What is it?

Countless recipes begin by sautéing a little garlic because the cloves of this edible bulb (a member of the lily family) are so very flavorful. Depending on how you cook it, garlic can be mild and sweet or assertive and pungent—whichever way you like it. Garlic is also used raw, often finely chopped or mashed to a paste, in bruschetta, Caesar salad dressing, and in flavored butters for making garlic bread.

Kitchen math:

2 large cloves = about 1 Tbs. finely chopped

Don’t have it?

A shallot can sometimes take the place of garlic in a marinade, vinaigrette, or in the sauté pan, but its flavor will be a little more onion-y. Garlic powder or granulated garlic are not good substitutes, especially for sautéing. Find out why.

How to choose:

Buy firm, plump, heavy heads with tight, unbroken papery skins. The heavier the garlic, the fresher, juicier, and better tasting it is. Avoid bulbs that are dried out or have soft spots or mold. Green shoots in a bulb are a sign of internal growth in the clove, which is an indication of old garlic. And as with other produce, bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. Varieties vary in size, and many people find that a smaller bulb of garlic has more flavor than a larger one. Resist the convenience of prechopped garlic. It doesn’t taste nearly as good as fresh garlic and won’t keep as long.

How to prep:

To peel a clove of garlic, first break the skin. Set the clove on a cutting board and cover it with a flat side of a chef’s knife. With the heel of your hand, apply light pressure to the knife blade—enough to split the skin, but not so much to crush the clove (unless, of course, you want it smashed). Remove the germ (the sprout in the center of the clove), especially if it’s pronounced and especially for recipes that call for raw or quickly cooked garlic. For quick-cooking, chunky dishes, like pasta sauces and sautéed vegetables, finely mince or thinly slice garlic to get the best release of flavor. For long-cooking braises and stews, roughly chop or thickly slice garlic so it slowly melds with the other ingredients.

How to store:

Store garlic in a cool, dry place. For just a few heads, a ventilated ceramic container or garlic keeper is perfect. If you buy a large amount of garlic, hang it in a mesh sack in your basement or garage—as long as it’s cool and dry there. Never store garlic in a plastic bag, and keep it out of the fridge, unless you have a low-humidity drawer.

Recipes

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  Grilled Summer Squash with Mint Vinaigrette and Pine Nuts

  A fresh vinaigrette lends a bright contrast to the sweetness of summer squash (which gets extra caramelized from the heat of the grill). Serve with BBQ pork or grilled fish.

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  Chicken Burgers with Lime, Pepper, and Pickle

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  Steak Fajita Quesadillas

  Sizzling spiced steak and peppers paired with gooey cheese is a win-win combination.

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  Multicooker Chicken Scarpiello with Rigatoni

  A classic of both Italian-American restaurants and home cooking, this sweet-and-sour dish cooks up quickly in an Instant Pot or other multicooker. The dried pasta cooks in the sauce, adding…

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  Ancho Chile BBQ Sauce

  A mix of ancho, poblano, and jalapeño chiles gives this sauce a big kick. It’s a hearty sauce, tailor made for the deep flavor of beef.

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  Green Tomato BBQ Sauce

  Here’s a great unblended barbecue sauce meant for passing at the table. This is terrific with sticky Korean-style beef short ribs.

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  Hot Bourbon Mustard BBQ Sauce

  The mustard in this sauce is just the ticket to help tame the barbecue smoke and cut the fat. When blended, brush this sauce onto smoked poultry and pork, or…

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  Hot Pineapple BBQ Sauce

  This sauce is designed for passing, unblended, at the table, ideally with poultry and pork. If you feel like serving it on beef, add a tablespoon of finely chopped ginger…