Hello and happy Sunday,
It’s been just over a month since I promised myself and you to get back to regular Appetite writing, and I almost haven’t failed. As well as sending out Sunday deep-dives, I’ve been working on paid subscriber-only recipes for Appetite Extra, which comes out on Wednesdays. I am also planing full steam ahead additional content and those cooking classes (logistics are proving to be a little difficult).
This week I am looking at black garlic, one of the many delicious companions in the kitchen. Instagram poll told me that this is what everyone really wants to know about. So let’s get stuck in!
ABOUT Black Garlic
What is black garlic? Black garlic is aged white garlic. The result is achieved by placing garlic into a warm moist and temperature controlled environment for several weeks. At the end of the process cloves change their colour to brownish-black and change their texture to a softer, stickier, almost jelly like.
What does it taste like? After undergoing the ageing process, black garlic changes not only its’ appereance but also flavour. There is no sharpness left and it’s a rather mellow, sweet flavour profile. Don’t expect any sharp smells either. It develops immense complexity and depth, offering a combination of sweet and savory umami taste. People pick out notes of molasses, tamarind, caramel and dates in the finished product.
Can it be substituted? I say no but people on the internet will want you to believe that you can replace it with some white garlic and a pinch of black pepper. Do not be fooled. Get the real deal, it’ll be worth the money.
History of the ingredient
Learning about the history of Black Garlic was one of the highlights of my week, I had no idea how it ended up in the U.K. or where it came from but my gut feeling was that it’s not a method that was invented in the U.K. And I was correct, garlic preservation comes from Korea, where black garlic isn’t used for cooking but instead is used as medicine. The final product varies slightly from what we can buy here, but it’s not too far off.
Black Garlic started gaining its’ popularity in the U.K. in 2009, thanks to BBC’s ‘Something for the Weekend’ (personally, no idea what the premise of the show is, I was 18 at the time so most likely I was drunk in some nightclub). Mark Botwright, the owner of the South West Garlic Farm claimed to have developed a process for preserving garlic using a 4,000 year old Korean recipe. But according to Black Garlic UK (the main black garlic supplier in the U.K.) , Katy Heath ( a co-founder) came across the ingredient via one of their suppliers and became obsessed with it (rightly so), which resulted in her travelling to Korea to learn about this preservation method. In 2004, a South Korean inventor patented a device to make black garlic, and stated that “No matter what you’ve heard, black garlic isn’t an ancient food from Korea…I created it and have three patents for my proprietary process.” I have a feeling he is fibbing.
I searched far and wide to try and find some references to black garlic in Korean cooking and history, but sadly, no luck. All I found is that in Korea it’s not used for cooking but as a health supplement. Ginseng and Black Garlic drink being the most popular one.
Black Garlic has a lot of health benefits. For one, due to to the fermentation process it’s full of antioxidants, some even claim it to be a ‘super food’, if you’ve been here a while you know my feelings on ‘super foods’ -blah. For those with sensitive stomachs and an inability to digest alliums properly, black garlic might be your new friend. Once again, the fermentation process kills off the enzymes that cause the issues, so you can enjoy it without paying the price. Start small and tread carefully.
QUICK SUGGESTIONS FOR USE:
Black Garlic can be bought as whole heads, individual cloves or pastes. I prefer the paste because it makes cooking/adding process a lot easier and smoother, no chopping, no crushing, it just melts into the dish. Because the flavour is so mellow, you can add it at any stage of the cooking process, as you don’t need to wait for it to be cooked down.
Unlike the majority of other condiments and ingredients I’ve covered so far, more is actually more. You don’t have to worry about overpowering a dish when cooking with black garlic, be generous.
Savoury
BA suggests to puree the heads with oil and use on top of breads, crostinis and other carby vessels
Make black garlic butter, spread it on everything
Love aioli? Sub white garlic with black garlic for a milder flavour
Mayu for topping off your ramen and other noodles dishes
Cheese lovers, a clove or two of black garlic (or a tub of paste) will make a great addition to your cheese board. Especially when paired with salty feta or blue cheese
I can never say no to chicken, so here’s a recipe for Crispy Chicken Thighs with Creamy Black Garlic Sauce
Add a new flavour dimension to your humous or any other legume based dip, by adding some black garlic to it
Upgrade your cheese on toast or toasties with addition of black garlic paste
Black garlic cuts well through fattiness so next time you’re cooking a red meat stew, bolognese or chilli, add some black garlic
As promised, another popcorn recipe, this time it’s Black Garlic & Sesame
Make a very indulgent Black Garlic & Red Wine gravy
Paired with soy sauce it makes a great flavour pairing for a stir fry
Blend some with olive oil for a tasty salad dressing
We’re still a few months away from soup season, but when it comes, you’ll be ready. Add black garlic to your favourite soups. Don’t be shy
Couldn’t leave you without a pasta recipe, could I? Mob’s Black Garlic & Feta Orzo
Sweet
Come on guys, nothing to see here
Drinks
Okay, this is not a recipe but you can infuse vodka with black garlic. Fortune favours the brave, so be bold and give it a go
Blasphemy or a tasty smoothie. You be the judge of that, I like my fruit whole
Even more recipes to get creative with:
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN
It’s a very lengthy process and the best piece of equipment to use is a trusty slow cooker or rice cooker. But keep in mind that it will need to be on for 6-8 weeks, and most kitchen equipment will auto turn off after prolonged use. The temperature needs to stay around 60°C and you don’t need anything else added to it. Pretty cool but I am not sure I’d commit a slow cooker for that long. And it’s always fun to watch BA’s Brad Leone make stuff, so enjoy this video of him making black garlic.
WHERE TO BUY
Direct from Black Garlic or pop into your local Sainsbury’s, your local deli may also have some, Sous Chef also stocks a selection, as well as Amazon and Ottolenghi (Ottolenghi one of the first adopters of black garlic, no surprise there).
Something to watch: Bake Off, The Professionals. I thought I’ve completely given up on Bake Off, but then I saw that someone I went to uni with posted that her fiancé is on it. So I had to watch and I loved it. Patisserie is my dream obsession (as in I dream of running a bakery, but I don’t proactively do anything about it). And I also a question - why can’t they host The Great British Bake Off in a purpose built kitchen rather than a sweaty tent that’s always at the wrong temperature?
Cookbooks to explore: Seeing as this week was about Black Garlic and preservation processes, all I want to recommend is The Noma Guide To Fermentation (there’s a whole section on black fruit & veg), but if you don’t want to build a fermentation tank, then treat yourself to Salt, Sugar, Smoke by Diane Henry
Let me know if you’ll be getting some black garlic or if you already had some and now are excited to use it regularly.
Anya xx
Coming up next week: Basil, Roasted Nectarine & Rose Syrup Pavlova for Appetite Extra and Rose Water deep dive on Sunday