A very intriguing and flavorful ingredient you should be cooking with. That’s coming up This Land of Ours.
By Foodista – originally posted to Flickr
If you haven’t seen it or cooked with it, Black Garlic is gaining popularity. It’s as dark as molasses, as soft and spreadable as room-temperature butter, and as earthy and meaty in essence as caramelized mushrooms. Black garlic tastes distinctly sweet and syrupy with hints of balsamic vinegar. The chemical make-up of black garlic has been transformed by an aging process that changes its aroma, so it’s not what you would expect.
The best way to eat it? Spread whole cloves of black garlic on toasted sourdough bread. You may want to melt a little ripe, soft cheese over that, under the broiler. Warm peeled black garlic cloves in good butter and drizzle the sauce over a gentle green vegetable, like steamed asparagus. Black garlic also loves pasta, tossed through just before serving, with a little bit of warm cream. And adorn your pizza with some naked black cloves (protect them with some sauce, or leaves, or cheese, because blistering dry heat can kill their special flavor). Or, slip black garlic under the protective skin of a roasting chicken, with a dab of butter.
Listen to Cathy Isom’s This Land of Ours program here.
How to Make Balck Garlic
Video by: CookingWithMamaMui
Black garlic. It’s basically fresh garlic that is kept around at 140f for 2 weeks. The low temperature causes a chemical reaction that converts the sugar in the garlic and makes it turn black. It has a sweet, savory, soft, chewy, and molasses-like richness.
A study found that it has twice the antioxidant levels than fresh garlic. Which means it’s super healthy for you. You can buy black garlic in the grocery, but they are a little bit expensive. So how about making it yourself. It’s dead easy. All you need is a rice cooker, garlic, time, and patience. let me show you how.
Ingredients and Equipment:
- garlic
- rice cooker with tight close lid
- paper towels
- bamboo mat