Black garlic? No need to adjust your set. This garlic is fermented at high temperatures and then aged to transform the bulbs to this black color. It is a unique and flavorful ingredient that is used in Asian cuisine. I first heard of this from Zia from ‘Zia in the Kitchen’. She made a Morel risotto with her black garlic. Sandwiches are in vogue these days and I am going to jump on the bandwagon. An Asparagus sandwich with a black garlic cream cheese spread will be my creation.
Black garlic is sweet smelling with a slightly fermented odor. The flavor is like a balsamic vinegar or molasses with its sweetness. There is a lot of flavor in these cloves. Hints of vanilla, soy sauce and chocolate with a mushroom type finish are some of the flavors I experienced. The texture is soft and a little chewy.
A dollop of cream cheese and sour cream was mixed with half a dozen black garlic cloves. A pinch of horseradish and a little chopped green onion was added to put a little kick into this creation. The mixture was stirred until smooth. It was spread over some toasted sourdough bread and topped with freshly steamed asparagus. A leaf of lettuce cradled our sandwich filling. This was one beautiful sandwich. The garlic and cream cheese added such a dimension to our asparagus. Black garlic is a new tasty, complex ingredient that will have to be explored deeper. The sky is the limit of what we can create using black garlic. I cannot wait.
8 comments:
I agree, this looks and sounds like a beautiful sandwich! Gotta try me some of that black garlic.
Wow, I have never even _heard_ of black garlic! Or asparagus in sandwiches. Two new things to try!
Love that sando! Never even heard of black garlic. Learn something every day. Good brain exercise.
Lea Ann, Lots of flavor out of those little cloves.
Zoomie, The garlic was new. I eat Asparagus sandwiches all the time. I thought everybody did.
Greg, The horseradish gave it even more flavor. There was a lot going on in this sando.
Oh, I adore asparagus sandwiches.
Where did you get your black garlic?
cookiecrumb, You will have to sail your yacht across the bay to Berkeley Bowl West. It is worth it, just to see the vast collection of vegetables, meat, fish, and any food ingredient you could ever imagine at the Bowl.
Oh, I'll just get George Lucas to teleport me.
You know, I've NEVER been to Berkeley Bowl.
Looks like a tasty sandwich! I'm glad you got a chance to play with the garlic. I admit to planning my next foray already...
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