Start With a Cold Skillet for Perfectly Cooked Garlic
I love the sound and smell of sizzling garlic, but tossing it straight into a hot skillet can transform delicious alum from “perfectly aromatic and golden” to “burnt and pungent” in seconds. This problem is easy to fix: start with a cold skillet.
According to Epicurious’s Adina Steiman, running garlic in a cold skillet results in a smoother and more controlled cooking process:
I learned this trick from the wise words of Italian cooking legend Marcella Hazan. Instead of tossing the garlic in hot oil, start cooking the oil and garlic in a cold skillet. Turn on the heat and wait a minute or two. Within 10 or 20 seconds, the garlic will begin to ooze, bubbling gently and imparting its flavor to the oil. You will start stirring it and it will cook slowly and evenly to the pale golden hue you want for the perfect tomato sauce. Or drizzle over broccoli. Or use to make garlic bread.
Or add to puree. Or toss in a paste. Perfectly cooked garlic really has no shortage of uses.