i can't remember where i first had black garlic. i remember it was in a pasta,
probably about a year ago, at a restaurant. unexpected minced bits of
savory sweetness, slightly chewy, custardy, notes of balsamic vinegar.
i asked the chef what it was, he told me, i looked at him confusedly.
turns out, black garlic is garlic that has been fermented at a high temperature.
originally found in asian cuisine, the black garlic company has popularized the
ingredient in the u.s. and europe, making it available for purchase online and
in high-end gourmet grocery stores. sebastian and i picked up a little container
when we were in california, and only just cooked with it last night
(another great thing about it: since its fermented, it doesn't really go bad).
there aren't many recipes around that use the stuff, so we came up with
a linguini that was sort of a mix of this recipe from the website and
this one that i found in a random search.
only edit? my approach when it comes to normal garlic is the more the better.
that theory doesn't quite apply to the sweetness of black garlic.
a little goes a long way, and be sure to balance out the sweetness with salt.
..........
