Black Gold
You won't find black garlic in your average grocery store, but you need to try it. Black garlic might seem a little intimidating, but when Chef Cat Cora included black garlic in her box we knew it would be a hit. She is consistently praised for her creativity and ability to transform ingredients in ways that are truly unique. She knows that the versatility of black garlic can add that special something to a lot of different dishes.
Black garlic is, simply put, the product of aging regular garlic bulbs over the course of weeks or months. For in-the-know chefs like Cat, it’s a way of adding intense “what is that?” flavor to everything from mayo to steak. It adds a certain earthiness and depth to a dish, and the way it is aged brings out so many rich flavors. It also has added health benefits, including twice the amount of antioxidants than in its regular form.
What’s the best part? It’s versatile and can be swapped out for regular garlic in most recipes, but it’s much more mild than white garlic. That’s right garlic haters, there’s still hope for you! Black garlic has none of the strong odor of white garlic and can be consumed in large quantities without the olfactory effects.
So now that you know the shining potential of black garlic, here are some interesting, and simple, ways to incorporate it into your cooking.
- Mash some cloves with some soy sauce and chili for an alternative stir-fry sauce.
- Pair with cheese and meats on a cheeseboard, replacing chutney with black garlic.
- Black garlic ranch - Take black garlic, buttermilk, champagne vinegar, salt, black pepper, and grapeseed or olive oil. Put everything into a blender except the oil, puree it, and then slowly stream in your oil. It's really good as a sauce for roast chicken or lamb.
- Slice thinly and use to top salads or make a vinaigrette. A little soy (you won't need salt), a neutral oil, some Dijon mustard, and the garlic. It's great with a mushroom salad of any sort, and there's so much richness and intensity in flavor that the salad can become a main course.
- Mix crushed cloves into a homemade tomato sauce and use with pasta or spread as a sauce base on a pizza.
- A perfect sandwich spread - just combine mayo and black garlic in a food processor. It works really well with steak sandwiches. If you want to go extra crazy, rub your steaks with the black garlic before you grill them. Because the garlic is so aged you get a nice char when searing the meat.
- Black garlic deviled eggs - take the garlic out of its pods and blend it with some lemon juice, olive oil, and a little bit of honey to smooth out the bitterness. Then take the yolks of hard boiled eggs and mix with the garlic blend, and it's delicious.
- Combine cloves with your favorite cream cheese and herbs for a tasty dip.
- If you’re feeling adventurous...dip black garlic into melted dark chocolate for a sweet taste sensation.
One of our favorite ways to enjoy black garlic is Chef Cora's recipe for Mushroom and Black Garlic Flatbreads. This exclusive recipe is included in every Cat Cora CrateChef box. Get yours today!
