Nutmeg and Mace
Posted 19.04.2011 in Spices and Herbs
Nutmeg and Mace
Nutmeg is the large, light grayish brown, speckled, wood-hard kernel that grows inside the apricot-like fruit of a tropical tree (Myristica fragrans)…
View Details »
Speserye
Posted 03.10.2009 in Spices and Herbs
Speserye
Eksotiese speserye van regoor die wêreld is deesdae tot ons beskikking – tog beteken die beskikbaarheid daarvan maar min as jy nie weet hoe om dit te…
View Details »
Allspice
Posted 03.11.2009 in Spices and Herbs
Allspice
Allspice takes its name from its aroma, which smells like a combination of spices, especially cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, hence the name…
View Details »
Szechuan Peppercorns
Posted 19.04.2011 in Spices and Herbs
Szechuan Peppercorns
Szechuan peppercorns are the dried husks that surround the seeds of the Chinese prickly ash tree (Zanthoxylum simulans). Usually reddish brown, the fruits…
View Details »
Asafetida
Posted 12.04.2011 in Spices and Herbs
Asafetida
Asafetida (Hing) is an essential ingredient in Indian vegetarian cooking. Asafetida is the strong-smelling, even stinking, dried brownish resin extracted…
View Details »

All Articles in "Spices and Herbs"