Skip to main content

Blanched Garlic

Image
By

It seems that the subject of blanching garlic has come up recently for me several times and I have been recommending what I learned in cooking school for this process, i.e. bringing the peeled cloves to boiling, in water, up to 3 times (cover cloves with water, bring to a boil, strain and repeat 2 more times).  Each time the cloves are boiled, their flavour will mellow.

 I blanch garlic in order to remove the bitterness and potent bite of it when it is raw.  This is especially useful in recipes like gaspacho, hummus, aioli, as I find the taste of raw garlic tends to overpower the more delicate flavours of the other ingredients.

 This is really a question of preference and if you like garlic, then by all means, go ahead and use it raw to your hearts content.  For me,  garlic is good but in small doses and I find myself now using blanched or pickled garlic scapes from Québec (fleur d'ail) more and more in many recipes that call for regular garlic.
You can buy pickled garlic scapes on line at Le petit mas

 If you've blanched more cloves than you need, keep them in the refrigerator for a few days in an airtight container or cover them in oil and freeze them.  They will be easy to scoop out for other dishes as the oil will not freeze.  
Here is a quick video on blanching garlic:

















Comments

Post a Comment

Share you comments or ideas / Request information

Popular posts from this blog

Summertime Chocolate Fondue

By
It's summertime and the fruit is amazing.  Recently, when we were invited to a party and I asked if I could bring something, this idea came to mind.  Actually, it was inspired by my husband who suggested we buy a wonderful chocolate fondue that we found in Switzerland (that is actually from France) to bring back as gifts for friends and family in Montreal. The fondue preparation itself is presented in clay jars that stay very warm once heated and work extremely well to keep the chocolate melted and at the right temperature.  We bought two flavours:  Dark Chocolate 70% cocoa with red pepper aroma (actually quite spicy and really good) and Dark Chocolate 70% cocoa with sea salt.  Both were amazing and added a little twist to the traditional basic chocolate fondue.  The jar needs to be heated on medium power in the microwave for two minutes at a time until the chocolate is the right temperature and consistency.  Very easy.
4 comments
Read more

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Smoked Cream

By
Add a piece of crisp smoked bacon for texture and roasted seeds This is one of those great recipes that is easy and can be dressed up a bit for any occasion. The flavor of the soup is really good and the smoked cream adds a little subtle surprise in the mouth. We served this at a cocktail party in little shot glasses with a breadstick and it was quite a hit. Infusing milk and cream are quite popular in France.  The principle is always the same in that the liquid is heated and left to cool with the ingredients it is being infused with. 
2 comments
Read more

Chocolate Babka

By
When we lived in France, I learned that every dish you create, prepare and serve must tell a story.  This way, when you offer something to someone, you share with them a little piece of who you are and a little bit of your own life story.   The meals and dishes you choose to create always reflect happy, enjoyable moments and this, in turn, infuses the dish with love.   This is very important to me and is what inspires me when I cook.  I think if you cook this way, it will be hard to create a bad meal.
4 comments
Read more