Cooking-with-Garlic-4-Preparation-Techniques
January 18, 2012
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Chicago
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Cooking with Garlic: 4 Preparation Techniques
Garlic is one of the most popular spices in any houses cupboard. Whether making a batch of hummus or whipping up lasagna, you cannot go wrong keeping garlic on hand. Not only does garlic taste good but it is also extremely nutritious with a wide variety of health benefits. Enrolling in cooking classes at a Chicago culinary school is a great way to learn all about garlic and its many uses but here are 4 different preparation techniques to get you started.
Buying and Storing Garlic
If you would like to keep fresh garlic on hand it is important to know what to look for and how to store it properly. When shopping at your local market, look for bulbs that are firm with a dry, papery covering. Avoid buying bulbs that have sprouted as they are usually old and were not dried properly. Once you get your garlic home be sure to store it in a cool place away from direct sunlight. Never store garlic in plastic or an airtight container as it needs to breathe and avoid keeping it in the refrigerator where it is likely to get soggy and moldy.
Roasted Garlic
This is one of the easiest ways to prepare garlic and is a great accompaniment for bread and olive oil or served on the side with a cheese or tapas plate. Start with whole bulbs of garlic and using a sharp knife cut off about the top half inch to expose cloves inside. Leaving the paper on and the rest of the bulb intact, place your bulbs in a shallow oven dish and drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil. Finally cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Garlic is done when it has browned and is very soft when poked with a fork.
Garlic Presses
When making garlic bread or any other recipe that requires crush garlic a garlic press can make a great kitchen asset. A garlic press which uses a piston to force the garlic clove through small wholes is a fast and easy alternative to mincing garlic and because the peel gets stuck in the press you don’t even have to peel your garlic first. There is a hot debate on whether garlic presses affect the flavor of your garlic and the issue has polarized many famous chefs. Attending cooking classes is a great way to learn more about the subtleties of garlic preparation and Chicago culinary schools offer a unique variety of these courses.
Sliced Garlic
The finer garlic is chopped the stronger the flavor will be. This is why whole roasted cloves have a sweet, mild flavor where as your minced or smashed garlic is very strong. Sometimes in cooking you want to add just a hint of garlic to a dish and this is where sliced garlic can come in handy. Just peel your cloves of garlic and then, using a sharp knife, cut into thin crosswise slices. For the mildest flavor, add garlic at the beginning of cooking your recipe. If you like a stronger flavor, add your slices toward the end of the cooking process.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in Chicago, Illinois. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Chicago for more information.
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