Garlic

Garlic is one of the most widely used aromatics in cooking. A member of the allium family alongside onions, shallots, and leeks, it adds depth and warmth to almost any savoury dish.

Buying and selecting

Look for firm, plump bulbs with tight, papery skin. Avoid heads that feel soft, hollow, or have visible green sprouts — these are past their prime and will taste bitter. Smaller cloves tend to be more pungent than large ones.

Preparation

How you prepare garlic affects its intensity:

• Minced or pressed — strongest flavour; releases the most allicin
• Sliced — moderate flavour; good for sautéing
• Whole cloves — mildest; great for slow roasting or confiting
• Grated — dissolves into sauces and dressings

Tip: Let minced garlic rest for 10 minutes before cooking. This gives the allicin time to develop fully, producing a more complex flavour even after heat is applied.

Cooking with garlic

Garlic burns easily and turns bitter when overcooked. Add it after onions have softened, and cook for just 30–60 seconds until fragrant. If a recipe calls for browning garlic, keep the heat at medium and stir constantly.

Roasted garlic is a different ingredient entirely — sweet, mellow, and spreadable. Cut the top off a whole head, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 200°C (400°F) for 35–40 minutes.

Varieties

• Softneck — the standard supermarket variety. Milder, stores well, and has many cloves per head.
• Hardneck — more complex flavour with fewer, larger cloves. Produces scapes in spring (edible flower stalks).
• Black garlic — fermented at low heat for weeks. Sweet, umami-rich, with no raw bite.