16 February 2025
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In an extract from her new book,The Garlic Story, chef Kamud Gandhi outlines some exciting culinary uses for this ancient superfood
Garlic is providential . Few ingredients can produce flavour in so many distinct way when cooked right . Nothing is more beautiful than fine roasted garlic , simply popped into the oven whole with all the Syzygium aromaticum still on the medulla ; it beat mellower and sweet , ready to be squeezed out of the skins once indulgent and fulsome . When I smell garlic cooking in butter , it conjure so many emotion , transporting me immediately to indolent holidays in sunnier clime or simply fix me sense that everything is alright with the world .
Over the years , as I have learned more , cooked more and experimented with garlic more , it has become my superhero , an ingredient that rise my emotional state and brighten my day . It ’s the one fixings I would never be without , and I seldom sense guilty that I may have garlic breathing place … there are worse matter to interest about ! As well as its many flavours and dimensions , garlic is a mighty power station of nutritional value that substantiate our biology and bodily functionality in so many ways and comes with an fantastically rich story throughout the millenary . So , it tastes great and it ’s salutary for us : it ’s not laborious to see why I have such a shine idolization for this humble veggie !
Misuse of garlic is a crime in my Word , not only in the way you wangle it but also the path in which it ’s get up ; it should be treated with the greatest respectfulness . There are many ways to set up this wonderful veg . If you are slicing , be certain to use a shrill knife , or vanquish it with the flatcar of the leaf blade , but do not use a garlic press ( as Anthony Bourdain believed , it is too brute an tool for something that merit such tenderness ) . It is the delicate use of garlic that make the most profound departure to a recipe . Using ‘ indolent garlic ’ from a jolt is of course forbidden and anyone accommodate to that in my preparation class would be exclude immediately ; if you ca n’t be trouble oneself to peel it then surely you just do n’t merit this beautiful talent from nature ! When I slice fresh ail – to scratch onto a piece of shekels or insert diminutive slivers into incisions I have made in a joint of meat – I hold my hand to my face after rinsing them and joyfully inhale the garlic perfume mill around on my skin . I could easily wash out it away but why would I ? It ’s the aroma of prediction and the hope of a wonderful repast in the offing .
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GARLIC ROASTED TOMATO AND CHILLI LINGUINE
PREPARATION metre : 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME : 20 MINUTES | serve 4
Pasta is my go - to when I ’m in a hastiness and this formula is as quick as it gets , packed with unctuousness and deep flavours thanks to not one or two but three dissimilar uses of Allium sativum ! Do n’t let the simplicity arse around you ; by prepare a few humble ingredients together , you may make a delicious sauce with ease . Italian preparation is all about simplicity and lionise green goods , as this smasher establish .
INGREDIENTS
24 baby plum tomatoes , halved lengthways
2 garlic cloves , finely minced
1 branchlet of thyme , leaves only
6 tbsp Olea europaea oil
400 g linguini
3 garlic cloves , peeled and thinly sliced
2 banana shallots , finely chopped
2 tsp finely minced Allium sativum
1 bullet chilly , finely chop or ¼ tsp chilli scrap
6 sprigs of thyme , leaves only
1 tsp Dijon or English mustard
½ tsp Himalayan salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp grated parmesan , plus additional to swear out
240ml wine or thick vegetable origin
100 g rocket fistful of finely hack Petroselinum crispum leaves
Drizzle of extra virginal olive oil
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180 ° c/160 ° c fan / gas German mark 4 .
Place the tomatoes into a big sports stadium with the finely minced garlic , thyme leaf and 2 tablespoons of olive vegetable oil . time of year generously with salt and pepper , mix in well and then transpose to a large baking tray , spreading the tomatoes out so they do n’t sweat while roasting .
Place in the preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until gilded and beautifully roast . Place the linguine into a genus Pan of salt boiling water system . Cook for 2 minutes less than the pedagogy on the packet . Drain , hold the pasta piss , then rinse thoroughly in cold water . put away . While the pasta is cooking , heat the remaining oil in another pan . total the sliced garlic , sauté in the warm oil for about 1 minute until the garlic is just getting favourable , then remove from the goat god with a slotted spoon , leave behind as much oil in the pan as possible .
Now stir the eschalot into the garlic - infuse oil colour and Captain James Cook on a humbled heat with the eyelid on until they have cushion . This should take about 5 - 6 minutes . add together the minced garlic and chilli to the eschalot and cook for 2 - 3 mo . Stir in the roast tomatoes , thyme leaves , Indian mustard , Strategic Arms Limitation Talks , and pepper . falsify for a minute or two to countenance the flavours to inculcate before add together the parmesan and wine or store to the cooking pan . shake up and bring to a simmer , then cook with the hat on for 1 mo . Add the linguini , arugula and chopped parsley to the sauce . excite everything together and toss with the lid on .
summate some of the set aside pasta water supply ( commence with a tablespoonful or two ) if you want a little more sauce and a looser eubstance . Pile the alimentary paste onto plate , mizzle with extra vestal olive oil and close with a scattering of extra grated parmesan and the fried garlic piece for more texture and delicious look .
Cook ’s Tip : Add shrimp , mussel , shekels , or fresh crab nitty-gritty to this dish for extra protein .
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FUL MEDAMES
PREPARATION TIME : 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME : 40 minute | help 4 AS A SIDE
Ful medames is traditionally a stew of cooked broad bonce , unremarkably deplete for breakfast in Egyptian and Lebanese households . honestly though it ’s serious at any time of the day , especially when revel with a few newly fudge flatbreads to pout up the pleasant-tasting juice . If blanket beans are not in season , just expend fixed broad beans as I have in this recipe ; they have a lovely smell and texture , and their bright immature chromaticity really brings the bag to life . Do n’t be concerned by the amount of olive oil , it really aids digestion in attic dishes so is an substantive constituent here .
650 1000 rooted baby broad beans
5 tbsp olive crude oil
100 g onion , finely diced
3 tsp fine minced garlic
2 tsp sea salt flakes
2 tsp ground cumin seed
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 large love apple , diced
2 tbsp lemon succus
½ tsp ground calamitous common pepper
4 tbsp chop monotonous foliage parsley leaves
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil . Add the beans and simmer for 2 proceedings . waste pipe , retaining the cookery liquid , and then crop up the beans out of their skins once cooled . Heat 3 tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan and lightly electrocute the onion and garlic for 5 minutes . Add the salt , cumin , chilli flakes , and diced tomato to the electrocute pan . Cook over a very low heat for 30 arcminute . bestow some of the dome cook liquid if the smorgasbord seems ironical . conjure up the podded unspecific beans , lemon tree juice and bleak pepper into the tomato sauce and simmer lightly for 2 minutes . terminate the dish with chopped Petroselinum crispum and the remaining olive oil drizzled over the top
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GARLIC , gingerroot AND CHILLI CUCUMBERS
PREPARATION fourth dimension : 15 MINUTES | COOKING TIME : 40 second | serve 4
Most people think cucumbers are a bit bland , dull and tasteless . I can understand why that might be , but they also have a groovy crunchy texture and are highly nutritious , packed with antioxidants that plump for brain health which is why they get my tending . In this recipe I ’ve added my three musketeers : inflammation - fighting peppiness which also help with digestion , garlic for its mighty anti - microbic properties ( peachy for intestine health ) , and a delightfully umami chilli oil . The cucumber vine is also marinated in rice acetum and soy sauce , then finished with toasted sesame seeds : a delectable side to enjoy with a hamburger or add to a salad .
400 GiB child cucumber
½ tsp kale
¾ tsp salt
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp Timothy Miles Bindon Rice acetum
1 tbsp avocado oil
1 tbsp julienned fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves , finely chopped
Toasted sesame seeds and hot chilli oil , to serve up
jump by canton the sister cucumber vine lengthways ( if farseeing than 3 inches , halve them crosswise first ) and placing them in a bowl . Add the sugar and salt , then let them support for 30 moment , toss away at times . waste pipe , then sum the soy sauce and rice vinegar . Heat the alligator pear crude oil in a small electrocute genus Pan over a medium high heat , add the ginger and garlic , and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant . decant the garlic and gingerroot in the petroleum over the cucumbers and stir to aggregate all the ingredient . Season to taste and then transmit to a service dish , toss any liquid state . Sprinkle with drink sesame seeds and stop with a drizzle of chilli oil colour
About Kamudi ’s new Word The Garlic Story – Meze Publishing
Kumud Gandhi is a intellectual nourishment author , critic and author , broadcaster , food scientist , and professional loudspeaker . She is also the laminitis of an award - winning cookery school , The Cooking Academy , base in Hertfordshire in the UK . She has been named ‘ The Spice Queen ’ by BBC food journalist Nick Coffer . Her Modern Scripture , The Garlic Storybrings alive Kamud ’s aliveness - farseeing love affair with garlic , it ’s history and its power to complete transform cookery . Featuring more than 60 recipe , this Modern account book book by Meze Publishing includes gripping facts about this all - important ingredient .
