Chef's tips: garlic and onion
01•01•2023
Garlic and onion are not only staples in Chef Philippe's cuisine, but both contain compounds that are beneficial to our health. Here are some culinary tips and facts that will convince you to consume more garlic and onion.
Garlic
To peel and chop a clove of garlic more easily, put the side of the blade of a knife down and then give a sharp blow with your fist, you will see that the peelings will practically come off on their own. For a full head of garlic, first separate the cloves, then place them between two bowls (metal bowls), shake to peel it in no time! You can keep the peelings in the freezer and use them in your broths or in your sauces, let them cook with the rest of your ingredients and they will slowly fall apart.
Onions
You like the taste of raw onions, but sometimes find it a little too strong? To soften the taste of onions, cut your onion into large or small pieces and let them soak in cold water for about ten minutes. The onion will taste much milder and sweeter, perfect to enhance your salad or sandwich!
Green onions
It's super easy to grow green onions at home, just follow these steps and you'll always have some on hand!
Keep the stems of the onions and place them in a glass of water for 24 hours. After 24 hours, you notice that some stems will have already started growing.
Plant these stalks in a bit of soil, you can also just leave them in water but planting them in the ground will make them firmer and crisper!
All you have to do is wait and let nature do its thing!
Roasted garlic
At Robert-Alexis Traiteur, we really like to use roasted garlic in our marinades and vegetable dips. The advantages are multiple: roasted garlic is much less harsh on the digestion than fresh garlic and gives less strong breath, the taste is sweeter (and so much tastier) and conservation is easier.
THE ROASTED GARLIC METHOD
Arrange a few heads of garlic in a baking dish. Drizzle generously with olive oil, add thyme, peppercorns and herbs of your choice. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°C for 1 hour. Then remove each clove of garlic and press on them to extract the flesh.
We advise to use gloves because the smell of garlic on the skin permeates for several days. You can produce a large batch of roasted garlic and store in small jars in the freezer.