Why Marcella Hazan Always Cooked Her Onion And Garlic Starting With A Cold Pan - Tasting Table

"Despite the common method of sautéing alliums in sizzling hot oil or butter, Hazan preferred a cold pan for a gentler, slower cooking method. In one of her , " Add before turning the heat on " By cooking them low and slow, onions won't burn on the outside before the inside becomes sweet and succulent. The same rule applies to garlic, especially due to its fine chop size, which and ."

"Do you walk away from your stove when food is cooking? What no one tells you about cooking garlic properly is you only need to sauté it for about 30 seconds on low to medium-low heat to accentuate its sweet, caramelized notes (though ). By starting in a cold pan, the heating process is more gradual. Since garlic cooks quickly, you want to stir it as it cooks once the oil or butter has heated. Some chefs say starting with cold oil helps the garlic flavor infuse the dish, too."

Marcella Hazan recommended starting onions and garlic in a cold pan and cooking them gently over low heat to develop sweet, caramelized flavors without burning. Onions should begin first so their interior can soften and sweeten before the exterior browns. Garlic, being finely chopped and fast-cooking, should be stirred once the oil or butter warms and generally needs only a short sauté on low to medium-low to release sweet notes. Beginning in cold oil can help garlic flavor infuse the dish. Leaving the lid off increases caramelization and yields a crisper finish by reducing steam.

Read at Tasting Table