• 20 g unsalted butter
• 150 ml whipping or double cream
• 100 g strong cheese –gruyere, taleggio, fontina or mature cheddar, cut in small cubes
• 3 cloves of black garlic, sliced
• chopped chives (optional)

1. Place the butter and cream in a saucepan and heat gently.
2. Once hot, gradually whisk in the cheese cubes until melted.
3. Add the black garlic and check the seasoning – may not need salt because of the cheese.
4. Add the chopped chives if using.

Use this as a dip for vegetables, like asparagus or poured over cooked cauliflower or broccoli, courgettes or fennel.

• 1 – 1.3 litres of vegetable stock
• 125g butter
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 onion – very finely chopped
• 4 peeled cloves of black garlic – finely sliced.
• 400g risotto rice (Arborio or Carnoli)
• 1 small glass of white wine
• 225g fresh mushrooms – sliced
• 25g Parmesan cheese – freshly grated
• Freshly chopped parsley – optional
• Truffle oil – optional
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. In a large pan heat the stock until it reaches simmering point.
2. Prepare the mushroom base. Melt 50g of butter in a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and some salt and pepper. Heat slowly until the mushrooms are cooked.
3. Heat 50 g butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. Add the finely chopped onion and sweat until soft and translucent. Now add the black garlic. Mix the black garlic into the onion mixture.
4. Now add the rice and stir until well coated. Pour in the glass of white wine. Allow it to reduce until there is no liquid in the pan. Stir continuously.
5. Add a ladleful of vegetable stock, stirring continuously. As soon as the liquid is absorbed add another ladleful of stock and continue this until the rice is cooked. Stir continuously.
6. The rice should be slightly ‘al dente’ but soft and loose. When you are happy with the consistency, stir in the mushroom mixture and the pan juices.
7. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and 25g of butter
8. Season to taste with salt and black pepper

Serving suggestion – Stir in some freshly chopped parsley and drizzle with a little truffle oil.

Ingredients

• 250g small queen scallops (these are sold in the fish counter in supermarkets)
• 50g chorizo sausage – finely diced
• 5 cloves of peeled black garlic – very finely sliced
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon of freshly snipped chives
• 1 tablespoon of sherry or vermouth
• Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Pat the scallops dry with a kitchen towel.
2. Heat a large frying pan (no oil) and fry the chorizo sausage for 1 –2 minutes.
3. Add the scallops, sliced black garlic and stir-fry for about 4 minutes or until the scallops are cooked.
4. Sprinkle the parsley and chives into the frying pan.
5. Add the lemon juice and the sherry.
6. Turn up the heat for one minute.
7. Serve immediately with a slice of lemon to squeeze over the top.

Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4

Per person:

• A handful of freshly washed and dried young spinach leaves
• A little softened unsalted butter for cooking the leaves, buttering the dish in which to cook the egg and for dotting on top
• 1 clove of Black Garlic, peeled and chopped
• A large fresh egg
• 2 tbsp double cream

For the Black Garlic Herb Butter

• 150 g unsalted butter, softened
• 5 cloves of black garlic, peeled and pounded
• 20 gr or 2 tbs mixed chopped fresh chives, parsley and tarragon
• zest of a lemon
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. To prepare the Black Garlic Herb Butter, blend all together either using a food processor, a small blender or by hand. This can be rolled into a sausage in cling film and kept in the fridge or freezer like this and can be sliced as and when required.
2. Butter a ramekin or French style ovenproof egg dish.
3. Cook the spinach with a little butter in a non-stick pan with the garlic and season lightly.
4. Arranging in the bottom of the prepared dish (draining first if necessary), leaving a space for the egg.
5. Break the egg into the middle, seasoning with salt and pepper
6. Spoon over the cream, dot with butter and a little grated parmesan if desired.
7. Bake in the oven for about 7 minutes until the white is set and the yolk still runny.
8. Serve with crusty toast soldiers spread with Black Garlic Herb Butter.

Serves 4

• 2 racks of lamb, fully trimmed and chined – “french trimmed”, fat and sinew removed – the chine bone is nearly always removed by butchers and supermarkets but do check or it will make carving impossible.

For the Black Garlic and Herb Breadcrumbs

• 75g fresh breadcrumbs
• 25 g chopped fresh herb combinations –parsley and thyme etc – just leaves, no stalks
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 4-6 black garlic cloves, depending on size
• lemon zest to taste
• salt and pepper
• olive oil or melted butter to bind

1. Blend all the ingredients other than the olive oil or butter in a food processor until well mixed.
2. Add the oil or butter to bind together.

Preheat oven to 200c/400f/gas 7

1. Heat a non-stick pan or griddle and lightly rub the lamb with oil and salt and pepper before sealing on all sides.
2. Leave to cool before taking an amount of crumbs to form a “coat” on the top side of the racks, spreading and pressing down to form a thickness of about half cm.
3. Roast either on a bed of vegetables or a rack for between 15 and 20 minutes depending on how pink you like your meat.
4. Rest in a warm, draught-free place for 15 minutes.
5. Carve either into cutlets or mini racks of three cutlets per person.
6. Serve with your vegetable choice – roasted roots, roasted Mediterranean vegetables, a gratin or a puree.
7. Serve with a fruit or herb jelly.

Serves 4 as a starter

• 8 ripe plum tomatoes at room temperature (never keep tomatoes in the fridge!) –if you prefer use cherry or vine tomatoes instead.
• A handful of freshly washed and dried basil leaves.
• 400g mozzarella, the best you can find or afford – buffalo or fior di latte
• 8 cloves of black garlic, peeled and sliced.

For the Salad Dressing

• 2 small shallots, finely chopped
• 8 small cloves of peeled black garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp balsamic or sherry vinegar
• 2 tbsp water
• salt and pepper
• 100 ml olive oil
• 57 ml groundnut or rice bran or grapeseed oil

To make the Salad Dressing

1. Using a blender or small processor, puree together the first 4 ingredients.
2. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and slowly whisk in the oils, creating an emulsion.  This can be done by hand if you prefer.

Keep in a jar, refrigerated and shake well to mix before using.

To make the Tricolore Salad

1. Wash, dry and cut the tomatoes
2. Slice the mozzarella
3. Arrange attractively on a plate or platter and drizzle with Black Garlic Salad Dressing.

Serve with crusty bread.

• 2 small shallots, finely chopped
• 8 small cloves of peeled black garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp balsamic or sherry vinegar
• 2 tbsp water
• salt and pepper
• 100 ml olive oil
• 57 ml groundnut or rice bran or grapeseed oil

1. Using a blender or small processor, puree together the first 4 ingredients.
2. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper
3. Slowly whisk in the oils, creating an emulsion.

Keep in a jar, refrigerated and shake well to mix before using on various salads, e.g. Black Garlic Tricolore.

• 75g fresh breadcrumbs
• 25 g fresh herb combinations – chives and parsley; chives and tarragon; parsley and thyme etc – just leaves, no stalks
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 4-6 black garlic cloves, depending on size
• lemon zest to taste
• salt and pepper
• olive oil or melted butter to bind

1. Blend all the ingredients other than the olive oil or butter in a food processor until well mixed.
2. Add the oil or butter to bind together.

Use to top racks of lamb for roasting; fillets of fish to bake; as a topping for vegetable gratins; as a stuffing for fish or chicken; as a crust on baked pasta.

Store in a container in the fridge for up to a week.

• 150 g unsalted butter, softened
• 5 cloves of black garlic, peeled and pounded
• 20 gr or 2 tbs mixed chopped fresh chives, parsley and tarragon
• zest of a lemon
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. To prepare the Black Garlic Herb Butter, blend all together either using a food processor, a small blender or by hand. This can be rolled into a sausage in cling film and kept in the fridge or freezer like this and can be sliced as and when required.
2. Butter a ramekin or French style ovenproof egg dish.
3. Cook the spinach with a little butter in a non-stick pan with the garlic and season lightly.
4. Arranging in the bottom of the prepared dish (draining first if necessary), leaving a space for the egg.
5. Break the egg into the middle, seasoning with salt and pepper
6. Spoon over the cream, dot with butter and a little grated parmesan if desired.
7. Bake in the oven for about 7 minutes until the white is set and the yolk still runny.
8. Serve with crusty toast soldiers spread with Black Garlic Herb Butter.

Tagliatelle with Black Garlic & Blue Cheese – serves 1

A slice of great bread, coarsely crumbled
1 tbsp of black garlic oil
4 nests of tagliatelle
75g Saint Agur cheese (or any other leftover blue cheese)
another tbsp of black garlic oil
a clove or two of black garlic coarsely chopped

~   Drizzle the first tbsp of oil over the breadcrumbs and toss together.  Either dry fry till crisp and golden or bake for a few minutes in a hot oven to achieve the same end.
~   Chop or crumble the cheese and mix together with the chopped garlic and the second tbsp of oil.
~   Cook the tagliatelle according to instructions on the packet.
~   Set aside about 60 ml of the cooking water then drain the pasta.
~   Stir together the pasta, the blue cheese mixture and the reserved cooking water.
~   Taste and season – freshly ground black pepper is great with this – stir in some of the crisp crumbs and top the pasta with the rest.