From The Straits Times    |


WHAT IS BLACK GARLIC?
Black garlic looks the same as fresh garlic on the outside, but it is soft and black inside, as it has been fermented, usually for more than a month. It is sweet like plums, with none of the sharp pungency of fresh garlic. It can be eaten on its own as a snack or used in soups, stews and steamed dishes. Find it at major supermarkets and Guardian, where prices start from $68 for a 270g box.

Fish Soup with Black Garlic and Watercress

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
Cooking oil, for pan-frying
600g snakehead (sheng yu), cut into pieces
500g pork ribs, cut into pieces
8 litres water
1kg watercress, roots removed
100g black garlic, peeled
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1 Heat the oil in a hot wok. Pan-fry the snakehead until golden brown.
2 Place the pork ribs into a pot of boiling water and cook for 30 seconds. Drain and rinse the pork ribs again and set aside.  
3 Bring 8 litres of water to the boil in a large pot. Add the pan-fried snakehead, pork ribs and watercress and lower to a medium flame. Cook for 1 hour.
4 Add the black garlic and cook for another 30min. Add salt and pepper to taste.  

Steamed Garoupa with black garlic

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
100g black garlic, peeled
1 garoupa (500g-600g)
50ml light soya sauce
2½ tbsp spicy bean sauce (dou ban jiang)
200ml water
½ tsp sugar
2 stalks spring onions, chopped
100ml cooking oil
    
DIRECTIONS
1 Place the black garlic cloves in a line on the garoupa. Steam over high heat for 13min.
2 In the meantime, mix the soya sauce, spicy bean sauce, water and sugar and set aside.
3 When the fish is cooked – when a toothpick goes through the thickest part of the fish easily – remove from wok and discard any pooling liquid on the plate, then top fish with the spring onions.
4 Heat the cooking oil in a pan, then drizzle it over the fish. Pour the soya sauce-spicy bean sauce mixture over the fish and serve.

This article was originally published in Simply Her June 2015.