This happens to be the first recipe in Ottolenghi's new book NOPI, in the starter section. I have marked a similar recipe, eggplant with black garlic, in his last book Plenty More but has not made the dish because I was not able to get black garlic until now. Ottolenghi said he'd love black garlic to be more widely available. I can't agree more.
Black garlic is supposed to be one of those superfoods for the health conscious type. Now it has become the star, if not staple, ingredient for chefs.
"We discovered black garlic around the same time that NOPI opened, and quickly became hooked. It has an addictive mellowness and depth of fermented flavor: part balsamic vinegar gummy candy, part licorice allsort."
Black garlic is basically fermented white garlic. But black garlic owes its characteristic flavor not to fermentation, but enzymatic breakdown and the good old fashioned Maillard reaction. Processed at around 140°F for a month to six weeks, it essentially gets a low and slow roast that converts sugar and turns the cloves black.First time I tasted black garlic, it was cooked very simply with sauteed asparagus, in its unprocessed form. I was hooked at first bite. You won't find any uneaten black garlic on anyone's plate. It was that good and surely addictive. It has a sweet, savory, funky and lively flavor all its own.
There are several recipes of eggplant on this blog. What's different here is the high-temperature roasting and, of course, the extraordinary black garlic dressing. This recipe calls for eggplant wedges to be roasted at 425°F until golden brown, about 40 minutes. The flavor is further enhanced by mixing roasted eggplant in a black garlic dressing for at least an hour. The end result is some deeply flavored eggplant that very few could identify or distinguish the taste other than: it's remarkable. There is some unfamiliar umami flavor. You may think it's soy sauce, anchovy, truffle or molasses. But it's none other than a few cloves of black garlic in a simple dressing.
Eggplant is a favorite at our house, too. I'll have to keep an eye out for black garlic but in the meantime I'll be sure to try the recipe with the regular kind :)
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful! I haven't been super impressed by black garlic so far. I like the idea but the flavour hasn't been there for me. Maybe this dish will turn me around!
ReplyDeleteSuch an appetizing dish. I love eggplants it anyway it is done, and this looks delicious. I have not seen nor tried black garlic before, how interesting! I would love to give it a try if I come across it!
ReplyDeleteBlack garlic is readily available in Asian markets, especially in Korean markets. Give it a try!
DeleteThat's such a beautiful colour on the eggplant spears and the flavours sound wonderful. I've had black garlic in restaurants but never looked closely at recipes that use it. I'll have to change that!
ReplyDeleteI realize that you absolutely love eggplants. :D
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the eggplants tasted really yummy with the black garlic. Refreshing dish!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of black garlic before so I learned something new today.
ReplyDeleteI have only found black garlic once here at Whole Foods. ;-(
ReplyDeleteThis dish looks fabulous--love the garlic, pine nuts and basil combo with the eggplant. The dressing sounds like you could eat it with a spoon. ;-)
NOPI is on my Christmas list. Ottolenghi's cookbook are always at the top of my list. I find them somewhat groundbreaking in the world of food. This recipe, and the black garlic, are a perfect example of that. The black garlic is something I will keep my eyes open for. This looks incredible!
ReplyDeleteBlack Garlic! How interesting. This looks wonderfully delish.
ReplyDelete