Garlic can be enhanced in a number of ways, each having their own flavor profile. Blanching in water prevents oxidation (and therefore harshness). Poaching in olive oil does the same thing, and yields garlic-flavored olive oil that can be used for basting, coating, and vinaigrettes. Roasted garlic can be sliced as cloves or mashed into a luscious puree that will melt into sauces. Toasting garlic gives it a nutty flavor that is all its own.
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Blanching: Bring a small saucepan of water to a low boil. Separate the cloves from 1 head of garlic, leaving the skins on, and drop into water for 5 minutes. Remove and drain. Store, skin on, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Step 2
Poaching: In a small cast-iron pot, bring 1 cup olive oil to a very low simmer on a grill or in a wood-fired oven and drop peeled cloves from 1 head of garlic in to cook for 10 minutes. Remove, drain, let cool, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reserve the poaching oil and use as a flavoring or finishing oil.
Step 3
Roasting: Garlic is easy to roast and develops much more flavor in a wood-fired environment. Simply cut the top off a whole head of garlic to expose the cloves and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Place in a small clay cooker or cast-iron pot or an aluminum-foil packet and place in the wood-fired oven or on a covered grill to roast until soft to the touch, about 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Step 4
Toasting: Toast the skin-on cloves from 1 head of garlic in a dry skillet over high heat until the skins are slightly browned. You are toasting but not cooking the garlic. Slice or mince the garlic as called for in the recipe. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
