Experimenting with garlic, does cooking kill the flavour?
I have been experimenting by adding extra cloves of garlic into my pasta sauce every time I cook it. I make a quick pasta sauce by caramelizing onions in a pan, adding very finely chopped fresh garlic (its practically a paste), and whatever other vegetables is my pick for the night. Then I add chopped tomatoes/passata and reduce.
It seems to me no matter how much garlic I add, I do not get a harsh flavour. I just get a nice, deep, complex yet subtle flavour that I wouldn't instantly attribute to garlic.
I am currently at the stage where I am adding more than half a bulb of garlic to a one person sauce.
Is there any point in adding this much garlic? Is the garlic responsible for this "nice, deep, complex flavour"? Would the same effect be achieved with less garlic which is more coarsely chopped?
I understand that the longer garlic cooks, the weaker the "garlic" flavour gets, but is this flavour disappearing or is it developing into a new flavour?
Best Answer
Garlic mellows pretty rapidly with heat. Dropping it 2 minutes before you've completed sautéeing your onions is enough to knock the raw edge off it - in fact that's the common deciding factor as to when to add your liquids, "Fry until the raw smell is gone".
After that, the longer it simmers the more 'relaxed' it gets.
If you want more punch, try adding some more fresh right at the end.
You'd be surprised, too, how much punch you can get adding dried garlic powder right at the end too. I use it in tarka dal to really give some 'front' to the flavour & aroma as it is served.
Pictures about "Experimenting with garlic, does cooking kill the flavour?"
Quick Answer about "Experimenting with garlic, does cooking kill the flavour?"
Those all-important garlic enzymes are inactivated by heat, and the allicin compound is destroyed during cooking. So garlic mellows as it cooks, and is most pungent in it fresh, raw form.Should you cook garlic before adding to sauce?
Not cooking the garlic correctly According to Dechellis, you should wait until the oil is rippling hot before adding garlic in order to avoid clumping and burning. Be patient and let it cook to a golden brown for a nice toasted flavor.Can garlic be added after cooking?
Keep an eye on the garlic and, once it begins to turn golden-brown, bring the heat down and add whatever's coming next in the recipe. Once the garlic is safe from the hot oil \u2014 sitting on a bed of vegetables, for example, or stirred into a sauce \u2014 then you'll be okay to turn the heat back up.How do you get rid of garlic taste in Bolognese?
What You Need to counteract too much garlicCan you boil garlic with pasta?
In a skillet, saute garlic in oil on low heat, just hot enough to make the garlic sizzle; about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with basil, oregano, parsley, and crushed red pepper, and remove from heat. In a large bowl, toss cooked pasta with garlic and herb mixture, and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes.Eat Garlic Every Day, And See What Happens to You
More answers regarding experimenting with garlic, does cooking kill the flavour?
Answer 2
What you are discovering is that you can control they way garlic impacts a dish. You do this depending on how it is cut, chopped, mashed...and cooked (from raw to lightly toasted to slowly caramelized...)... and when it is added to the dish. Raw garlic is certainly more "harsh" than cooked. You will have to decide how much is enough...or too much. The flavor will not cook away, but does change.
Answer 3
Adding to what Moscafj said, the reason you get the harsh flavor is a chemical called allicin, which forms as soon as the cell walls of the garlic are broken. That's from this video (check around 6:42 for the discussion of garlic). Some pasta sauces have you introduce differently cut/grated garlic at different times so that you can layer different flavors.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: VinÃcius Caricatte, Kristya Nugraha, Engin Akyurt, Engin Akyurt