Getting garlic to taste of anything

[moutonfou]

I absolutely love garlic. When I put it in stuff raw, it really comes through, but if I cook it, no matter how much, I just can't taste it.

I just made a single portion of pasta for myself and used a whole clove and couldn't taste a thing!

Any tips?

[BetterEatCheese]

Use more! I use at least 2 in anything I add it to

[Trills]

"A whole clove"

Seriously that's not that much.

[PaperdollCartoon]

A whole clove? Was it 3 inches long?

I would never use less than 2-3 large ones for anything

[moutonfou]

If cooking for the family I'd use more but as it was just for me I thought I'd go moderate!

Sometimes instinct does tell me I want 5-6 to really get the flavour but then as I'm individually peeling/crushing them all, part of me is like 'if I was meant to use this much would garlic be designed so stupidly?!" Which is ridiculous I know!

[OttilieKnackered]

Yes more garlic. I generally only cook for one and would happily use 5 or 6.

[Chewbecca]

Last time I made a curry for 4-6, I used a recipe given to me by an Indian friend (Goan recipe), it used a whole head of garlic, not 1-2 as my usual recipes would contain.

[Puffpaw]

Do you chop it? You need to chop and then crush it with salt and the flat part of the knife blade. One clove is enough if you do this.
www.bbcgoodfood.com/videos/techniques/how-crush-garlic

[thatorchidmoment]

You need Nigella's recipe for chicken with forty cloves of garlic. (Yup, 40). It's absolutely delectable. The garlic cloves are kept whole inside their papery cases, then they roast slowly and deliciously so they caramelise. If you eat it with crusty bread, you can squidge out the garlicky bits onto the bread.

[BertieBotts]

Well it's not designed is it?

Use a large flat knife, cut ends off, crush with side of knife, the skin just slides off. Then you can chuck the cloves in whole or put them all together in a lump on the chopping board to mince using your big knife.

The flavour comes out better when you crush it. And don't use a garlic press as they are stupid fiddly things which waste half the garlic.