Crispy Boneless Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer with Garlic and Herbs: Chef’s Technique to Keep Them Juicy
Receitas Air Fryer
Glossário Culinário
Garlic
Garlic is the bulb of the Allium sativum plant, made up of cloves joined together and wrapped in a thin white or purplish skin. With an intense aroma and pungent flavor, it is the most present seasoning in Brazilian cooking: rice, beans, sautéed dishes, marinades and sauces almost always start with it. Its aromatic compounds are released when the clove is crushed, chopped or heated in oil.
Characteristics
The most common garlic in Brazil is the white one, with large cloves, and the purple one, with a slightly stronger flavor. Raw, it is hot and pungent; cooked or roasted, it turns sweet and mild. Besides the fresh clove, it comes as paste, powder or dehydrated flakes, fried and crispy for finishing, and in the black version, with a bittersweet flavor. Leek is a close relative, but it is another ingredient, with a much more delicate flavor.
Uses in the kitchen
It is the base of the Brazilian sofrito, alongside onion, and seasons meats, poultry, fish, vegetables and grains. It shows up in garlic and oil pasta sauce, in barbecue garlic bread, in beans seasoned at the last minute, in broths, soups and preserves. It pairs very well with lemon, olive oil, butter, parsley, oregano, bay leaf and pepper, and is indispensable in marinades for meats.
Substitutions
When fresh garlic is missing, you can use the white part of leek, with a milder flavor, or reinforce the onion in the sofrito. Dehydrated garlic powder or flakes work in a pinch, but should be used in smaller amounts, as they are more concentrated. Ready-made garlic pastes also work, as long as you adjust the salt in the recipe, because they usually already come salted.
Fun facts
Removing the green sprout from the center of the clove, the germ, makes the flavor milder and helps avoid that taste that repeats on you after eating. Crushing the clove releases more aroma than slicing. The point of attention is the heat: garlic browns fast and, if it burns, turns bitter and compromises the whole dish. Store the heads in a dry, cool, airy place, out of the fridge, and only refrigerate after peeling, in a closed container.
