Black Garlic, with its amazing sweet-fruity umami notes, is of the most exciting ingredients you can make very easily yourself, with just patience and a rice cooker. You can use it in a million recipes, just like the fresh version, but it has so much more flavour and depth due to the super slow Maillard reaction that happens when leaving it for weeks on very low heat. Much cheaper than in the supermarket too.
Why You Will Love This
The first time I spotted Black Garlic in my local supermarket in Waterford, I was intrigued. I mean, of course the shiny black cloves looked slightly weird, but it was new, so of course I had to try it.
Versatile
What I wasn’t prepared for though, was the flavour explosion in my mouth. Sure, there was a hint of garlic, but so much more! None of the pungent sharpness of fresh garlic was left. Instead hints of fruit, going particularly well with cheese, umami and sweetness, making it an incredible pairing for any meat or mushrooms. Notes similar to good balsamic vinegar, but without the acidity. I could just eat them as they were like tiny snacks, similar to dried fruit with many of the same characteristics.
Essentially, everything you throw it at gets better. I mean it. Even cookies. I’m not kidding you. https://forthepleasureofeating.com/sourdough-oatmeal-white-chocolate-chip-cookies-with-black-garlic/
Adds “Oomph” to Dishes
Similar to its fresh version, you can use it in salad dressing, sauces for meat, compound butter, bread and many more. I think I saw even an ice cream made with it once. It became a trend ingredient in high end restaurants for a reason, adding lots of flavour, lifting up other ingredients, but without overpowering them.
I think my all-time favourite use of it were Burgers with Black Garlic Aioli. https://forthepleasureofeating.com/burger-with-black-garlic-aioli/
Super Easy to Make
All you need is a rice cooker, several bulbs of garlic, unpeeled, clingfilm and tinfoil. And about 40 days of time. That’s not a typo.
Essentially, against all those posts that claim it would be “fermented”, what is happening here is the Maillard reaction (the caramelisation of sugars present on food caused by heat) in extremely slow motion. Which leads to the black colour without any burning, as the sugar in the garlic gets very slowly transformed into caramel. Fermentation however would be bacteria doing the work and generally leading to some sort of bubbly and funky outcome. Think Kombucha or Kimchi or sourdough. There is nothing bubbly or funky about black garlic though. Just little nuggets of concentrated sweetness and flavour.
The Ingredients
I gave it away above, but let me repeat:
Garlic Bulbs. The best quality you can find. Please don’t use any old sprouted ones hanging out in your cupboard. About 6-8 max I found is best. I tried more but found that if I place more than one layer in the rice cooker, the top ones don’t get caramelized as well.
Rice cooker or slow cooker. Ideally one you don’t use every day, because this will be tied up for the foreseeable future. I simply bought a cheap one on Amazon just for this.
The important part is, that it has the “keep warm” function, as that’s what we will be using.
Clingfilm and Aluminium foil. Both.
I have seen and tried methods with just tinfoil or even oven roasting bags, and some using no wrapping at all, but none of them got me the consistent and perfect outcome I got by using clingfilm and tinfoil. And I’ve made many batches by now.
The Method
Cut off as many small pieces of clingfilm and tinfoil as you have garlic bulbs. Each big enough to wrap one bulb.
Now wrap each bulb first in clingfilm, then tinfoil. I did it by placing the bulb in the middle of a square, then just pulling up the sides and twisting the top.
There. The hard part is done.
Please your neat little parcels in your rice cooker.
Ideally add a sticker to your rice cooker, telling you what day you started your black garlic.
Find a well-ventilated spot near a wall plug in your house. Your house will smell of garlic. Unless you have the luxury of a garage or shed with power plugs. I left mine in the utility room, with the window tipped open.
Leave for about 40 days. Start checking the garlic after 30. If the cloves are shiny, black, and still soft, they are done. If they are still light brown, they need more time. If they are hard and crunchy, you left them too long.
That’s all there is to it. Enjoy your little black gems in a delicious Cashew Ranch dressing.
Or add them to compound butter to stuff under the skin of a chicken, for the most delicious roast chicken you will ever have.
Or…bake cookies with it and enjoy the freaked out but delighted look on your friends faces, when you tell them they are eating cookies with garlic.
Storing your Black Garlic
The Black Garlic keeps in a jar in the fridge for several months. Not that I think it’ll last that long. I have a feeling you’ll start a second batch soon.
Please comment!
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Black Garlic
Black Garlic, with its amazing sweet-fruity umami notes, is of the most exciting ingredients you can make very easily yourself, with just patience and a rice cooker. You can use it in a million recipes, just like the fresh version, but it has so much more flavour and depth due to the super slow Maillard reaction that happens when leaving it for weeks on very low heat. Much cheaper than in the supermarket too.
Cut off as many small pieces of cling film and aluminium foil as you have garlic bulbs. Each should be big enough to wrap one bulb.
Take an unpeeled garlic bulb and wrap it first in cling film, ensuring it's covered completely.
Next, wrap the garlic bulb in aluminium foil. Place the bulb in the centre of a square of foil and pull up the sides, twisting the top to seal it. Repeat for each bulb.
Cooking:
Place the wrapped garlic bulbs in your rice cooker. If you're using a sticker, label the rice cooker with the start date to keep track of the slow Maillard reaction process.
Find a well-ventilated spot in your home near a power outlet. Keep in mind that this will emit some garlic smell during the process. A garage or shed with power outlets can be great for this. Leaving them in a utility room with a partially open window is another option.
Slow Maillard Reaction:
Leave the garlic bulbs in the rice cooker for about 40 days. Check the garlic after 30 days to monitor the progress.
The cloves should transform into shiny, black, and soft bulbs when done. If they're still light brown, they need more time. If they're hard and crunchy, they've been left too long.
Storage and Enjoyment:
Once the garlic bulbs have reached the desired consistency, remove them from the rice cooker.
Store the black garlic in an airtight container in a cool, dry place until ready to use.
Enjoy your homemade black garlic in various recipes, such as Cashew Ranch dressing or any dish that benefits from its unique flavour profile.
Super soft and fluffy, flavourful Sourdough Discard Naan breads, that are both easy to make and good for you due to the benefits of sourdough. The ingredients will probably already be in your store cupboard or fridge. These are incredibly versatile to use as flatbread recipe for all kinds of meals, including the Falafel Wraps I created them for, a quick pizza or to brush with garlic butter and enjoy them with a curry.
Why You Want to Make These
Flavour
Have you ever bought Naan bread in the supermarket, but after trying fresh Naan in an Indian restaurant, you feel they always fall short on the flavour and texture front? Yeah, me too.
I absolutely loved the super soft and fluffy flatbreads at an Indian place and nearly enjoyed them more than the Chicken Korma they came with. To me, Bread is a main part of a meal and I’d like it to be utterly delicious.
That’s why I make pretty much all of my bread at home. Being German and used to really good bread straight from the bakery around the corner, I always felt standard yeast bread doesn’t entirely live up to what I enjoy. After moving to Ireland, I realised that the lack of flavour was due to the fact that most breads in Germany include sourdough, which gives them a distinct gentle to strong tang, and layers of flavour, depending on how long you allow it to ferment before baking. After that realisation I started trying different recipes using it, including sweet baked goods with great success.
This Sourdough Discard Naan is no exception. Starting with a yeast based recipe from one of my all-time favourite blogs “Half Baked Harvest”, I modified it to include sourdough as it’s main raising ingredient and for flavour and am absolutely delighted with the results. Soft, fluffy, easy to wrap around anything you might decide to roll into them, with a very gentle tang from said sourdough, these are absolutely everything I want from bread.
Sourdough and long rising time make the bread very easy digestible, which is especially helpful for those of you that have a gluten sensitivity. Sourdough bread is known to have a much slower release of sugar, not spiking insulin as fast compared to white bread made with yeast or from the supermarket, meaning even diabetics can eat it (within reason).
It’s great if you are on a diet and don’t want to give up bread, as it’s very nutritious and makes you feel full longer.
It’s also very flexible and versatile when it comes generally to baked goods, so I use it in everything from bread to even brownies, as it adds so much in terms of flavour.
Flexible
The fact that the sourdough gets better with a slower rise and is happy to wait for you in the fridge for up to 48 hours makes these Sourdough Discard Naan breads incredibly flexible for meal prep or a family feast you are planning. You can do everything in advance except the frying of the bread.
Though I found that they keep really well in a bread tin, to be re-heated for a few seconds in the microwave when you want to enjoy them. So even that would be an option, to relax on workdays or when your guests are around.
Versatile
Sourdough Naan is a fantastic side not just for Indian curries, but pretty much everything that goes with soft and fluffy flatbread. That can be a stew, to mop up the juices, Falafel Wraps (Recipe coming soon) or even as a base for a super quick weekday pizza. Or of course very classic brushed with garlic butter, which makes them pretty irresistible.
You can use either these Sourdough Discard Naan or my Sourdough Flatbread with Feta in the upcoming Mezze Feast, depending on your preference and if you’d like to create wraps with Falafels or not.
The Ingredients
Besides the above mentioned Sourdough starter, you’ll need flour. I used a mix of plain white flour and whole wheat, to add some nutrition and nutty flavour.
You can use all plain white or bread flour here, for even softer, chewier Naans.
Even though I read that traditional Naan back in time was made with only whole wheat flour, I wouldn’t advise it, if you want to wrap anything into the flatbreads, as it tends to give a little firmer consistency.
Milk
I’m using Oat milk here, as I’m lactose intolerant, but you can use any kind of full fat milk. The fat content adds to the softness, which is why I’m not using unsweetened Almond milk or similar, to not change the consistency.
Butter
Butter gives these Naan breads their incredible softness and adds a lovely moisture to the dough. Plus of course flavour. I’m not using much, 4 tbsp are enough to give the desired effect.
You could use olive or neutral oil instead if you are vegan or rather avoid butter.
Greek Yoghurt
Greek Yoghurt, similar to the butter, adds to the softness and moisture of the bread and is essential to get the super pliable bread I’m aiming for. Full fat in this case, as that will help with all 3 of the above characteristics.
Yeast
In theory you wouldn’t need yeast here if you want to let the sourdough do it’s thing overnight. But I added it as I was in a bit of a hurry and wanted to eat the bread on the same day. The rise was rather fast and lively with yeast, so you can probably even leave it out if you prepare the dough early morning for dinner.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda
Similar to the yeast, but with even quicker rising abilities, you can give your Naan Bread a boost by adding these, if you have, say, only a few hours until you want to eat.
I ended up leaving them out, as they lose their functionality when left for a longer fermentation, which is what I usually aim for with sourdough. Just know it’s an option for getting fluffy Naan if you are in a hurry.
Honey
I’m using a little honey here to feed the yeast, which loves a little sweetness to wake up. Also to balance the tang from the sourdough.
You could use sugar instead, if you prefer.
Salt
One of the main differentiating ingredients between bland bread and really good bread is salt. Not much, but enough to give it some flavour. Just don’t mix it with the yeast at the start, as yeast will die immediately when touching salt. Instead mix it into the flour, so it’s less concentrated before coming in contact.
I’m using Kosher salt here, as pretty much always, because it gives me more control over the seasoning. If you use sea salt, use half of the given amount.
The Process
The Wet
Warm the milk in the microwave or in a pot for a moment, just to get it lukewarm and add the warm water. It should just feel very slightly warm to the touch and comfortable on the skin. Mix in the yeast and honey and let it stand for about 10 minutes, to activate the yeast. If you see some bubbles appearing after that time, your yeast is alive and will do its job. If not, it’s too old and won’t add any rise to your bread. If you have used your yeast recently and know it’s still fresh, you can skip this step and add milk, water and yeast together with the other wet ingredients.
Melt the Butter and let it cool to lukewarm or room temperature, so it doesn’t kill the yeast or sourdough on contact.
The Dry
Add first the flour, salt, baking powder and soda (if using) to a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Give the dry ingredients a good mix, to disperse the salt.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix briefly with a spoon. If your stand mixer manages to catch the flour from the sides easily, you can skip the spoon step. I noticed mine does a better job when I briefly pre-mix.
Kneading
Knead the dough on medium speed for about 8-10 minutes or until very smooth and elastic. To check if it’s ready and has developed enough gluten, perform the windowpane test.
The dough should at this point be smooth and reasonably easy to work with, but slightly sticky, which will change after it had time to rise. If you feel it’s too sticky, add a little flour at a time.
Shape into a smooth ball with your hands and put into a lightly oiled bowl. I often simply use the cleaned bowl of my stand mixer, as it has a lid attached, so I can let the dough rise at room temperature. If keeping it in the fridge overnight, I love a Tupperware bowl designed specifically for yeasted doughs, as the lid “plops” open once the dough has risen enough.
Shaping
Once your dough has risen to about double its size or, if you had it in the fridge, the next day, divide it into 8 equal pieces.Take each piece form it into a round bun.
At this point you can either roll them out right away or store in the fridge or freezer for another day.
I often store a few unbaked ones in my freezer, as they take only a few hours to thaw, so I can have homemade fresh Naan anytime.
Once you want to fry your Naan bread (which will take about 2-4 minutes per portion), lightly flour your work surface. Use either lightly floured rolling pin or, if you have one, a tortilla press lined with a cut open freezer bag, to get your Naan bread into shape.
You can aim either for an oval or round. They should be relatively thin without ripping. About ¼ inch thick is a good guideline. A tortilla press will achieve a pretty decent even round shape, while rolling pins tend to produce something more oval. But then, these are Naan breads and homemade, they are not supposed to look perfect.
Frying
Get a frying pan you have a lid for really hot on medium-high heat. Add a small bit of olive oil and rub it around the pan carefully with a bunched up paper towel, so you don’t burn yourself.
Add a rolled out Naan bread to the pan and cover with the lid immediately. This is where the magic happens.You’ll see the characteristic big bubbles appearing after about 1 minute.
Flip the bread and cook uncovered for another minute or two, until the bubbles on the now underside show golden browning.
To keep these really soft and pliable, I used a trick I learned from a friend: Take one large plate, cover with a clean kitchen towel, add the fried Sourdough Naan and wrap it with the towel, then cover with another large plate that is turned upside down. This will keep the steam and moisture inside, meaning your bread will be perfectly soft and warm until you are done frying.
Serving
If you’d like to brush them with garlic butter (I didn’t, since I made them for Falafel wraps), do so ideally right after frying and sprinkle with a few chopped herbs, such as Cilantro, if you like.
Enjoy your super soft and fluffy Sourdough Discard Naan in any way you like.
Meal Prep
The fact that the sourdough can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days allows for easy planning around mealtimes and days. The flavour only gets better during that time.
As mentioned above, you can freeze the divided dough in portions. Either in freezer bags or a freezer proof container.
Alternatively roll them out and store between layers of baking parchment and freeze like that, which allows for even quicker use.
Or, as last variant to freeze, fry all and freeze some of the readily fried ones in freezer bags once cooled, to always have a super quick homemade bread or pizza option.
Without freezing, these Naan Breads keep in an airtight container for about 3-4 days. Re-heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds. I did this in a special tortilla warmer than can go into the microwave, which gave me absolutely brilliant results. I got the warmer together with my tortilla press as an added benefit.
The Mezze Feast
Here are the recipes posted for the Mezze Feast so far. Mix and match whatever you like, use just one as super quick snack or dinner or all of them for one stunning feast.
Use either these Sourdough Discard Naans or the Sourdough Flatbread with Feta as your bread for it.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Sourdough Discard Naan
Super soft and fluffy, flavourful Sourdough Naan breads, that are both easy to make and good for you due to the benefits of sourdough. The ingredients will probably already be in your store cupboard or fridge and the hands on time is just minutes. These are incredibly versatile to use as flatbread recipe for all kinds of recipes, including the Falafel Wraps I made them for. Or to brush with garlic butter and enjoy them with a curry.
Course Appetizer, Bread, Ingredient, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Indian
Servings 8
Calories 309kcal
Ingredients
½cupoat milkor any full fat milk of your choice
¼cupwarm water
1tbsphoney
½tspactive dry yeast
1cupfull fat Greek yoghurt
1cupsourdough starteractive or discard
2.5cupsplain white flour
1cupwhole wheat flourideally fine
½tspkosher salthalf if using sea salt
4tbspbuttermelted and cooled to room temperature
If you want to fry your Sourdough Naan within 1-2h:
1tspbaking powder
1tspbaking soda
Instructions
Warm the milk in the microwave or in a pot until it's lukewarm. Add the warm water. It should feel slightly warm to the touch and comfortable on the skin. Mix in the yeast and honey and let it stand for about 10 minutes to activate the yeast. If you see bubbles forming, your yeast is alive and active.
Melt the butter and let it cool to lukewarm or room temperature to avoid killing the yeast or sourdough.
In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, add the white flour, whole wheat flour, salt, and optional baking powder and soda (if using). Mix the dry ingredients to disperse the salt evenly.
Add the remaining ingredients, including the yeast mixture and melted butter. Mix briefly with a spoon or in your stand mixer. If your stand mixer easily catches the flour from the sides, you can skip the initial spoon mixing.
Knead the dough on medium speed for about 8-10 minutes or until it becomes very smooth and elastic. To check if it's ready and has developed enough gluten, perform the windowpane test.
The dough should be smooth and slightly sticky at this point, but it will become easier to work with as it rises. If it feels too sticky, add a little flour at a time.
Shape the dough into a smooth ball with your hands and place it in a lightly oiled bowl for rising. You can use the bowl of your stand mixer or a suitable container with a lid. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it doubles in size. If you plan to refrigerate it overnight, use a large container, as the dough may expand significantly.
Once the dough has doubled in size, or the next day if refrigerated, divide it into 8 equal pieces. Take each piece and tuck the edges underneath to form a round bun with a smooth surface.
You can choose to roll them out immediately or store them in the fridge or freezer for later use. Frozen naan can be thawed in just a few hours for fresh naan anytime.
When you're ready to fry your naan bread, lightly flour your work surface. Use a lightly floured rolling pin or a tortilla press lined with a cut-open freezer bag to shape the naan. Aim for a relatively thin, oval or round shape, about ¼ inch thick.
Heat a frying pan with a lid on medium-high heat. Add a small amount of olive oil and rub it around the pan with a bunched-up paper towel.
Place a rolled-out naan in the pan and cover it with the lid immediately. Bubbles should start appearing after about 1 minute.
Flip the naan and cook uncovered for another 1-2 minutes until the underside shows golden browning and is cooked through.
To keep the naan soft and pliable, stack them between two large plates covered with a clean kitchen towel. This will help retain the steam and moisture, keeping the naan warm and soft until you're done frying.
If desired, brush the naan with garlic butter and sprinkle with chopped herbs, such as cilantro, right after frying.
Your homemade sourdough discard naan is now ready to be enjoyed!
Notes
Without freezing, these Naan Breads keep in an airtight container for about 3-4 days. Re-heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds. I did this in a special tortilla warmer than can go into the microwave, which gave me absolutely brilliant results.Calories per Portion: Approximately 309 calories
Protein per Portion: Approximately 9 grams
Carbohydrates per Portion: Approximately 53 grams
Fat per Portion: Approximately 6 grams
Sodium per Portion: Approximately 193 milligrams
Nutrition
Calories: 309kcal
Nutrition Facts
Sourdough Discard Naan
Amount per Serving
Calories
309
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Delicious spiced Pressure Cooker Apple Butter with Malt whiskey which basically makes itself in the pressure cooker. A lovely fall spread for toast, in apple cider donuts or countless other recipes. Making it yourself is cheaper and you can control the amount of sugar that goes into it.
Why You Want This
Hard to find in some areas
With Apple Butter being from the US, I had a hard time finding any around me in Ireland, but I really wanted to make Apple Cider Donuts with it, so what do I do? Make it of course.
If you are in the same boat, this is for you.
Cheaper
Now, I did see “Irish Black Butter” online, which is pretty much apple butter made with cider, but again, none anywhere near me. So homemade it is. Plus, looking at the prices, this stuff is expensive! About 6€ for one small jar! I can sure do it cheaper at home.
Seasonal
Apples – With apples being in season, it’s just the right time to make the most of them. I’ve been adding them to all kinds of dishes lately, from Pumpkin Protein Oatmeal with Apple and Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds over Sourdough Pumkin Muffins with Apples (coming soon) to the Apple Cider Donuts I made with this and will also be posting during the next few weeks.
Type of apples: You can use any you have on hand. In Ireland, Bramley apples are used, which is a cooking apple that breaks down entirely. I have used Pink Lady, as it’s my favourite that I always have on hand. They are sweet but crunchy with a nice bit of acidity and easily available in all supermarkets here. Use your favourite. That way you know you’ll love your Apple Butter.
Customizable
Sweeteners – While I love brown sugar, I prefer a mix of different sweeteners in my cooking, as it adds layers of flavour. I’m replacing half of the brown sugar here with molasses for that deep richness with hints of bitter and maple syrup, which always tastes like fall to me with its caramel undertones.
Whiskey – I’m also adding a hint of Scottish Malt Whiskey. Talisker to be specific, a long term favourite of mine. Not just for the malt flavour, though, as you probably noticed if you read any of my bread recipes, I’m a big fan of anything malt, but also because it adds that hint of peat smokiness, again as reminder of fall. Considering it has orchard fruit notes itself, it integrates perfectly into this Apple Butter.
I have seen other versions using bourbon and, as the Irish producer has shown, you clearly could use cider.
Spices – I have used Pumpkin Spice here, as I had some pre-mixed from previous recipes. If you can’t find it, mix your own. It’s a base of 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/8th tsp clove, ¼ tsp allspice and ¼ tsp nutmeg. Since I live in Ireland, where it’s not easily available in supermarkets, I usually mix a bigger batch and keep it in a little container in my spice cupboard.
Alternatively you could just use cinnamon.
Few Ingredients
The few mentioned above make already the main part of your ingredients. A pinch of salt, a bit of vanilla, though even that is optional, but it rounds the flavour I feel, and that’s already it.
Very easy
With the fact that you really don’t need to peel your apples and the pressure cooker doing most of the work for you, this will happily bubble away in the background, while you get on with your day.
Only in the last 2h, with your cooker open, you’ll need to stir now and then to prevent sticking. But that’s minimal effort.
The Process
Apple Preparation
In short: Remove the core from the apples and roughly chop them. No need to peel.
For a little more detail: Please wash your apples thoroughly. Most are waxed or otherwise treated and if cooked, all that rather bitter flavour, if left on the skin, will be even more concentrated. Not pleasant! I tend to scrub mine with a bit of dish soap and a sponge under warm water, then rinse thoroughly.
Back in time, after my grandma showed me how she cored apples, I always thought it’s just so much work! The meticulous carving to get out the core. And I understand why: No wasting of precious apples. But it really stopped me from making more apple recipes.
These days, I just chop down straight in 4 pieces, leaving the core intact. Then munch the upper and lower bits around it as snack while chopping. That way, I feel nothing gets wasted and I get to snack on apples. Win/win.
Just chop the apples roughly here, they will cook down anyway and get pureed in the end.
Pressure Cooker
I’m using my Sage Fast Slow Pro here, which I got on special for half price years ago. I love it dearly, especially for risotto, which on the hob, with the endless stirring, I plain don’t have the patience to make. (Let me know if you’d like a recipe for that) Again, not affiliated, just what I’m using.
Add the chopped apples, followed by brown sugar, molasses, maple syrup, whiskey (if using), spice, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Stir so all your apple pieces are coated with the sugar-spice mix.
Close your pressure cooker, set to “High” and 90 minutes.
Once the time is up, release the pressure (My Sage does that all by itself) and open the lid.
Stir the now soft apples. They should be half falling apart already, but with a lot of liquid still.
We’ll be cooking that down to the typical apple butter consistency now.
With the lid open (or in a pot on the hob, if your cooker doesn’t allow you to use it with the lid open), set your cooker to “Slow Cook”, high for 2h. Stir occasionally, watching the texture. Towards the end of the 2h, most of your liquid should be evaporated and the apples pretty much disintegrated. Once it feels like it’s close to sticking to the bottom of the pot and has reached a consistency you like. It should be thick enough to spread on toast.
Have a taste. Does it need more spice or sugar? Now is the time to add it and stir it in.
Pureeing
This is the step where your apple mash with pieces of peel becomes true Apple Butter.
Let your Apple Butter cool a little in your pressure cooker, so you don’t burn yourself when taking out the pot. Pour all the contents from your pressure into a blender. A food processor or immersion blender works too. Blend until it has a uniform creamy and thick consistency, and no bits of peel are left whole. They should be all pulverized.
Fill into very clean jars that have a lid and let it cool.
Storing
Store in the fridge. It should keep for up to 3 months. Or you could freeze it after it has cooled in small freezer bags or containers. That way it’ll last until the next apple season is due, about a year.
Enjoy your Pressure Cooker Apple Butter with Malt on Toast, on my Sourdough Pumpkin Soda Bread with Protein, add to cakes, stir into your oatmeal, the possibilities are endless.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.
Pressure Cooker Apple Butter with Malt
Delicious spiced Pressure Cooker Apple Butter with Malt whiskey which basically makes itself in the pressure cooker. A lovely fall spread for toast, in apple cider donuts or countless other recipes. Making it yourself is cheaper and you can control the amount of sugar that goes into it.
Wash your apples thoroughly to remove any wax or residue. Chop the apples by cutting straight down around the core, then cut into rough pieces. No need to peel the apples.
Pressure Cooker
Place the chopped apples in your pressure cooker.
Add brown sugar, molasses, maple syrup, pumpkin spice, vanilla extract, whiskey (if using) and a pinch of salt. Stir, so all your apple pieces are coated with the sugar-spice mix.
Close your pressure cooker, set it to "High" pressure, and cook for 90 minutes.
Once the cooking time is up, release the pressure according to your pressure cooker's instructions and open the lid.
Stir the softened apples; they should be half falling apart with plenty of liquid.
With the lid open (or in a pot on the hob if your cooker doesn't allow open-lid use), set your cooker to "Slow Cook," high for 2 hours.
Stir occasionally, monitoring the texture. Toward the end of the 2 hours, most of the liquid should have evaporated, and the apples should have mostly disintegrated.
Continue cooking until it's close to sticking to the bottom of the pot and has reached your desired apple butter consistency. It should be thick enough to spread on toast. It will thicken slightly after cooling.
Taste and adjust the spice or sugar if needed. Stir in any additional seasoning.
Pureeing
Let your apple butter cool slightly in the pressure cooker to avoid burning yourself.
Pour the contents from the pressure cooker into a blender, food processor, or use an immersion blender.
Blend until you achieve a uniform creamy and thick consistency, ensuring that no bits of peel remain whole; they should all be pulverized.
Fill the apple butter into clean jars with lids and allow it to cool.
Notes
StoringStore in the fridge. It should keep for up to 3 months. Or you could freeze it after it has cooled in small freezer bags or containers. That way it’ll last until the next apple season is due, about a year.Since spreads are difficult to measure in portions, I have assumed 10 portions here, which is probably way too few, if you use it on toast, but too many, if you use it as ingredient. But it gives you a rough idea.Calories: Approximately 60-70 calories per serving Protein: Negligible Fat: Negligible Carbohydrates: Approximately 16-18 grams per serving Fiber: Approximately 2-3 grams per serving Sugars: Approximately 12-14 grams per serving
Nutrition
Calories: 65kcal
Nutrition Facts
Pressure Cooker Apple Butter with Malt
Amount per Serving
Calories
65
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
With the deep umami and liquorice notes of Black Garlic against the lemony tang from the grated zest, this Black Garlic Butter with Lemon really shines. Add to that Dill, complementing the anise flavours and parsley, to add some fresh minerality, you have the perfect accompaniment for any meat.
Why You Want to Make This
Black Garlic
The basic idea came of course from the large jar of Black Garlic I made and had to play with. And play with I did. I also made an incredible Sourdough Chocolate Black Garlic Bread, with notes of fresh coffee. I’m officially in love.
Black garlic is garlic that has been very slowly caramelised, using the maillard reaction to draw out all its sweetness. It has only a tiny hint of garlic flavour left, while the dominant notes are those of umami, caramel, aged balsamic and fruit. It also has a few benefits you can find here.
You can find a super easy way to make it in your rice or pressure cooker in this post.
Everyone needs an extra special compound butter
I don’t know about you, but I’m hooked on compound butter since my mom made her very first garlic bread for parties. It was a novelty back then (Yes, I’m that old!) or maybe it was just very new to me, but god was that good! I still love it, but have since found so many more uses for garlic and herb butter. The most famous one being my Garlic Herb Lemon Roast chicken, which you can find in its Black Garlic incarnation here.
This Black Garlic compound butter doesn’t make just roast chicken better, but is also amazing on steak or burgers. Or simply spread on some fresh sourdough bread. Can I suggest Sourdough Brioche Pretzel Buns?
Can you use fresh garlic? Sure, but once you’ve tried Black Garlic, you won’t go back to it.
The Ingredients
But, back to the compound butter task at hand. My goal was, beside the integration of Black garlic, to have herbs that support it best. Which would be either tarragon or dill, for their anise notes, that go well with the garlic’s liquorice flavours, after you had it caramelise for weeks. (Let me know if you’d like a post describing how I made it. It’s easy. Just takes time). No fresh tarragon was anywhere to be found, so dill it was. And parsley, to add some layers to it and because parsley is always fantastic in any compound butter. The lemon zest lifts up all the flavours and adds freshness to it.
Use good quality unsalted butter here and add salt manually to it. I used Irish butter, considering I live in Ireland.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. I use kosher salt in most of my recipes, unless otherwise specified.
What to use it for
Now from the very obvious use of melting it on freshly grilled steak, you can put this on top of fresh Bread. Try it with my Wholewheat Sourdough Pretzel Buns or the Wholewheat Sourdough Sandwich bread. It’s delicious. My targeted use was a stunning Black Garlic Roast Chicken, which I first brined (the brine also included Black Garlic) and then topped my Summer Salad with. With all those incredible flavours, it barely needed any dressing.
The Process
It’s incredibly easy to make. A few seconds if you have a food processor. Just throw everything in and pulse, until you have creamy herb and garlic speckled butter. Or a few minutes by hand. Just let the butter soften a bit, then mash the Black Garlic with a fork, chop the herbs, season with salt and pepper and mix everything together until you have a homogenous mass.
Scrape every last bit out of the bowl onto a bit of clingfilm, roll and twirl both ends, to make a tight sausage form and leave to firm up in the fridge.
Meal Prep
I actually prepared this butter 2 weeks ago and stored it in my freezer, as I was already planning the chicken. You can do the same, so you always have a super quick seasoning for an ad-hoc roast on hand. It will also keep for two weeks or so in the fridge. Or you can freeze it in slices for up to 6 months, so you always have some at hand when you feel like having steak or chicken or just some warm fresh bread spread with it.
For more amazing Black Garlic Recipes check these:
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.
Black Garlic Butter with Lemon
With the deep umami and liquorice notes of Black Garlic against the lemony tang from the grated zest, this Black Garlic Butter with Lemon really shines. Add to that Dill, complementing the anise flavours and parsley, to add some fresh minerality, you have the perfect accompaniment for any meat.
Add all the ingredients to the small bowl of your food processor and mix until you have a smooth mass.
Alternatively, if making by hand: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, let the unsalted butter soften at room temperature. Add all remaining ingredients to the softened butter and mix thoroughly with a fork until well combined.
Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning if desired.
Once the black garlic lemon butter is well mixed, transfer it to a serving dish or roll it into a log shape using plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up the butter.
Serve the black garlic lemon butter chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
You can use the black garlic lemon butter to enhance the flavours of grilled meats, roasted vegetables, or spread it on warm crusty bread. It also freezes really well and looks impressive on any spread.
Nutrition
Calories: 105kcal
Nutrition Facts
Black Garlic Butter with Lemon
Amount per Serving
Calories
105
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This Black Garlic Aioli has sweetness and complexity, a profile reminding of complex sauces and condiments you get with meat or bread in a really good restaurant. Yet it’s super quick to make once you have the black garlic. Even more so if you have a stick blender.
Why You Want to Make This
I’m sure you all know Aioli and, since you clicked on this post either heard of Black Garlic, have it at home or are simply intrigued.
I do love Aioli in all versions and will soon have a post coming up with multiple of them. It is and remains my favourite condiment. This Black Garlic Aioli takes it to a whole new level. It adds the sweetness and umami flavours of black garlic, reminding me of dried fruit, liquorice and balsamic vinegar with caramelised notes.
It goes fantastically with with pretty much anything you’d use Aioli for, but is a triumph on burgers or steak. I do love dipping sweet potato fries into it as well, or use it on an amazing leftover chicken sandwich.
And the best thing? Once you have black garlic, it takes just 5 minutes to make and is so much better than any shop bought Aioli. Not that you’d find Black garlic Aioli in shops. Yet.
How to make Black Garlic?
I had made black garlic over the last 40 days, by simply keeping it, each bulb wrapped in first cling film then aluminium foil, in a rice cooker, set to warm. Keep it in a well aired room (in my case the utility room with an open window), so the intense garlic smell over the first week or so can escape. Or just embrace it. We all love garlic after all, don’t we?
Check this post for detailed instructions on how to make it.
Black Garlic makes pretty much everything better with its intense umami-sweet-fruity, slightly liquorice flavour, so it lends itself fantastic for one of my favourite condiments, which is aioli.
I have since used it in my Black Garlic Cashew Ranch Dressing, the Black Garlic Mushroom Salad. Do try that one! The combination of Berries and Mushrooms may sound odd, but works wonderfully due to the sweet element of the Black Garlic pulling it together. Black Garlic Chicken anyone? Or Black Garlic Butter?
The Ingredients
Black Garlic, of course. I’ve used anything between 6 and 10 cloves, depending on how strong you want the flavour to be. For, say a platter of crudites I’d use less, for Burger or Steak, where it has to stand up against strong smoke and meat flavours, use more.
Fresh Garlic – I feel, while you could leave it out, it adds harmonious balance and the distinct Aioli flavour in the background, while it supports the Black garlic to really shine.
Since the black garlic is very sweet, balsamic vinegar complements it perfectly with its fruity notes. I felt it needed a more acidic counterpoint, to lift it, hence the addition of lemon zest and juice.
While the herbs are optional, I urge you to try fresh dill, as it’s very fresh version of anise flavour goes perfect with the liquorice notes of black garlic and takes this to a whole different level. The parsley adds minerality, to balance both sweetness and umami. You could use dried, but personal I always miss the freshness when I do.
For oil you could use ¼ cup of a very mild olive oil instead of part of the neutral oil (I’m using Grapeseed oil), but don’t replace it all with olive oil, as it tends to get bitter when used for mayonnaise.
And a fresh egg of course. This emulsifies the Aioli together with the mustard.
Liquid Smoke – This one is optional. I used it mainly for my Black Garlic Aioli Burger, but it would be fantastic with anything grilled, as it emphasizes the BBQ notes.
The Process
I’m using a stick blender since about 30 years and literally the same one since all this time. I have a very old version of the ESGE Magic Wand (Not Hitachi mind you…just in case your mind wandered…), which still works fabulously. But this method should work with any stick blender, as the secret is how the oil is incorporated.
Using a slim jar or container that just fits the stick blenders head with very little room to spare on the sides, you add your egg, mustard and lemon juice at the bottom, then top it with all of the oil. Gently lower your blender head, equipped with the whisking disc, all the way down, so it covers the egg. Switch it on at full speed and do not move it for a few seconds. You will see mayonnaise forming right away at the bottom. Keep it still until the white mass doesn’t expand upwards further, then gently tip your blender into a diagonal, and very slowly move it upwards.
This method will do the same as you would do by hand: Incorporate the oil in a thin stream, by creating a vortex that pulls it slowly into the egg, emulsifying it in the process. The trick lies in the waiting time before moving the blender, to give it enough time to pull in the oil until it reaches no more. Once you’ve pulled it all the way up, most of the oil will be incorporated and you will have a firm and very stable mayonnaise.
Mash your garlic and black garlic or chop it, chop your herbs roughly and add all of them with some salt and pepper to your mayonnaise. Blend again with the pureeing attachment, to create a smooth and delicious Black garlic Aioli.
How to use it?
Now this is not low calorie by any means, but due to its intense flavour, very little goes a long way.
You can of course vary the black garlic vs raw garlic content, to fit your taste.
The uses of this Black Garlic Aioli are endless. Starting from an addictive dip for a crudité platter over a condiment for grilled steak or roast chicken to elaborate sandwiches that embrace its depth by adding, say gruyere, maybe serrano ham, some crunchy lettuce, and tomatoes or, if you’d like a veggie option, use sliced grilled vegetables instead. It goes particularly well with fried mushrooms. Or of course my all-time favourite: fresh sourdough bread, just dipped into it.
For a very different interpretation of “Black Garlic” check out my Black Garlic Pork Ramen. It uses literally burnt garlic, I kid you not. And it’s fabulous.
For more amazing Black Garlic Recipes check these:
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.
Black Garlic Aioli
Black Garlic makes pretty much everything better with its intense umami-sweet-fruity, slightly liquorice flavour, so it lends itself fantastic for one of my favourite condiments, which is aioli.
It adds sweetness and complexity, a profile reminding of complex sauces and condiments you get with meat or bread in a really good restaurant. Yet it’s super quick to make once you have the black garlic. Even more so if you have a stick blender.
If using a stick blender:Add Egg, then mustard, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and zest and liquid smoke if using, to a tall, slim container or jar, that just fits the head of your stick blender, with only a few millimeters on the side. Top with the oil. Lower your stick blender very staight into the mix, so it covers the egg. Switch it on and do not move it for several seconds, until mayonnaise has formed around it, came up a bit on the side and isn't moving further. Gently tip the blender and pull up slowly, until all the oild is incorporated and you have a firm and stable mayonnaise.Add the mashed or finely chopped fresh and black garlic and the chopped herbs, season with salt and pepper and blend again. Taste and season to your liking.
If using a blenderor food processor: combine the egg (or yolks), balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, black garlic cloves, fresh garlic clove, liquid smoke if using, and kosher salt and pepper.
Process the mixture on low speed until the ingredients are well combined.
While the blender or food processor is running, slowly drizzle in the neutral oil. This should be done gradually to ensure the oil emulsifies with the other ingredients and creates a creamy aioli.
Continue blending until the mixture thickens and reaches a mayonnaise-like consistency.
Taste the aioli and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt if desired.
If using, stir in the chopped dill or tarragon and parsley for additional flavours.
Transfer the black garlic aioli to a jar or airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavours to meld together.
Notes
Tipp: Alternatively use a high-speed stick blender equipped with a whipping disk, a high, narrow cup as shown in my pictures, add the liquid ingredients first, put the blender in, switch on high, don’t move for a few seconds, until you see the white mayonnaise forming, then tip it to a diagonal slightly and slowly pull it up. Move up and down until it’s perfectly emulsified. Switch off blender, equip with a pureeing attachment, add the garlic, lemon zest, and, if using, herbs puree until well incorporated. This is how I’m making any mayonnaise for many years now and it only failed me once, when I was using very cheap and strange eggs, that seemed to have no binding capacity. If it feels too liquid, you can add another egg and repeat the process and you should have a very firm consistency. Be mindful though, as it tends to firm up in the fridge anyway, so you will likely not need it.Just as a note: In my pictures I had replaced ¼ cup of the grapeseed oil with a fruity olive oil. I liked the hint of bitterness it added to the otherwise very sweet flavour profile, but it depends very much on your taste and the type of olive oil you have. Handle with care, as it can get quickly overwhelming, which is why I decided to only mention neutral oil in this recipe.Serve the black garlic aioli as a dipping sauce, spread, or condiment with your favourite dishes.
Nutrition
Calories: 170kcal
Nutrition Facts
Black Garlic Aioli
Amount per Serving
Calories
170
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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