Cooking with Garlic

Cooking with garlic is one skill that every chef needs to know about, as it is found in nearly every type of dish and sauce in world cuisine. Garlic was first grown for culinary use in Central Asia, and then was traded to the Mediterranean nations, where it became a staple part of the diet. It’s now grown in just about every country worldwide. Garlic also has a lot of medicinal benefits as well as being used in cooking.


Health Benefits of Garlic

Garlic has been used throughout the centuries as a general catch-all for all and any diseases. While it might not be the proverbial magic bullet, cooking with garlic can help with:

  • Acne - Garlic has great antibiotic and blood cleansing properties, so it can be used to help clear excess oil and dirt. As a warning, garlic should always be taken orally to gain the maximum benefit.

  • Antioxidants - Garlic naturally contains a protein called allicin which naturally increases antioxidants in your blood. Antioxidants help to purify your liver from alcohol and break down hard fat cells.

  • Blood pressure – Incredibly, cooking with garlic has been clinically proved to reduce the blood pressure of patients by up to 5%. This is due to its similar properties to aspirin which is often used as a blood thinner. This can help reduce the chances of strokes and heart attacks dramatically.
Cooking with GarlicGarlic Cloves, Ground Garlic and Garlic Granules

How to cook with garlic

Learning how to cook with herbs and spices is more than just working out how much to put in each recipe. You also need to know about how it is sold, as there will be a difference between fresh and dried in terms of taste and reactivity with your food. Garlic is normally sold in one of three ways:


  • In cloves – these will tend to be your cheapest option, but you’ll have to peel them and chop them up yourself, which isn’t the easy job. When you’re cooking with garlic, you’ll need to invest in a garlic press to save yourself time

  • Pre-crushed – pre-crushed garlic comes in jars that you can spoon out and add to any dish in a matter of seconds. However, you leave yourself with out the option of fine garlic slices or roasted cloves.

  • Powder – garlic powder is made from cloves that have been dried out and ground up. Only use this option if the recipe calls for it, as you won’t get as much flavor from this option.

Cooking with Garlic a GRILLED MUSHROOM RECIPE with garlic

There are literally hundreds of garlic recipes from around the world to choose from, whether it’s as a base for a marinara sauce or used to flavor roasted meat. The following is a simple recipe for garlic stuffed mushrooms, which can make a great appetizer or light snack. You’ll need


  • As many large flat mushrooms as you have guests, plus a few extra

  • Half a cup of crushed garlic cloves

  • Half a cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

  • Half a cup of breadcrumbs. For a better taste, used freshly chopped breadcrumbs rather than shop bought

  • Some olive oil. The more you can spend on olive oil, the better taste it will have.

Chop the stems off the mushrooms and clean the outside. You can scoop out the black insides to create more room, but these do add a certain amount of texture.

In a sauce pan, mix the garlic, cheese and breadcrumbs till the cheese melts and you end up with a thick paste. Because it’s such a simple plant, cooking with garlic is often this easy.

Spread the paste into the mushrooms and make it even. Try not to over stuff the mushrooms, as the garlic mixture will leak over the edge and ruin the look.

Drizzle the olive oil over the top and grill until golden brown. Serve with a simple side salad.

CREAM OF GARLIC SOUP GRATIN RECIPE

Cooking with garlic allows you to try this delicious creamy gratin soup.

  • 4 Slices French baguette bread
  • 2 Tablespoons freshly grated provolone cheese
  • 1 Medium chopped onion
  • 12 Large cloves garlic quartered
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 Tablespoons flour
  • 3 Cups beef broth
  • 1 Cup plus 2 tablespoons whipping cream
  • Salt/pepper to taste
  • Nutmeg to taste
  • 1 Teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 Teaspoon oregano

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Place bread on baking sheet and sprinkle with cheese; bake until cheese melts (A few minutes) and set aside.

Melt butter in Dutch oven; sauté onion and garlic until tender.

Stir in flour; cook and stir until golden brown.

Add beef broth: cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Puree mixture in food processor; return to Dutch oven.

Season soup with salt, pepper, nutmeg and lemon juice; add cream and reheat (Do not boil).

Ladle soup into bowls and top with a slice of toast; garnish with oregano.

Serves 4.

ROASTED GARLIC MAYONNAISE RECIPE

Cooking with garlic creates this versatile mayonnaise; use as regular mayonnaise.

  • 1 Roasted garlic bulb
  • ½ Cup vegetable oil divided
  • 1/3 Cup egg substitute
  • ½ Teaspoon dry mustard
  • 2 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

Squeeze pulp into blender from roasted garlic bulb; add ¼ cup oil, egg substitute, mustard and vinegar.

Process stopping to scrape down sides; add remaining oil as you process on high speed.

Whether you are cooking with garlic for the flavor or the health benefits, you may eventually find that you are adding a bit of garlic to just about every dish you cook.