Chef's Guide to Using Gourmet Garlic

 

Just like wines, we have found that certain gourmet garlic varieties add a flourish or finishing touch to different dishes. Below are our garlic recommendations for using garlic in ethnic cooking:

Asian Cooking with Garlic *See Susan's 3S (sweet, sour and spicy) Garlic Boost below

Asian Tempest: sweet bell pepper taste that completes a dish, no heat (one of Edna's favorite)

Tzan: no heat, yummy round flavor not recognizable as garlic

Parvin: punches up the flavor with lasting fiery heat

Red Rezan: mild heat, adds a tasty unique flavor

Georgian Crystal: medium true garlic flavor

Picture: A flavorful Romanian Red garlic bulb rests with fresh heirloom tomatoes. Romanian Red tastes great with Italian tomato dishes.

Italian Cooking with Garlic

Parvin: garlic heat and flavor that lasts

Romanian Red: lasting heat with excellent garlic flavor (very popular with customers)

Georgian Crystal: medium heat and good garlic flavor

Bogatyr: no heat, but one of the best 'garlic tasting' garlics (Susan loves the total garlic experience)

Lorz Italian: bold garlic flavor that is hotter than most softnecks

 

Mexican Cooking with Garlic

Georgian Crystal: great flavor with medium heat, doesn't compete with other flavors

Romanian Red: lasting spicy hot flavor

Parvin: great addition to hot spicy sauces

German Red: complex flavor for hardier dishes (especially pork!)

 

German Cooking with Garlic

German Red: the best garlic for heavy meats and stews (Jane's favorite)

Phillips: Adds nice clean heat

 

French Cooking with Garlic

Thermadrone: this is an authentic French garlic that adds a special something to Julia Child recipes! True garlic flavor with no heat.

Picture: Porcelain garlics, like Georgian Crystal, Parvin and Romanian Red, have very large cloves that are easy to use in cooking (especially for us lazy cooks that don't like to peel a lot of small garlic cloves!)

 

Middle American Cooking with Garlic

Siberian: mild flavor that hints at garlic

Georgian Crystal: clear garlic flavor, medium heat

Thermadrone: mild flavor

German Red: heavier complex flavor with no heat when cooked

Red Rezan: mild heat and great taste

 

Barbecues, Marinades and Rubs with Garlic

Parvin: add spicy heat for adventuresome foods

Romanian Red: hot taste and excellent flavor

Georgian Crystal: medium heat with great garlic flavor

Asian Tempest: sweet complex taste

Tzan: adds zing without saying garlic (Susan thinks Tzan is yummy!)

Red Rezan: adds a unique complete taste

Lorz Italian: adds a bold heat

 

Roasted Garlic

Chesnok Red: excellent sweet flavor

Siberian: consistently a mild but tasty favorite with our friends

 

To add oomph to your stir fries try:

Susan's 3S (sweet, sour and spicy) Garlic Boost

This is an all purpose stir fry flavor boost that I use quite a bit. You can adjust the flavors depending on how much you love garlic or ginger. Fresh ginger is really essential to get the 'zing' of this sauce. I used to think I didn't like ginger. Then I tried fresh grated ginger and WOW! It turned out I just didn't like powdered ginger which has a much harsher taste. Fresh ginger is 'hot' so if your tastes run to mild adjust amount downward.

By the way, if you want the best ginger cookies and pumpkin pie ever, use fresh grated ginger and nutmeg instead of dried. You will not believe the difference in taste!

Mix together:
1-2 medium/large cloves garlic (minced or grated)
1-2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
dash of cayenne pepper (amount depends on your tolerance for heat)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup picante sauce (any kind, I use a tomato/pepper based and medium heat)
1 teaspoon salt (or bullion or Better than Bouillon, flavor depending on your dish)
splash of fish sauce (between 1/2-2 teaspoons - add more for seafood dishes and less for meat or vegetable stir fries)
1-2 teaspoons lime juice (can substitute lemon juice or vinegar)

Susan's 3S Garlic Boost is pretty hot and spicy. I like to use this as a marinade for meat/seafood or vegetables (5-30 minutes) before tossing them in the stir fry. You can add Garlic Boost when stir fry is nearly done cooking for a very intense flavor. To thicken Susan's 3S Garlic Boost, mix in 1-2 teaspoons of potato starch (or cornstarch, although once you try potato starch you will not go back to corn starch).

This recipe is good with any garlic variety. For extreme heat use Romanian Red or Parvin in this dish and increase the cayenne pepper and ginger (can add a real chopped hot pepper too). Georgian Crystal and Tzan add an excellent flavor to stir fries and Asian Tempest or Chesnok Red adds sweetness.