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ROASTING, POACHING AND TOASTING GARLIC
A simple way of taming garlic’s sometimes dominating flavor is to roast, poach or toast it first. When you cut into raw garlic you break the cell walls and it immediately begins to oxidize. A product of that oxidation is the development of hot, often funky flavors that can overpower a dish. By applying heat the enzymes that account for those flavors and neutralized and the garlic will remain sweet and delicate. This is especially important for things like pesto which often is made in big batches and stored refrigerated or frozen for later use. You definitely don’t want the garlic to take over down the road. With all these methods garlic can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for at least a week.
To Roast Garlic: Slice off the top quarter or so of each garlic head to expose the cloves. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Loosely but completely wrap each head in a piece of foil and roast in a preheated 400-degree oven or until garlic is very soft and lightly browned, about 45 minutes or so. To use simply squeeze the buttery soft garlic out of the head just like you’d do toothpaste.
To Poach garlic: Separate cloves but don’t peel. Place in a small saucepan and cover with at least ½ inch of cold water. Place on stove over high heat and bring to a boil. As soon as water boils, drain and repeat process one more time. Rinse to cool off cloves and now easily remove husk.
To Toast garlic: Separate the cloves and place them unpeeled in a dry sauté pan over moderate heat. Shake and turn them occasionally until the cloves develop toasty brown spots on the skin. Remove, cool and the skin will easily slip off. The additional benefit of this method is that you’ve added a lovely toasty flavor to the garlic.
Green Garlic: Sometimes called spring or new garlic, they look like scallions but with a decidedly sweet garlic flavor. They are harvested before they form their familiar bulb. Like a leek, the whole plant is usable. It pairs well with all things spring like new potatoes, onions, lamb, artichokes, peas, fava beans. If you don’t grow garlic, you can usually find green garlic at the Farmers Market in early spring.
LINGUINE WITH GREEN GARLIC CLAM SAUCE
Serves 4
1 stick (4 ounces) good, salted butter
3 cup minced green garlic, white and light green parts only
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or to taste
4 pounds Manila clams, scrubbed
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces linguine
¼ cup loosely packed parsley, chopped
Juice and zest of 1 lemon.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add enough salt so that it tastes like the sea.
Separately heat the butter in a wide saucepan large enough to hold the clams. Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook over medium heat until aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the clams, white wine, 1/2 cup of water and cook over high heat, covered until the clams open, about 5 minutes. As they open, transfer them to a bowl.
When cool enough to handle, remove the clams from their shells (You might save a few in the shell for garnish). Discard the remaining shells. Chop clams or leave whole, your choice. Strain the clam juice through a fine-mesh strainer.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Meanwhile, wipe the saucepan clean. Return the clam meat and strained juice to the saucepan along with the parsley, lemon juice and zest. Reheat and season to your taste. Add the pasta and toss.
GREEN GARLIC DIP
Serves 4
This is delicious with steamed artichokes, spooned over asparagus, as a topper for baked halibut or black cod and of course as a dip for lightly blanched veggies.
3/4 cup minced green garlic, white and light green parts only
1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
2/3 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
In a small saucepan, bring 1/4 cup of water and the green garlic to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Strain the garlic and cool.
In a blender, purée the egg, vinegars and cooled green garlic on medium-high. With the blender running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream to emulsify. Season to your taste with salt. Store covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
GARLIC CROUTONS
1/3 cup olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, bruised with the side of a knife
3 cups bread cubes cut in 1-inch cubes from good day-old bread with crusts removed
2 tablespoons finely minced parsley
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Add oil and garlic to a sauté pan and sauté garlic over moderate heat till it just begins to color. Be careful garlic doesn’t burn or it will become bitter. Toss bread cubes with oil and garlic and place on a rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in a preheated 375-degree oven till bread is nicely golden on all sides, 10 – 12 minutes or so. Croutons should be toasty on the surface but still somewhat soft in the very middle. Remove and toss with parsley, lemon zest and salt and pepper while still warm. Store airtight if not using immediately.
RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS, ROASTED GARLIC AND LEMON
Serves 6
Risottos are wonderful “comfort foods”. The key is to make sure that when the risotto gets to that magic place when each grain of rice is soft and creamy but still with a little texture in the very center, serve it up immediately. Wait more than a few minutes and it gets too soft and gummy. That’s why its one of one of those things that I like to do with everyone already in the kitchen, bowls at hand, sharing a glass of wine, gossiping, etc.
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sliced shallots
1-1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
3 tablespoons chopped roasted garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 – 6 cups hot vegetable or chicken stock
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
2 cups young asparagus, tips reserved and stalks sliced diagonally about 1/4 inch long
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Drops of fresh lemon juice to taste
Garnish: Additional Parmesan shaved and deep fried basil sprigs, if desired
Melt butter in a deep, heavy bottomed saucepan. Add shallots and cook over moderate heat until soft, not brown. Add rice and shiitakes and cook, stirring often until rice is translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add garlic, wine and enough stock to cover rice mixture and cook stirring constantly until liquid is nearly absorbed. Continue adding hot stock in this manner stirring all the time and letting the rice absorb the stock before adding more. Begin testing rice after about 12 minutes. You’re looking for the rice to be creamy and not gummy. The center of each rice grain should still have some texture and bite (al dente). This will take 16 – 18 minutes total. Stir in the asparagus and cook for a minute of two longer. Then stir in the zest, chives and cheese and season to your taste with salt, pepper and drops of lemon juice. Serve in warm bowls garnished with shaved Parmesan and fried basil.
ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH ROASTED GARLIC CUSTARDS
Serves 6
A simple, vividly green soup is perfect with spring asparagus and greens.
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped shallots or onions
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seed
Salt to taste
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, chopped, tips reserved
1cup peeled and chopped Yukon gold potato
4 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
2 cups gently packed spinach or other tender spring greens
1/3 cup or so crème fraîche (optional)
In a deep saucepan heat the butter over medium heat. Add shallots, red pepper flakes, fennel seed and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are tender but not brown, about 4 minutes.
Add chopped asparagus and potato and cook for a minute. Stir in broth and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; continue cooking until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare an ice-water bath. Fill a small saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil. Add asparagus tips and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer asparagus tips to ice-water bath to cool then drain and set aside.
Remove soup from heat, add spinach and stir in to wilt. Using an upright or immersion blender, carefully puree soup. Stir in crème fraîche if using. Return to stove to heat through. Season to your taste with salt. Divide soup evenly between 6 warm, wide rim soup bowls. Run a knife around the side of each custard to release it. Carefully place it in the center of each soup bowl and garnish with asparagus tips.
Roasted Garlic Custards
Makes 6
3 large eggs
4 tablespoons roasted garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup light cream (half and half)
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
In a blender or food processor, combine the eggs, garlic and salt and pepper. Process in short bursts until smooth and garlic is fully incorporated. Mix in cream and stock.
Lightly butter or oil 6 four ounce ovenproof ramekins and place in a deep roasting pan. Divide custard mixture among them and fill pan with boiling water to come 3/4 of the way up sides of ramekins.
Place in preheated 350-degree oven and bake for 30 minutes or until center of custards are just set and very lightly browned. Remove ramekins from water bath and let cool to room temperature before unmolding. Can be made a day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.