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There is a very large plant family called Allium, which is essential to our kitchen and whose members are onions and garlic in the forefront, followed by leeks and all kinds of greens. I think there is no other powerful and versatile collection that suits our tastes. Whether we add heat or salt, the number of flavors it offers is almost endless.
Now, to use this to our advantage, we need to get to know them a little more. Onions, leeks, greens and garlic are, in this sense, more than just vegetables.: It is a lingua franca, an alphabet used by different cultures to talk at the table.
Onions This is probably the most frontal or linear. Aside from their varieties, which we can see today in greengrocers, sometimes identifying them beyond the color of their outer layers requires more attention and experience. Raw is a statement: it stings, it interrupts, it distinguishes presence, it imposes an often necessary observation (Creole without onions is boring; ceviche, no way). If we add salt, everything calms down, settles down. But it only takes a little heat for the onions to start releasing liquid, becoming translucent. It becomes sweet and soft when all the moisture is removed. If the heat is strong and direct, in the bite we have acidity (some might say hotness), sweetness and bitter taste, as well as a crunchy texture. If we give it too much time and heat, anyone will swear we added sugar to caramelize it.
leeks, On the other hand, he never screams. But it resists the tooth if it does not reach its position. The truth is that they are more delicate, flavorful and almost milky when cooked slowly. If the onion is the main sound of the song, then the leek is the harmony that elevates it. You have to do this gently in the bowl, almost carelessly; Forget it on the grill. Let the steam relax. Advice: Let’s not try to protect the green and everything will be better.
Greenfor its part, is the most entertaining and modern. It consists of two parts, white (more dense, like a small onion) and green (more grassy, light). It has the immediate freshness of a raw onion, but without the aggressiveness of a freshly cut onion: it provides just enough to lift the dish without being invasive. Raw or cooked, greening is easy. Many things improve with a little finely chopped greens at the end.
And we get to the garlic (Let me say the king) who does not admit to apathy. It’s high impact. Raw is an instant, almost brutal hit, but it’s also extremely useful. For raw, always with dark green leaves (pesto, Provençal). It varies a lot depending on how it is stored and its variety. There is very mild garlic and there are also other types that take over our body for a few hours.
Of course: it’s not the same thing as pureeing them and sending them to the pot or into a raw sauce to gently flavor them, which is… Cut them into small pieces or put them in a mortar, where they open completely and express themselves best..
With just a little heat, without browning, with olives or butter, it is a wonderfully aromatic sauce. It turns the dessert into an intense sweet cream, which we can use in drops or spoons.
It is interesting to see how they get along with each other. Onions and garlic make the most classic couple: The perfect combination of body and personality. Leeks come in when you’re looking for elegancewhen a dish doesn’t need that earthy base but rather something softer; higher. Greening, on the other hand, is the fastest way to give life to something that has been left flat.: white rice, very serious soup, meat, fried… The Irish add it to mashed potatoes with a little bacon. The Catalans grill it over embers and eat it with their hands.
In the end, all of these ingredients speak to the same idea: cooking as conversation or music. Each one has a different tone and shift curve. Some start out aggressive and end up being nice; Others are born smooth and become complex over time. Together they build layers that can’t always be seen, but are there, carrying flavor and making our lives so much better.
Using it well is not a technical feat, it is listening. Know when the onions need to caramelize until they are almost gone; When leeks require low heat to allow their sweetness to emerge; When should the garlic go last and when at the bottom; When the green man gives you an impromptu dish. Therefore, my humble advice is to pay attention to it: it has been showing us for centuries that the humblest foundations are also the wisest.