Where I work we have a garlic festival every year which runs for the entire month of April. This year we had an amazing menu that included everything from Rabbit Confit, Arctic Char and Crab Cakes to a Garlic Granita for desert.
Garlic, also referred to as “the stinking rose” should be it’s own food group. The edible bulb is made up of sections called cloves, that are encased in a parchmentlike membrane. Three major varieties are available: the white-skinned strongly flavored American garlic; Mexican and Italian garlic, which have mauve-colored skins and a somewhat milder flavor; and the white-skinned, mild flavored elephant garlic, which is not a true garlic, but a relative of the leek. Green garlic, is young garlic before it begins to form cloves; resembling a baby leek, with a long green top and white bulb. Garlic’s essential oils remain in the body long after consumption, affecting breath and even skin odor.
A few things to remember when pureeing, chopping or generally working with garlic. DO NOT add oil when chopping or pureeing your garlic. Adding oil during this stage will turn your garlic into a paste and cause it to burn much more quickly. Add oil only after it has been chopped or pureed. It will saute up well, and will not burn.
When sauteing garlic, you will only need to saute for a short period of time so as to release the full flavor, before adding the rest of your ingredients. If you add the garlic to your food without sauteing you are only poaching the garlic, and will not allow the full flavor of the garlic to be released.
ROASTING WHOLE GARLIC
6 ea Garlic Bulbs
1/4 c Olive Oil
250 ml Vegetable Stock
To Taste Sea Salt
To Taste Cracked Black Pepper
Fresh Thyme Leaves
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Slice tops of garlic bulbs off and remove some of the white loose skin.
3. Place in a shallow baking pan. Fill the pan up tp 1/2 inch deep with vegetable stock.
4. Place the thyme evenly over the garlic, season with salt and pepper.
5. Drizzle the olive oil over the garlic.
6. Cover the pan with foil and bake 45 minutes to about 1 hour until garlic is soft.
7. The roasted garlic will keep in the fridge for up to one week. When serving, the entire garlic bulb may be reheated in the oven for a couple of minutes and spread on crostini.
8. Other serving suggestions include using the roasted garlic in soups, sauces, dressings or with pasta.
CRAB CAKES
250 gr Crabmeat
2 Tbsp Bell Peppers (red, green, yellow) small dice
2 Tbsp Fresh Breadcrumbs
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Whole Egg (divided)
2 Tbsp Cream
1/2 tsp Garlic, minced
1 tsp Shallots, minced
1 Tbsp Italian Parlsey, chopped
To Taste Seas Salt and Cracked Black Pepper
Panko Bread Crumbs
Grapeseed Oil for Frying
1. Saute, the bell peppers until tender.
2. Carefully pick through the crabmeat, removing any pieces of shell. Keep the lumps of crabmeat as large as possible
3. Combine the crab meat, cooked bell peppers, parsley, garlic, shallots, bread crumbs, cream and Dijon mustard and mix together gently by hand.
4. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
5. Using a mould or by hand, form the crab mixture into a coke of the desired size and gently roll them in Panko Bread Crumbs.
6. Saute the Crab Cakes in grapeseed oil until golden and hold in a warm oven until ready to serve.
7. Arrange the crab cake on a plate, drizzle with an apricot compte and top with mixed greens. Dress mixed greens with a drizzle of olive oil and Maldon Sea Salt.
8. Serve immediately.
If you are wondering why I am adding vegetable stock to the garlic for roasting, stock will keep the garlic moist during the roasting process. In keeping the garlic moist it also allows the sweetness of the garlic to be released as well.
If you wish to puree the garlic once it has been roasted, add the liquids for the roasting pan to the puree. This will add flavor to the pureed garlic as well.
