Smoked garlic can bring a subtle, gentler flavour to foods than its more popular raw cousin.
Holy Smoke, A Delicious New Way With Garlic
Dark golden in colour, and a great addition to a range of dishes, smoked garlic bulbs are becoming popular at farmers’ markets and greengrocers.
Smoked garlic has a gentle sweetness (similar to the flavour you get when you slow roast garlic), along with a beautiful rich smokiness. The bulbs cook slightly during the hot smoking technique, making them perfect to squeeze straight from their skins and add to dishes such as pastas, dressings, braises and soups.
For a deliciously decadent garlic bread, mix the cloves from one bulb with 150g softened butter and 2 tbsp chopped herbs. Spread into partially sliced cuts made in a baguette. Wrap in foil and bake at 180°C (160°C fan forced) for 20 minutes.
Or try spreading the cloves onto slices of charred sourdough; top with a drizzle of olive oil and crumble over goat’s cheese for a quick appetiser. You can buy the bulbs whole to separate as needed, or in jars as single cloves.
However, if you can’t find smoked garlic, it is easy to make yourself at home. Smoked garlic can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two months.