Aged Black Garlic

Black Garlic, originally intended as a healthy dietary supplement, has become one of the hottest new “must-have” ingredients in the cutting edge chef’s pantry. The unique qualities of Black garlic are the result when whole garlic heads are fermented under heat for several months. The flavor of black garlic can be difficult to describe - slightly sweet, with subtle hints of licorice and fennel, with subdued, but distinctive, true garlic flavor intact. Its chewy-gooey texture is reminiscent of sun-dried tomatoes or cured olives.

Top chefs are still learning new ways to use black garlic. Pureed with olive oil, it resembles an olive tapenade, but with a dense, sweet flavor all its own that complements fish and seafood.

Black Garlic Tapenade
Tapenade is a typical olive butter from Provence prepared with olive oil, garlic and capers. On this variation of the original recipe anchovy filets are removed to show up the flavor of Black Garlic.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cup Black Kalamata Olives
2 Black Garlic Cloves
1/2 Cup Capers
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
Fresh Black Pepper

Tapenade Recipe (serve 6)
Step 1: Drain capers. Peel garlic. Pit olives.
Step 2: Put olives, garlic cloves and capers in a food processor or mortar. Mix until the mixture is a paste.
Step 3: Slowly add the olive oil and black pepper. Continue to mix until the paste is creamy.
Step 4: Cover with a film. Refrigerate.
Serving: Tapenade can be stored in a refrigerator for 2 weeks, no more. Tapenade is excellent on bread and toast but also with potatoes.