“Black garlic can make nearly anything taste good,” says Silver Iocovozzi, chef at Neng Jr.’s in Asheville, North Carolina. Made by aging regular garlic in a warm environment for a few weeks, the resulting cloves are jammy in texture, jet-black, and slightly sweet, with a deep, almost mushroom-like flavor. Locate black garlic at some specialty markets and Asian grocery stores.
In this twist on the classic Caesar salad, black garlic blends with anchovies and lemon juice to form an inky, deeply savory dressing for romaine lettuce; the torn shiso leaves are optional but provide a light, minty lift. Says Iocovozzi, “Save the leftover dressing—it can be used as a sauce for so many things, including as a delicious barbecue marinade.”