[NYdiva]

I once had whole cloves of garlic that had been cooked in liquid that seemed to be mostly balsamic. They were soft and sweet and delicious. These were in a bowl served along with other appetizers, cheeses, olives, etc. but I think they'd be good as a subsitute for roasted garlic -- as a condiment for meats, chicken, vegetables, etc. Does anyone know a recipe for this? (A friend says it sounds like something she had at Al Forno in RI but I've never been there.)

[teamfat]

Sounds interesting. I wonder if maybe the cloves had been simmered in broth for a while until soft and sweet, then tossed with balsamic. I love garlic, maybe I'll try something like this.

mjb.

[NYdiva]

Originally Posted by teamfat

Sounds interesting. I wonder if maybe the cloves had been simmered in broth for a while until soft and sweet, then tossed with balsamic. I love garlic, maybe I'll try something like this.

mjb.

I think they were cooked in the balsamic, not broth, which reduced. They were served in a syrupy balsamic based liquid. We used toothpicks to spear them. It seemed like there was something else in the syrup.... that's what I'm looking for. But you're right, it will be easy enough to experiment. Maybe balsamic and broth. Maybe some olive oil. Maybe a touch of honey.

I've tried searching for an actual recipe to no avail. I think Al Forno has a cookbook, so if my friend really had it in the restaurant the recipe might be there under appetizers or condiments.

[teamfat]

I was working on another recipe involving garlic [ Carnitas in the recipe forum at wasatchfoodies.com ] when I remember this thread. I peeled about half a dozen nice sized cloves, put them in a small pot and covered with some chicken broth. Let them simmer for about 45 minutes.

Drained off the broth and put in a couple tablespoons of balsamic. Not the good stuff, sad to say, but the doctored up red wine vinegar from the megamarts. Reduced it over higher heat until it was a light syrup, and the garlic was dark purple.

After they cooled for a while I took a taste. Pretty good, like a kinder, smoother version of raw pickled garlic. They were soft but not mushy, good garlic flavor, not quite the sweetness of well roasted garlic. I ate them all up pretty quickly. I think some herbage in the initial simmer might be a nice touch, I'll try this again sometime.

mjb.

[NYdiva]

Thanks. You're right, they're not as mushy as roasted garlic. But the ones I had were pretty sweet. I keep thinking there had been some honey used in the process. If I ever find the recipe I'll post it. Meanwhile I plan to experiment this weekend. I'll splurge and buy one of those plastic deli containers full of peeled garlic. Lazy lazy.

By the way, you don't really need the expensive balsamic if you're cooking it. Of course the aged stuff is better, but simmering and reducing smooths it out considerably. It removes the harsh acidity.

I make balsamic butter sauce with the basic supermarket variety. Reduce by at least half, until nice and syrupy. Then slowly swirl in the butter, chunk by chunk, as if you're making a hollandaise. Gently stir continuously until all the butter is absorbed. You don't need much butter to get that rich buttery flavor. It's delicious over pumpkin ravioli. Or butternut squash ravioli.

The cheap balsamic can also be used to make a glaze for chicken or meat. Simmer to a thick syrup - sweet and tangy. It can be seasoned with soy sauce. You can add ginger or garlic or both. Adding a few peppercorns before simmering gives it some heat.