A question I get often is “What do I do with XXX vegetable?’ or “How can I use this produce, it’s only around for a small part of the year!” – and one of the ingredients that is constantly in that question is the garlic scape. Which is why I decided to share one of my simplest and most elegant ways to eat garlic scapes, in the hope that you might love it as much as I do. When it’s summer time and I’m looking for a delicious vegetable side, Grilled Garlic Scapes with Toasted Fennel Aioli is exactly where I turn.
Garlic scapes are these lovely, curly things that grow directly out of hardneck garlic. They are hyperseasonal, showing up only in June and July and then disappearing until the next garlic harvest. The eat like a mix between asparagus and garlic – I treat them like a garlicky, herbaceous cousin of ramps. You can use them raw in a pesto, or I like to treat them like asparagus – dressing in oil, beautifully grilled, and paired with a simple, flavorful sauce.
Garlic Scapes with Toasted Fennel Aioli
Equipment
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 large bowl
- 1 medium sauté pan
- 1 medium whisk
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds garlic scapes
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the toasted fennel aioli
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 flat packed anchovy fillet
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Trim the tough ends off of the garlic scapes. Drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and season with a few pinches of salt. Toss to coat.
- Either turn your grill to high, or place a well-seasoned cast iron over medium-high heat.
- In batches, cook the garlic scapes undisturbed for 4-5 minutes or until charring on the bottom. Flip and cook an additional 3 minutes or until charred all over, but not wrinkly. Remove these from the heat and set aside.
- In a medium sauté pan, add 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 anchovy fillet and 1/2 cup of olive oil. Set this over medium heat and bring to a sizzle. Swirl and toast for 1-2 minutes, until the anchovy has melted into the oil and the fennel seeds are fragrant.
- Remove the pan from the heat and immediately grate in 1 garlic clove and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest. Swirl this to cook in the residual heat from the oil.
- Let the oil cool for a few minutes to the side while you crack an egg yolk into a large bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard.
- When the oil has cooled a bit, begin drizzling it into the egg yolk bowl, whisking constantly. Add the oil drop by drop, whisking quickly to sieze everything into an aioli. It will start thin but will thicken as you add more oil. If your pan is empty and your aioli is still a bit thin, continue to drizzle in up to 1/4 cup of olive oil until the aioli is opaque and thickened. This process will take around 5-7 minutes.
- Squeeze in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, then taste and season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice as preferred.
- To serve, swipe the aioli across the bottom of a serving dish and then pile the garlic scapes on top. This is a fork-and-knife dish, similar to asparagus, so encourage your guests to serve themselves and have a bit of fun with it!
