Years back, Black Garlic seemed to be a secret amongst geeky pro chefs, and making it involved multi-day low temperature cooks. Now we're finding it in regular grocery stores for reasonable prices. It has a surprising and appealing sweet flavor, without the bite you might expect. I thought it might make an intriguing ice cream, and it turns out, lots of others are doing this too -- some with additions of vanilla, chocolate, honey, even 36 variations. I want my first version to be pure and direct, to showcase the ingredient; perhaps later, I'll add complementary flavors.
Sidebar. The first Black Garlic we got here in Barcelona (from Mercadona) was in a plastic tub which contained peeled cloves with a great fruity flavor: a bit tart and a bit sweet, kinda like a like a date or tamarind, maybe a hint of balsamic vinegar. The 60 g jar we got from Consum was a surprise when I opened it for this project: it had a distinct note of garlic and not as much of the sweetness we had earlier, it might go well with chocolate, but it's too garicky for a solo tour. We went on a quest to find more sweet/tart ones and found it only in whole head form: at Ametller and Bon Preu (from the same producer and same 5€ price), and 8€ at Fruiteries Borau (a different producer). All three contained 2 whole heads, and peeling them was not terribly easy: they were soft and sticky enough that they didn't pop out of the peels easily (I even tried freezing the heads first). The whole heads had less overt garlicky smell and taste than the Consum jar, and I had a slight preference for the fruit of Ametller/Bon Preu brands. You might want to buy a couple different brands to find the most appealing flavor before you embark on this recipe, and get the peeled if you can; you can use less-fruity ones in savory dishes.
Most recipes I've seen mash the Garlic into a paste; this no-churn recipe just steeps then discards the cloves. Some use 1-2 Tablespoons of paste for 2.5-3 Cup of Milk and Cream; here, I'll use more for a pronounced flavor. I'll use the proportions of dairy and sugar that I use for my Saffron Ice Cream.
Whisk the Black Garlic, Eggs, Milk, and Cream together in a large saucepan;
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Small scoops served in pastry shells |