When you steep fresh garlic in citrus juice or vinegar, the acids effectively cook the garlic.
This softens its harsh bite, making it a great technique for dishes where garlic is traditionally used raw. I use it all the time for salad dressings (like this Gruyère caesar salad) and dips like garlic mayonnaise (this aioli recipe is YUM) and guacamole.
You just crush or chop the garlic, add it to a little dish and cover with a tablespoon or two of citrus juice. I typically use lemon or lime, but grapefruit juice is another option, or even a splash of apple cider vinegar, if you don’t have lemon or lime on hand. Let it rest for 10-20 minutes before use to ‘cook’ – then you can either pour off the liquid if you don’t want it in your dish or tip in the whole lot. I don’t know many dishes that aren’t improved with a little citrus juice.
What recipes do you cook with with raw garlic?
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