Garlic

[Minotier]

I know onion has antiseptic properties, but never heard of garlic as anaesthetic? For some reason I don't think I will be putting it to test any time soon though..

When I had my last serious operation 3 years ago, my Spanish anaesthetist recommended that I eat as much garlic as possible.
She said '' It was strongly believed by medical professionals in Spain that eating large amounts of garlic aided wound repair''.
She also said it had anti-biotic properties.
Needless to say this increased my consumption of garlic quite a bit and still include it when possible, which is easy when you follow a Mediterranean diet.

 

[User169]

Slightly disagree here: garlic in mussels sauce, oh yes (mussels livornese ) mayo on mussels ... maybe not, you stop tasting the mussels for the mayo.
Anyway, fairly enjoying this thread!

I think the mayo is intended for the frites that accompany the mussels. The Belgies and Dutch find the thought of chips without mayo somewhat unnatural.

 

[Minotier]

I think the mayo is intended for the frites that accompany the mussels. The Belgies and Dutch find the thought of chips without mayo somewhat unnatural.

Chips without Mayo is naught but the work of the Devil

 

[User482]

Chips without Mayo is naught but the work of the Devil

Mayo = devil spunk.

 

[swee'pea99]

When I had my last serious operation 3 years ago, my Spanish anaesthetist recommended that I eat as much garlic as possible.
She said '' It was strongly believed by medical professionals in Spain that eating large amounts of garlic aided wound repair''.
She also said it had anti-biotic properties.
Needless to say this increased my consumption of garlic quite a bit and still include it when possible, which is easy when you follow a Mediterranean diet.

I would munch it like popcorn, but I have to live with the humans.

 

[Monsieur Remings]

At a rough guess:
Shredded wild garlic leaves, toasted pinenuts, grated parmesan, olive oil. Mash up together. Dollop on freshly cooked pasta.

Unfortunately the seasons don't match, otherwise I'd have suggested replacing the pinenuts with fresh cobnuts.

Nice one SRW, shall give that a go next spring.

 

[theclaud]

At a rough guess:
Shredded wild garlic leaves, toasted pinenuts, grated parmesan, olive oil. Mash up together. Dollop on freshly cooked pasta.

That's about the strength of it. I just blitz the leaves in a food processor. The relative proportions are a matter of experiment and preference, but the limiting factors are usually the Parmesan and the pine nuts, because they are so expensive. It freezes well. The leaves get slightly bitter once it has started to flower, but if you've not collected them before it's reassuring to see the little white flowers in bud in the spring, because people have been known to confuse the leaves with the deadly poisonous autumn crocus.

 

[jim55]

contrary to most ,i bloody hate garlic ,i love curries and know its used a lot in them ,if its masked with chilis etc then fine ,but im physically sick if its an overpowering taste (garlic bread or the like )
i made toast at my mates and used home made garlic butter by mistake to spread on it ,nedless to say i wont do it again

 

[theclaud]

This thread is as good a place as any to wheel out The Greatest Chicken Dish Ever, which requires 48 cloves of garlic and 48 black olives. It is a bit of a faff (and for that reason is known round here as Midnight Chicken, which is the time you end up serving it if you don't make the stuffing in advance). this version is Alastair Little's. Don't make it if you don't like fennel...

Pollo Orvietano

1 x 1.8 kilo/4 lb free-range or corn-fed chicken [approx weight]
4tbsp-plus, good olive oil
salt and pepper
500g/1 lb 2oz chicken livers
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm dice
1 very large bunch fennel herb, coarsely chopped
48 oily black olives, stoned
48 large, firm garlic cloves in their skins
50mls/2fl oz dry white wine
500mls/scant 1 pint, good chicken stock

Make the stuffing in advance - as it takes about an hour to prepare. Fry the chicken livers in the 4 tbsp olive oil and stir until coloured. Add the potatoes and gently cook until tender - you may need more oil here - and thoroughly cooked through (you may think it all looks a bit of a mess, but fear not, the final taste is wonderful). Add the fennel with half the olives, season well and set aside to completely cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 400F/200C/gas mark 6.

Spoon as much of the stuffing as will fit into the cavity of the bird without overfilling; place the rest - lubricated with a little olive oil - in an oven-proof dish. Rub the chicken all over with a little more olive oil and generously season. Place in a deepish casserole dish, on its side, and put in the oven to roast for 20 minutes. Turn onto its other side and continue roasting for a further 20 minutes. Finally, turn the right way up and throw in the garlic cloves. Turn the oven down a notch, put in the dish of extra stuffing and continue cooking for a further 30-40 minutes, adding the remaining olives for the last 10.

Remove the bird to a chopping board, allow it to rest and switch off the oven. Put the garlic and olives in a dish and keep warm in the oven. Pour off any excess fat in the roasting dish and add the wine. Bring to boil and reduce until almost evaporated. Pour in the chicken stock and reduce the lot by three-quarters. Cut the chicken into 8 pieces and arrange on a serving dish surrounding the extra stuffing. Scatter with the olives and garlic and strew with more chopped fennel fronds.

 

[srw]

This thread is as good a place as any to wheel out The Greatest Chicken Dish Ever, which requires 48 cloves of garlic and 48 black olives.

Spurious accuracy?

Sounds divine. All I need to do now is persuade R that chicken livers and olives are worth eating.

 

[mangaman]

I have great recipe for picada, which is Catalan ingredient often added to just about anything at the end. Mine involves pulverising a bucketful of garlic in a pestle and mortar. Add lots of parsley and chestnuts. Some oil to bind it.

Pop it in ice cube trays in the freezer. A cube added to just about anything a minute or 2 before serving gives it a real herby, garlicky, nutty kick and the nuts act as a thickener. I,m never without a tray in the freezer these days.

 

[theclaud]

Spurious accuracy?

Sounds divine. All I need to do now is persuade R that chicken livers and olives are worth eating.

If A.L. says 48, then 48 it is. Why f**k about with perfection?

 

[mangaman]

If A.L. says 48, then 48 it is. Why f**k about with perfection?

I once made it with 49 cloves and it was bloody disgusting (would irritate Dell and add smiley but am in sunny Spain where smileys have been banned -austerity etc)

 

[User169]

I once made it with 49 cloves and it was bloody disgusting (would irritate Dell and add smiley but am in sunny Spain where smileys have been banned -austerity etc)

GARLIC Mangles - not cloves.

 

[mangaman]

GARLIC Mangles - not cloves.

DP, have you been sampling the Trappist beers again?

Surely even in Hollandia you've heard that garlic is traditionally classified as a "head" or whole garlic, or "clove" as the individual segment. TC did specify 48 cloves, so, much as I like the idea of 47 garlics, it
Would be madness to think she meant whole garlics.