La Purée d'Ail d'Arnaud*

*Or how garlic can forge bonds. 

This afternoon Anne and her husband Arnaud are preparing for his parents' visit tomorrow.  One of Arnaud's traditions, apparently, is to make a garlic purée every time his parents come for a meal. 

He sat down at the kitchen table with a kilo of garlic heads, a knife, and a bowl.  And he started peeling that garlic. 

Now, I've heard of making a roasted garlic purée, where you squeeze the creamy cooked flesh of each clove out of the skin and onto a piece of crusty bread.  But peeling a kilo of garlic?  Nope. 

After about 10 minutes of chitchat, I said "Well, hey!  I could help you!"  I got a knife and started peeling garlic cloves.  I said to Arnaud "Wow, we're really bonding now, aren't we?"  He just smirked, as if to say "Whatever."  I started laughing and said "I have to get my camera."  Anne said "Arnaud, you're going in the blog!" 

I said "Yep!" 

Just a few heads of the many we peeled.

Arnaud, hard at work.

A few of the peeled cloves.   The bowl was full when we got done.

Now, here's how you make garlic purée:

Cover the peeled cloves with water, cover, and bring to a boil.  Discard the water and replace it with fresh water.  Bring to a boil.  Repeat this process 7 or 8 times.  Drain one last time.  Mash the garlic, add a bit of olive oil or butter, salt, pepper, and freshly ground nutmeg. 

Serve as an accompaniment to any kind of roasted meat. 

And don't forget to kiss the cook! 

Comments

[Susan]

And just how long can one keep people away with the garlic breath when you eat this stuff? Phew!

[Lisa]

Ewww.

[beetilda]

Delicieuse!

[newwavegurly]

Wow. Enough to keep any vampire away.

That seems like it would be great to smear on a freshly grilled steak. Yummy!