How to make garlic infused olive oil
I’m always excited to see the first fresh local garlic appear at my farmers market here is Southern Ontario. It’s still too early for the fully formed, fragrant bulbs, but in the mean time, there’s spring garlic!
Also known as green garlic, spring garlic is milder in flavour than mature garlic, and surprisingly, smells a bit sweet when you smash open a clove with the back of your knife. The long green fronds, and sometimes even the scapes (the earliest shoots of new garlic that come up first thing in the spring) are still attached, making this a versatile find. You can use the soft part of the green shoots as you would a green onion, by trimming the root end and chopping to throw into an omelette or a stir fry, for example. The flavour is stronger than onion, but will mellow when cooked.
To use your garlic raw, simply chop into a salad, puree into a dressing or add into a sauce. You could also use it to jazz up your hummus or add it into a chimichurri sauce or salsa.
The spring garlic bulbs themselves can be used the same way you would use regular garlic, keeping in mind that they will have a milder flavour than mature garlic. I like to use spring garlic to infuse olive oil. You get a nice hit of garlic, that’s not too strong and it gives the olive oil an earthy, fresh taste. The recipe below uses only garlic, but feel free to experiment by adding other herbs or spices such as rosemary, oregano, dried pepper flakes or cumin. Keeping in mind that spring garlic is milder than it’s parent, avoid adding too many different flavours at the same time.
In spite of it’s milder flavour, spring garlic delivers the same powerhouse of nutritional benefits as regular garlic: It is a powerful antioxidant, helps to protect your liver and aids in digestion. Garlic enhances your immune system function, improves circulation and can lower blood pressure. Garlic may also suppress the cancer-causing effects of heterocyclic amines (HCA’s) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s) that can form when grilling or cooking red meat at high heat, and to a lesser extent, poultry or fish.
Let’s Make This:
Ingredients:
1 bulb, (about 4 cloves), spring garlic
1/2 C good quality, extra virgin olive oil
This is How:
Separate cloves from the bulb and smash between the broad side of a chef knife and your hand. Remove the skins and discard.
Place garlic cloves and olive oil in a small saucepan.
Simmer very gently over low heat for about 5 minutes. Don’t walk away! You want your garlic to be lightly golden and fragrant, not burned.
Remove from heat, pour oil and garlic into a small bowl and allow to cool completely.
Once cooled, pour oil into through a strainer into an airtight container, such as a small mason jar.
Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Makes 1/2 C.