Try fried garlic as an unexpected salad topper or on a cheese plate in place of nuts. Reserve the cooking oil to make an easy, flavorful vinaigrette.
INGREDIENTS
For the salad:
3 Tbsp. reserved garlic oil (recipe follows)
1 Tbsp. Champagne or white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. plus 2 crispy garlic “croutons” (recipe follows), divided
1 head butter lettuce, chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped chives
1 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp. roasted garlic vinaigrette
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Crispy Garlic ‘Croutons’:
1 head of garlic, peeled (approximately 10 cloves)
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
PREPARATION
For the salad:
• Combine the garlic oil, vinegar, parsley, pepper flakes, salt, mustard and croutons in an 8-ounce jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake until well blended. Refrigerate overnight to develop flavors before serving.
• Arrange the lettuce, chives, parsley and crispy garlic on a serving dish. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle with the pepper and serve immediately.
For the Crispy Garlic ‘Croutons’:
• Slice the garlic cloves lengthwise into thin slivers. Set a strainer over a bowl in the sink.
• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Watch the garlic carefully; once it begins to brown, it burns quickly.
• Pour the oil and garlic over the strainer. Reserve the garlic oil to make vinaigrette. Spread the garlic slivers on paper towels and blot dry. Sprinkle with the salt.
This article appears in Guide to Beer 2019.