Garlic in Three Acts

Science + loads of garlic
= Ridiculously rich flavors.

Taste & See: I'm not so great at following directions, especially with no obvious rationale. If "Because I said so" barely works with a live person I trust, what makes some cookbook author think I'm going to take orders from their invisible authority? But explain to me why I need to stir constantly, or use two separate bowls for wet & dry ingredients, and baby, I'm all yours.

Enter Cooks Illustrated. Recipes in Cooks Illustrated (magazine + wonderful website with loads of archives) take some degree of commitment; the articles explain all the methods that didn't work before getting to the secret of, for example, the juiciest chicken you'll ever eat. But when you finally get to cooking, you not only know what you're doing, but why. And for me, that is the true secret of good food.

For example, garlic. How do you get the most garlic flavor out of a handful of cloves? The very idea of infusing garlic into oil in three different stages would get a laziness veto, absent more information. But after reading Cooks Illustrated's brief lesson on garlic molecules I'm all but a three-stage evangelist.

The Basic Science: The compound in garlic that gives it the garlicky flavor you know & love is called allicin. Allicin is produced when garlic is cut or crushed, but quickly degrades when exposed to air. However, if you put the garlic in oil, allicin dissolves & the garlicky flavor dissolve into the oil.

When you marinate something, for example, shrimp, in oil with garlic, the garlic flavor from the oil coats the shrimp--even parts of it not in direct contact with garlic--and infuses the shrimp with even flavor. It is important to add a little salt as well; salt draws water, containing allicin, out of the garlic, and into the shrimp, at a faster rate than it would migrate on its own.

Do It Yourself: My recipe is modified from a slightly more complex Spanish Style Garlic Shrimp, as featured in Cooks Illustrated.


I made the shrimp twice but found the oil took on an incredible richness even without the shrimp and have since used it as a dipping oil. According to Cooks Illustrated, the three stages of garlic bring out three different dimensions of flavor. According to my taste buds, Cooks Illustrated is right.

What you need:

1 Lb Prawns, peeled, deveined, with tails removed (or approx 6 per person, optional)
Olive Oil
14-16 Medium Garlic Cloves, peeled
Salt
1-2 Mild Dried Chilies
Bay Leaves
1 1/2 tsp Sherry Vinegar
1 tbsp Fresh Parsley Leaves, chopped

What you need to do:

The basic recipe has three steps to impart three different kinds of flavor. You can make shrimp in garlic oil, plain garlic oil, or just use these techniques as part of other recipes that involve garlic and oil to bring out the best garlicky flavor. [Photos, Cooks Illustrated]

1. Marinade: "Raw=Pungent: The minced garlic in the marinade gets cooked briefly with the shrimp, maintaining a hint of raw-garlic pungency."

Chop garlic into small pieces & add to oil with a little salt. Toss with whatever you want to marinate. Tip: Put in ziplock bag for even coating & easy cleanup.


2. Browned: "Browned=Sweet: Gently browning smashed whole garlic cloves infuses the olive oil with a sweet roasted-garlic flavor."

Smash 4-5 large garlic cloves by setting a large knife over the cloves and smashing on the knife with your fist. Cook over medium low heat in olive oil covering large sauce pan 1/2 inch. When bottom browns, about 4 minutes, flip and brown on opposite side about 4 minutes more. Take out & set aside.


3. Poached: "Poached=Mellow: Sliced garlic cooked gently in low-temperature olive oil loses its harsh flavor, becoming soft and mellow."

Slice 6-8 garlic cloves thinly, length wise and add to oil. Heat, stirring occasionally, until slices are soft but not brown, about 6 minutes, and re-add browned cloves and add other herbs as you desire.


To make Spanish Style Garlic Shrimp (or just Garlic Oil):

Marinate shrimp in 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, and a bit of salt & let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Omit this step to make oil only.

Brown 4-5 garlic cloves in oil as directed above. Remove cloves from oil and set aside.

Poach the remaining garlic cloves on low heat as directed above.

Add 1 bay leaf (or 1 tsp crumbled bay leaves) and 1-2 small whole dried chilies. Careful, the heat gets infused into the oil quickly so only use 1 if you don't like it hot. Increase heat to medium low.

Add shrimp with marinade, if using, in single layer in pan.

Leave shrimp undisturbed until oil gently bubbles, then flip shrimp and cook until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.

Increase heat to high and add sherry and parsley, stirring constantly until shrimp are fully cooked and oil is bubbling vigorously, 15-20 seconds. The oil, if made with shrimp, is not unlike the lusty shrimp I described from Zatinya:


Enjoy with crusty bread and good wine!