Garlic Question?

[CraigC]

When a recipe calls for garlic to be sauteed with onions, bell peppers, etc., do you add it when the other vegetables are added or do you wait until the other vegetables are softened? Personally, I wait until the other vegetables are soft, then add the garlic until fragrant, before proceeding with the dish. I think you run the risk of burning the garlic if you put it in at the same time as the other vegetables. When I make a sofrito, I add the garlic at the same time as the tomato. This is after the onion and peppers have softened.

 

[TastyReuben]

I think it depends on how the garlic is prepped - crushed versus minced versus chopped versus sliced thin versus sliced thick.

Whenever a recipe calls for crushed or minced, I just grate it on my microplane, and I figure that's putting it in its most broken down state so I put it in at the end and let it go for about a minute. I just did this with last night's omelette.

 

[Backbay]

I usually at it at the end of a cooking cycle if it involves sautéing or high heat. If it is for something like soups / broths/ liquid-eee then I add the same time as other ingredients that are added to the soup/broth/liquid.

 

[HairyHeaven]

It depends on how long the onions need to cook down. If it's to translucent I add the garlic towards the end, if it's just to soft then at the same time. Cooking heat is another factor, if it's over low heat garlic can go in earlier, high heat then as late as possible

 

[caseydog]

When I sauté garlic with onions and other veggies, such as the Trinity (garlic is the Pope), I get the other veggies about where I want them, and put my garlic in for no more than the last minute, keeping it moving. I almost always used minced garlic, which can burn in a hurry.

CD