Garlic in the pan

Why

A whole garlic clove barely smells of anything: the compound alliin and the enzyme alliinase are stored separately in its cells and only meet when the garlic is cut or crushed, quickly forming pungent allicin and, from it, other sulphur aroma compounds. The finer you chop or crush it, the more cells break and the sharper the flavour; heat destroys the enzyme, which is why whole roasted cloves taste mild and sweetish. Chopped garlic sits in the pan as tiny pieces with relatively little water and plenty of sugars, so in hot fat it turns golden within tens of seconds and just moments later goes brown and bitter. That's why it goes into hot fat after the onion or towards the end, or is warmed slowly from cold oil.

How to do it

• Add garlic only once the onion has softened or everything else is nearly done; half a minute to a minute is usually enough.
• Stir, and take the pan off the heat as soon as the garlic smells fragrant and turns pale gold.
• For a gentle aroma, warm crushed cloves slowly in cold oil and use it at once; never keep garlic in oil at room temperature (botulism risk), and no more than 4 days in the fridge.
• For a bold, sharp flavour, press or grate the garlic; for a milder one, slice it.
• In long-cooked dishes, save some garlic for the end, as long simmering mutes its aroma.

If it goes wrong

Burnt garlic can't be saved and its bitterness spreads through all the fat: pour it out, wipe the pan and start again – it only takes a minute. Next time add the garlic later and over lower heat.