I’ve seen, in many recipes, that the usage of garlic varies a lot.
For example: Meaty sauces normally require that the garlic is chopped and fried before the meat is added.
Neapolitan Pizzas usually add sliced, raw garlic in very thin slices to be cooked with the pizza
Some other sauces require crushed garlic to be crushed and fried (generally with onion) before adding other ingredients.
I’ve seen as well some recipes calling for a garlic paste, made with some salt and knife skills.
Lately, I’ve been using very thin slices of garlic added in the beginning/middle of the cooking process of the sauce.
My question: What is the difference between dicing, slicing, crushing, or making a paste? What is the difference between frying the garlic before or adding it to the cooking sauce? Which one adds more flavor?
Thanks in advance.
Best Answer
It's about fat. The magic taste dealer.
When you fry it you're actually making "garlic oil". Greatly infuse sauce with garlic taste.
Sliced garlic on pizza move garlic taste to frontier. It's the first thing you taste, then come tomato and mozzarella which ease the harsh garlic. And because there is little fat that came in contact the garlic taste is not transferred to whole dish.
Crushed is used to give most taste as it's destroyed along fibers so aroma is much stronger. That's why you fry it with onions. To have both tastes strong enough to infuse anything you mix it.