Garlic: invisible basic ingredient

One of the basic plants of Mediterranean cuisine Over time, some historical figures have been keen to use, while another ban the garlic.
Everyone talks about the three musketeers, but there is no doubt that the most popular characters from the trilogy Alexandre Dumas is the fourth, ie, D'Artagnan, name that many people remember with much more ease than those of Athos, Porthos and Aramis.

Well, with the basic plants of Mediterranean cuisine , the authentic symbols of civilization and the Roman presence, occurs almost the same, are the olive tree, whose fruit oil is obtained, the vine with grapes which produces the wine , and wheat, the grains should be the bread.

But there is a fourth floor, a real D'Artagnan, since it is the one that best points out of them all the garlic . The Mediterranean cuisine is based on garlic, to the chagrin of Anglo-Saxon noses and palates.

It is curious to see what Dumas himself says in his wonderful book "Mon Dictionnaire de Cuisine" which never saw publication. It would appear neutral but just saying that "in Provence, the air is permeated with a scent of garlic that makes it very healthy to breathe." Certainly it would be impossible to think of things like a bouillabaisse, or a brandade cod , without the smell of garlic.

Ateneo said that garlic eaters were not allowed in the temple of Cybele. Virgilio , however, said that garlic was very good for the harvesters because it increased his strength in times of extreme heat. Horacio was an enemy of garlic, it seems that because the same day he arrived in Rome suffered from indigestion after eating sheep's head heavily flavored with garlic.

Later in history, the King of Castile Alfonso X , called "El Sabio", stated that the gentlemen who had eaten garlic or onion may not appear in court within a month ... Poor garlic.

INVISIBLE INGREDIENT
Garlic is the joy of many dishes and can be-and is-the ruin of others. Garlic, if involved in the recipe, it should be noted, but should not be: should not reach the plate. A range chicken sliced and fried in a garlic-flavored oil, which have been removed to make gold, it's a very rich, if the garlic dish scorched sheets appear next to the bird, is crap. Garlic should not be seen or in the soup of garlic though, of course, is the soul of the dish, but we all know that the soul is not seen.

In Spain there are many dishes surnamed "al ajillo", but the current kitchen does not allow the garlic to physically get to the table. A popular appetizer is the shrimp with garlic: a headless and peeled shrimp, sauteed in an oil in which previously have been golden sheets of garlic together with a point of hot pepper, or garlic or chili should go to plate is presented to the diner, but they are there, the prawns have the aroma of garlic and chilli mischievousness ... without anyone having to go through the draft of eating garlic or burn the tongue with chilli.