This garlic shallot puree recipe is my secret ingredient for most recipes that call for fresh pure garlic. I first learned this recipe from my friend Homaru Cantu, of the famous Chicago Restaurant Moto, who I worked with out of culinary school at the Lake Arrowhead Resort in Lake Arrowhead, California.
We used this garlic shallot puree in everything we cooked at the restaurant, and it has become a cherished staple in my kitchen, especially since Omar passed away a few years ago. This recipe will always be very special to me, along with my memories of us frantically cooking lobsters on the line at Seasons Restaurant for New Year’s Eve.
When I first worked with Omar, he didn’t have a car, so I would pick him up in Lake Arrowhead on my way to work. He wasn’t happy working at the resort, and always aspired to move to Chicago and work with Charlie Trotter. He eventually made it happen, working his way up the ranks until he broke out onto his own, pursuing a creative career in molecular gastronomy.
This garlic shallot puree recipe is cooking in its purest form, using just two simple ingredients to create a burst of complex flavors. Prepare it ahead of time, so it’s in your refrigerator and ready when you begin to cook. Pureed garlic keeps up to ten days covered in the refrigerator, and keeps frozen for up to six months in the freezer.
When choosing garlic for this recipe, look for cloves that are really firm to the touch, and skin that is not wrinkled. The same technique should be used when choosing your shallot.
I use this puree every time a recipe calls for fresh garlic, and I use about 1 teaspoon of the puree per clove of fresh garlic.
Garlic Shallot Puree
Recipe by Jason Hill – CookingSessions.comIngredients
- 10 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/2 of a large shallot peeled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Mix together in a mini food processor or blender about 30 seconds. Scrape down and blend until creamy.
