GARLIC: LESS IS MORE

 

Only a few cloves of garlic to flavor a simple oil sauce.

Two big wild-caught sole (each almost a pound and a half) called for a really simple preparation. I roasted them whole and served the fish with a refrito de ajo, olive oil with garlic. 

“Refrito” means “refried,” but the preparation is not actually refried. It’s more of a value-added technique—a couple of cloves of sliced garlic infuse the oil with subtle flavor.  A little goes a long way. The golden garlic chips are a bonus. Add parsley or vinegar or pimentón if you like. But a refrito is, basically, just garlic and oil. 

I needed only two or three cloves of garlic for the refrito. In three heads of garlic, I found not a single clove that was usable! They were shrivelled, discolored or hardened and, in one case, actually moldy.  

All of the garlic, both purple and white varieties, was recently purchased. I’m guessing that somewhere on the supply chain, the garlic had been kept in storage too long or subjected to heat and light. In the natural cycle, by late winter, properly stored garlic will begin to germinate, showing a sliver of a green sprout in the center of the cloves. It’s still perfectly usable. But these exemplars were long past sprouting. 

Option: remove germ in garlic.

Some cooks recommend removing the germ, as it, supposedly, is slightly bitter. Other cooks sniff at the idea. A Spanish campesino advised me to always remove the germ if the garlic is to be used raw, as in gazpacho, para que no se repite, so that it doesn’t “repeat,” in other words, so you don’t burp up garlic fumes for the rest of the day.  

How to use refrito? Spoon it, still warm, over grilled, baked or poached fish and shellfish. Spread it on steak or lamb chops, with or without the addition of some red pepper flakes. Add chopped parsley to the refrito and serve with boiled or baked potatoes. Ladle the oil over vegetables—it´s especially good with artichokes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, spinach, chard, green beans. Add diced serrano or ibérico ham to the garlic oil and toss it with cooked artichoke hearts. Add a spoonful of vinegar to the oil and drizzle it over lentils or other legumes. Slather it on wedge salad. Dress cooked rice with it. Toss it with hot, cooked pasta.

Cooked artichoke hearts dressed with refrito de ajo to which diced serrano ham has been added. 

Bright broccoli is dressed with garlic oil, finished with flaky salt.

Add chopped parsley or other fresh herbs to the garlic oil. Spoon it over boiled or baked potatoes.

Garlic oil with ham is the topping for split pea soup. The garlic oil is the perfect last touch for legumes of any sort. 

Roasted sole finished with garlic oil and parsley. Minimalist. (Photo by Sharman Haley.)

Garlic Oil

Refrito de Ajo

Use enough oil so that the garlic floats in the oil. Moderate the temperature so the garlic doesn’t brown too fast. The garlic-infused oil can be strained and saved for another use—homemade mayonnaise, salad dressing, fried potatoes.

Don’t salt the garlic oil, as the salt won’t dissolve in the oil. But, be sure to sprinkle salt over the food after adding the garlic oil. 

3-4 cloves garlic

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Coarse or flaky salt, to serve

Optional additions

1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley or other fresh herbs

1 teaspoon pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika)

2 tablespoons diced serrano ham

Red pepper flakes or a small red chile

Peel the cloves of garlic. Remove green germ in the center of the cloves, if desired. Slice the garlic crosswise, about 1/8-inch thick. 

Remove garlic and oil from the heat when garlic turns golden. The garlic will continue to cook in the hot oil.

Heat the oil on medium-high in a small skillet. Add the sliced garlic and let it become golden. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add optional additions to the hot oil. Immediately pour oil and garlic into a heat-proof bowl. 

Serve the garlic oil hot or room temperature. Spoon it over the prepared food and sprinkle with salt to taste. 

Variations on garlic-olive oil sauces:

Garlic-Pimentón Sauce (Ajada).

Garlic-Oil Dressing for Grilled Foods (Aliño).

Garlic-Parsley-Oil for Fish (Aliño).

Garlic-Herb Sauce (Chimichurri).