What is the science of blanching garlic many times in milk?

[torolover]

Chefs often recommend putting garlic in milk, then when it reaches a boil, strain it, and then cool it.  They recommend doing this 4 or 5 times to get rid of the raw bitter flavor in garlic.  

 

What is the science behind this?  and why milk instead of water?

 

 

[btbyrd]

If you want to get nerdy, check out "The Effect of Milk on the Deodorization of Malodorous Breath After Garlic Consumption" by Areerat Hansanugrum. Section 4.1.1.1. (starting on p.48) is most relevant. The results were basically what I expected. Some of the volatile compounds responsible for harsh garlic flavor/aroma are hydrophobic so water isn't great at removing them. Water is effective in removing other volatiles, however. But the best way to remove these compounds is by using a liquid (like milk) that contains a mixture of fat and water. An interesting result that I didn't expect was that blanched and unblanched garlic showed the same basic behavior. This suggests that chefs blanch garlic not only to remove unwanted volatiles, but also to modify garlic's texture.

[torolover]

Interesting.  Why boil, cool, boil, cool, like 5 times?  Couldn't you just simmer or sous vide?

[Baron d'Apcher]

Blanching and cooling helps sliced garlic (for example) retain it's firmness (so that you can pickle it without turning blue/green) and multiple blanching helps remove more of the compounds whereas simmering in the same liquid does not.  SV raw garlic is alleged to produce off-tastes and smells.

[Shalmanese]

I'm immensely skeptical about that technique. It's one of those old school French techniques that is passed down via unquestioned tradition. Any chemicals in garlic will leech out into milk until the two mixtures equilibrate. Given that there's often 10x more milk than garlic, each simmering should reduce the unwanted components in garlic by at least 10x. I can't see the benefit of doing it more than twice as that leads to at least a 100x fold reduction.

Also, I don't know of any food where repeated heating and cooling modifies the texture more than just a single cycle.

[pbear]

A few thoughts.

 

First, according to McGee, the reason blanching makes garlic milder is that it inactivates an enzyme.  This makes sense to me, as roasting and toasting have similar effects without liquid.

 

Second, according to this blog post, it was Keller & Co. who devised the method of blanching in milk.  Which makes me feel better, as I hadn't heard of it before.

 

Third, it escapes my why more than one blanching would be more effective, but Kenji mentions this also.  In any event, I suspect most of the effect is obtained in the first round.  I don't actually know, though, as I generally use toasting if I want mild garlic.

[FeChef]

I never heard of blanching garlic in milk but i do soak frog legs in milk and constarch before they get a light flour dusting and pan fried and brasied. I never took much thought into it because its mainly used as a tenderzer/velveting effect but i do recall reading it leaches some of the amphibian off taste.

[Baron d'Apcher]

Also, I don't know of any food where repeated heating and cooling modifies the texture more than just a single cycle.

 

Mostarda/fruits-confits, albeit with the addition of sugar. French Fries?

I routinely blanch dried beans before cooking them to remove the impurities and foam -especially chickpeas.

Edited February 25, 2015 by Baron d'Apcher (log)

[torolover]

2 Michelin star Manresa cookbook blanches the garlic in WATER 10 TIMES and then blanches with milk on the 11 time!

 

1 Michelin star Gramercy Tavern cookbook blanches the garlic in WATER 6 times and then blanches with milk on the 7th time.

 

Heston Blumenthal blanches garlic in milk 6 times.  He insists on using fresh cold milk for each blanch, and rinsing the garlic with cold water after the milk boils.  Then again put the garlic in fresh cold milk, bring to boil, then rinse with cold water and etc..

 

I still don't understand the reasoning behind the heating, and cooling , heating and cooling.  

 

Wouldn't the unwanted bitter compounds only be removed from the surface of the garlic?  The bitter compounds would remain in the center of the garlic since the center always stays cool.

Edited February 25, 2015 by torolover (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

As I was reading this I happened to Blumenthal's book open in front of me.  What I don't understand is why one would want to remove good flavor from garlic that you have already paid for.

[gfweb]

All of this garlic cleansing has the ring of a religious practice. Good history but scant support.

 

Not that I'm against religion.

 

But its hard to understand why 10 or 4 or whatever number of washes are needed to gentle the garlic more than 2 washes.

 

I can make rationalizing explanations eg milk is an emulsion that will solubilize both polar and non-polar stuff.

 

But I see more idiosyncrasy than science and smell the odor of BS more than that of garlic.

[dcarch]

Probably a practice promoted by the milk industry.

 

I like garlic taste. That's I use garlic. Never realized that garlic has raw bitter taste.

 

 

dcarch

[gfweb]

Uncooked garlic is bitter/raw to me.

Burned garlic is vile

 

otherwise I like garlic just fine

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I kind of like slightly burned garlic.

 

Often when I am making pasta sauce I will thoroughly brown the cloves in olive oil, remove them and continue with the sauce.  Then eat a plate of the still warm cloves with a little salt.

[pbear]

I'm curious, in what sorts of dishes or preparations is this fastidiously blanched garlic being used?

[nickrey]

2 Michelin star Manresa cookbook blanches the garlic in WATER 10 TIMES and then blanches with milk on the 11 time!

 

1 Michelin star Gramercy Tavern cookbook blanches the garlic in WATER 6 times and then blanches with milk on the 7th time.

 

Heston Blumenthal blanches garlic in milk 6 times.  He insists on using fresh cold milk for each blanch, and rinsing the garlic with cold water after the milk boils.  Then again put the garlic in fresh cold milk, bring to boil, then rinse with cold water and etc..

 

I still don't understand the reasoning behind the heating, and cooling , heating and cooling.  

 

Wouldn't the unwanted bitter compounds only be removed from the surface of the garlic?  The bitter compounds would remain in the center of the garlic since the center always stays cool.

 

And then you sear the meat to keep the juices in.

 

Funny, I've always thought that Blumenthal tested these things to see what was fact and what was fiction. I'd like to see an experiment with blind tasting to see if there is a difference. At this stage it seems a bit like and old wive's kitchen tale to me.

 

He also recommends this for sliced garlic in some recipes (four times with fresh milk each time).

[dcarch]

If blanching garlic 10 times is so important, guarantee you someone would be selling an automatic machine for that, and markets would be selling pre-blanched garlic.

 

 

dcarch

[Martin Fisher]

FWIW, I read somewhere some time ago (can't remember where) that the multiple blanchings are to not only mute the pungency of the garlic but also increase it's sweetness and nuttiness without over-cooking.

[ChrisZ]

It's recommended somewhere to blanch garlic if you want to include it in sous vide bags. I remember trying the blanching in milk thing (with sous vide cooking) and was surprised what a difference it made.

[torolover]

Anyone going to do some tests?

[gfweb]

go for it!

[pbear]

It's recommended somewhere to blanch garlic if you want to include it in sous vide bags. I remember trying the blanching in milk thing (with sous vide cooking) and was surprised what a difference it made.

 

OTOH, an ordinary saute also will tame garlic for sous vide.