because the cloves of this edible bulb (a member of the lily family) are very flavorful and seem
to fit with the flavor palette of cuisines around the globe. Depending on how you cook it, garlic
can be a mild, sweet low note in a dish or add an assertive—even spicy—zing.
Picking the best
Garlic farmers cultivate two kinds of garlic:
• Hardneck: The bulbs (also called heads) normally have six to eight uniform cloves growing around a hard center shaft, and their size is more regular than the cloves found in many softneck strains. There are three types of hardneck: Rocambole (roh-cam-BOHlee) garlic, which has tan or white skin around the bulb and various amounts of purple streaking; porcelain garlic, which has white outer skin with little or no purple coloration; and purple-striped garlic.
• Softneck: The bulbs have irregularly shaped cloves. There are two types of softneck: artichoke and silverskin. The bulbs have a covering of thin, pale skin, while the cloves’ skin can range in color from rusty red to pale brown. As with hardneck, the flavor of softneck garlic can run from mild to very hot.
• Elephant garlic: Not really garlic at all, but a member of the leek family. Mild-flavored with a hint of onion, it’s best roasted and makes great soup. Buy firm, plump, heavy heads with tight, unbroken
papery skins. The heavier the garlic, the fresher, juicier, and better tasting it is. Avoid bulbs that are dried out or have soft spots or mold. Green shoots in a bulb are a sign of internal growth in the clove, which is an indication of old garlic. And as with other produce, bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. Varieties vary in size, and many people find that a smaller bulb of garlic has more flavor than a larger one. Resist the convenience of prechopped garlic. It doesn’t taste nearly as good as fresh garlic and won’t keep as long. If you grow garlic, or you’re browsing the farmer’s market in early summer, you might see a curious byproduct of garlic—a thick stalk called a scape that forms above the leaves. Many growers believe that removing the scape results in bigger heads of garlic. But another reason people remove scapes is that they make good eating, so pick some up if you get the chance. Look for scapes that are a rich green, smooth, and not limp.
Keeping it fresh
Store garlic in a cool, dry place. For just a few heads, a ventilated ceramic container or garlic keeper is perfect. If you buy a large amount of garlic, hang it in a mesh sack in your basement or garage—as long as it’s cool and dry there. Never store garlic in a plastic bag, and keep it out of the fridge, unless you have a lowhumidity drawer.
Preparing
To peel a clove of garlic, first break the skin. Set the clove on a cutting board and cover it with a flat side of a chef’s knife. With the heel of your hand, apply light pressure to the knife blade—enough to split the skin, but not so much to crush the clove (unless, of course, you want it smashed). Flick out the germ (the sprout in the center of the clove) with the tip of a knife, especially if it’s pronounced and especially for recipes that call for raw or quickly cooked garlic. For quick-cooking, chunky dishes, like pasta sauces and sautéed vegetables, finely mince or thinly slice garlic to get the best release of flavor. For long-cooking braises and stews, roughly chop or thickly slice garlic so it slowly melds with the other ingredients.
How to use it
Using garlic raw gives you the most assertive results. Finely chop or mash it to a paste to use in salsas, on bruschetta, in Caesar salad dressing, and in flavored butters for making garlic bread. Cooking mellows garlic’s flavor, whether you’re sautéing chopped or sliced garlic, letting a smashed clove infuse your oil as you heat it in the sauté pan, or letting whole cloves mellow and soften in a long-cooked braise or soup. Whenever you use garlic with high heat, however, take special care not to let it burn; the acrid flavor of too-dark garlic will ruin your whole dish. Garlic scapes are easy to cook with, but they’re a little fibrous on the outside; the interior is crunchytender, with a delicate garlic flavor. Cut them up (straight across, not diagonally, to avoid sharp points) and sauté, roast, or stew. Purée cooked scapes and stir into risotto, rice, or beans. Add raw to stir-fries, potato or pasta salads, omelets, or frittatas. Or purée raw scapes in olive oil and use like pesto as a pasta sauce
or as a condiment for grilled chicken and meats.
Rosemary-Garlic Chicken with Apple and Fig Compote
Serves 4
for the chicken
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced
5 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons kosher salt
V teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more
to taste
4 bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts
1 tablespoon canola oil
For the compote
1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and
cut into B/d-inch pieces
2 ounces dried figs, cut into small dice (about B/d cup;
or substitute pitted prunes)
B/d cup red currant jelly
W cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 teaspoon dry mustard, preferably Coleman’s®
V teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
W cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
One day ahead, prepare the chicken: In a small bowl,
combine the rosemary, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and
V teaspoon pepper. Cut the chicken breasts away
from the bones, leaving the skin intact. With a paring
knife, cut out the white tendon on the underside
of each breast. Rub the rosemary-garlic mixture all
over the chicken, including under the skin, taking
care to keep the skin attached to the meat. Stack
two breasts so that the skin faces outward and each
breast’s thicker rounded end is on top of the thinner
tapered end of the other. Tie the breasts together
with kitchen twine, forming a little roast. Repeat with
the remaining 2 breasts. Reposition any skin that
may have bunched up while tying and season the
roasts all over with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds
of pepper. Put the roasts on a rack over a small baking
sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.
One day ahead, make the compote: Put the
apple, figs, jelly, wine, dry mustard, mustard seeds, a
generous pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a
small saucepan. Bring just to a boil over medium-high
heat and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are
tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Let the
mixture cool to room temperature. Store covered in
the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before
serving.
Finish the dish: Let the chicken sit at room temperature
for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position a rack in
the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.
Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high
heat until shimmering hot. Sear the chicken until
dark golden brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes total.
Return the chicken to the rack over the baking sheet,
making sure there is space around each bundle.
Roast until a thermometer inserted in the center of
each bundle reads 165°F, 20 to 30 minutes. Let rest
for 15 minutes. Remove the strings from the chicken
and carefully slice each bundle on the diagonal into
V-inch-thick medallions. Stir the toasted walnuts
into the compote and serve with the chicken.
Linguine with Garlic Scape Pesto
Serves 4 to 6
Kosher salt
V pound garlic scapes
V cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
V cup blanched almonds
V to 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound dried linguine
Freshly ground black pepper
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Chop the
garlic scapes into 3-inch pieces. Put the scapes in a
food processor and process until finely chopped. Add
the Parmigiano-Reggiano, almonds, and V teaspoon
salt and process until fairly smooth. With the food
processor running, slowly drizzle in V cup of the
olive oil, adding more until the pesto is smooth and
creamy. Taste for salt.
Cook the linguine in the boiling water according to
the package directions, reserving about V cup of the
cooking water. Drain well, then toss with the pesto,
adding a little pasta water if needed to create a loose
and creamy consistency. Season with the pepper and
serve right away.
Creamy Roasted Garlic Soup with Sautéed Cauliflower and Fresh Herbs
Serves 4
For the soup
4 heads garlic, loose papery skins removed and
W inch of the tops cut off to expose the cloves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
V teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
V cup chopped onion
1 leek (white and light green parts only), chopped
and well rinsed
2 large boiling potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
V cup dry white wine
4 cups homemade or reduced-sodium chicken or
vegetable broth
Freshly ground black pepper
For the cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small head cauliflower (2 pounds), cut into small
florets (about V inch at the widest point)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
W cup chopped fresh sorrel leaves or chives, or a
combination, for garnish
Make the soup: Heat the oven to 375°F. Put the garlic
heads in a small baking pan. Drizzle on 2 tablespoons
of the olive oil and sprinkle on the salt. Add 2 tablespoons
water to the pan, cover with foil, and roast until
a squeezed clove yields a soft purée, 30 to 45 minutes.
When cool, squeeze the pulp from each clove.
In a soup pot over low heat, sweat the onion and
leek in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil until very
soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the potato
and thyme and cook for another 1 minute. Turn the
heat to medium high, add the wine, and let it reduce
to just a few teaspoons, about 4 minutes. Add the
broth; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for
10 minutes. Add the garlic pulp and simmer until the
potatoes are very soft, another 15 to 20 minutes.
Strain the soup, saving both the liquid and solids.
In a blender or food processor, purée the solids in
batches, using some of the liquid to help it blend.
(Be careful to fill the blender no more than one-third
full and hold a towel over the lid while you turn it
on.) Pour the puréed solids back in the pot. When all
the solids are puréed, add as much of the remaining
liquid as necessary to get a consistency like heavy
cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sauté the cauliflower: Heat the olive oil in a large
sauté pan over medium heat. Add the cauliflower
florets and sauté. Once they begin to soften, after
about 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper.
Continue to sauté until the cauliflower is deep
golden brown and tender but still firm, another 7 to
10 minutes.
To serve: Reheat the soup. Ladle it into individual
bowls, add the cauliflower, and garnish with the
sorrel or chives.
Catalan Mushrooms with Garlic and Parsley
Serves 6
1 pound medium white mushrooms, stems trimmed
to V inch and quartered
W cup extra-virgin olive oil
W cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh garlic
1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt or coarse sea salt
Put the mushrooms in a large bowl of cold water to
soak for 10 minutes. Rinse them well and then drain.
Heat a large sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid over
medium heat. Add the drained mushrooms to the
dry pan, cover immediately, and cook until all the
moisture from the mushrooms is leached out, about
20 minutes; to check, lift the lid for a peek and see
the once-dry pan filled with liquid.
Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium high, and
boil until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms
begin to sizzle in the dry pan but haven’t browned;
they’ll have shrunk considerably and should be firm
when poked with a fork. Lower the heat to medium
and stir in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the parsley,
and the garlic. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the
garlic softens, another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the
mushrooms to a serving bowl, stir in the remaining
3 tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt to taste.
Serve while hot.
