Do Not Fry the Garlic
If in a recipe you add minced garlic to hot, sizzling oil early in the cooking process, this is probably not a very good recipe. Cooking garlic in very hot oil will burn the outside without properly softening the inside, making the garlic pungent and corrosive. While I love well-fried garlic chips for the texture of a soup, salad, or something similar, the best garlic – in my opinion – is garlic that has been cooked for a long time on the lowest possible heat.
To be honest, I didn’t realize how much I felt about it until I did the bagna cauda (the official Dip of Luxury). In this sauce, chopped whole head garlic is cooked over low heat with a can of anchovies until everything is melted and turns into a spicy mass of umami soup. Despite the amount of garlic, the term “pungent” is not appropriate to describe bagna cauda. Instead, you get a clean, properly ripe garlic flavor without any “toasty” or “toasty” flavors. These are the rules. And while I really love bagna cauda, properly cooked isolated garlic is delicious (and vegan-friendly) on its own.
To make a pale, not spicy, incredibly aromatic garlic, all you have to do is chop or mince the desired amount of garlic, add it to the pan with just enough oil to surround but not submerge it, then cook slowly. heat until fragrant and soft (at least 15 minutes, but possibly longer; try with a slice of bread to make sure it softens properly). If the garlic sizzles, then it is too strong. If the garlic turns golden, then it is too strong. (A few tiny bubbles here and there are okay.)
When the garlic is cooked but still pale, use it like any other cooked garlic. Brush it with sauce, pour it over vegetables, or dip it and butter. I am not worried that you will find a use for it; garlic is very easy to use.