On this day in 1610, Henry Hudson sailed into what’s now known as Hudson Bay thinking he had traveled through the Northwest Passage and reached the Pacific Ocean. While those of us who live in the Hudson Valley are grateful, this was just the beginning of Hudson’s problems. In the spring of 1611 after the ice had melted, Hudson planned to resume his search for the passage. Alas his crew, eager to return home, mutinied and cast Hudson, his son, and seven crew members adrift. They were never seen again.
Since this story ends badly for the castaways, I thought black garlic was in order. And since it’s really hot, here’s something that’s great on ice cream. This recipe is from Ric Orlando, owner of the New World Home Cooking Company in Saugerties, home of the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival which will be held on September 29th and 30th in 2012. As I’ve mentioned before, I think this is the world’s best garlic festival because it has such an incredible range of different garlic varieties and garlic farmers who are happy to tell you about them. Bon Appetit and don’t mess with homesick sailors.
Black Garlic Caramel Sauce
1 c. sugar
20 black garlic cloves
6 T. butter
1 c. heavy whipping cream
First, before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go – the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. Making caramel is a fast process that cannot wait for hunting around for ingredients. If you don’t work fast, the sugar will burn. Safety first the caramelized sugar will be at twice as hot as boiling water.
In a small pot, add the garlic and cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and reduce the cream by half volume. Strain and reserve both the cream and the garic cloves.
Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. As the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on.
As soon as all of the sugar crystals have melted (the liquid sugar should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted.
Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Count to three, then slowly add the cream to the pan and continue to whisk to incorporate. Note than when you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up considerably. This is why you must use a pan that is at least 2-quarts (preferably 3-quarts) big.
Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then fold in the garlic. Pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving. Serve over ice cream.
NOTE: The stamp above was issued by the Royal Mail as part of a British Polar Explorer Series in 1972.
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