Baked Garlic
Leave the skin on. Cut the roots off. Slice the tops of the bulb off. Keep it whole. Pour extra virgin olive oil into the bulb. Sprinkle salt. Turn upside down onto a baking dish. Bake slowly for 30 minutes, turn over. Test if cooked. It needs to be soft all the way through. And browned on top. You'll find the flavour is mellow and sweet. The garlic caramelises.
Serve a whole bulb as a vegetable side order.
They store well in an air tight container for a few days. Use for dips, toss in pasta, on sandwiches etc.
Bruschetta
Toast bread. Rub a fresh clove of garlic across the toast, then put whatever you want on top.
Keep it plain with olive oil.
Sliced tomato.
Pesto.
Mashed broad beans.
It is amazing how much better it will taste with that small addition of garlic rubbed on the toast.
Garlic and Chilli Pasta
Cook pasta as per packet, or for one minute if fresh and home made.
Saute in olive oil finely chopped garlic - a tablespoon per person - add chopped chilli - volume will depend on preference of heat.
Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Toss in pasta, fresh parsley, and more olive oil. Serve with grated parmesan
Aioli
This is garlic mayonnaise.
Crush 2 or more** cloves of garlic and salt in mortar using a pestle. It will form a paste. Transfer to bowl; add 3 egg yolks and mix. Slowly add 300 ml of extra virgin olive oil. Keep whisking so that a mayonnaise forms. It should be thick. Add salt and pepper.
Keeps in an airtight container for three days.
Perfect for lunch with
cold hard boiled eggs and salad
all seafood
coleslaw
on sandwiches
** 2 good sized cloves of garlic will be sufficient, however being the garlic enthusiasts that we all are, there is no reason you couldn't double that for something with extra zip! Perhaps try 2 cloves, the first time!
