A Caramelized Black Treat
When it comes to garlic, I always say “yes,” and, then, “more.” Hardnecks, softnecks, green garlic, scapes, and ramps (I know, I know, it’s technically a wild onion, but ramps taste more like garlic)...they all find favor in my kitchen. And so I was pretty happy recently when, walking past the Essex Garlic booth at the Ivoryton Market one recent Saturday, I found some black garlic for sale.
Black garlic is regular, raw garlic that’s aged and fermented until it’s a caramelized black treat. It is, as its name suggests, black, almost alarmingly so. It tastes a little sweet with a bit of tangy. The consistency ranges from dried fruit to jam. According to the folks at Essex Garlic Company, based in Ivoryton, black garlic’s caramelized flavor is created by heating bulbs of garlic slowly over the course of several weeks.
The Essex Garlic Company offers several recipes for its use as well, including one for black garlic kale, another for black garlic aioli, and this one for black garlic vinaigrette. You can get black garlic from a variety of retailers online, including Obis One and Amazon.com, but local is always best, so next time you’re at the Ivoryton Market, check out the Essex Garlic Company booth to see if they have some in stock. The market is on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through October. Depending on availability, Essex Garlic also stocks several varieties of hardnecks, including German white, Spanish roja, and metechi. They also often have potatoes, and a wealth of garlic gadgets for you to play with in your kitchen.
Black Garlic Vinaigrette
Recipe by Obis One
from the Essex Garlic Company
Ingredients:
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
6 black garlic cloves
½ tablespoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon shallot, minced
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
Directions
In your food processor, pulse all of the ingredients minus the shallots and thyme. Once the black garlic looks pulverized, remove mixture from bowl. Stir in shallot and thyme shortly before serving.