Do You Want to Learn How To Grill Garlic Scapes?

This grilled garlic scapes dish amplifies the mild garlicky taste with a coating of sweet, smoky char and a simple sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Grilling garlic scapes is a quick and easy technique to bring out their natural taste. This is most likely my favorite way to eat garlic scapes.

Grilled garlic scapes are a delicious side dish that may be served immediately. Simply arrange the deftly grilled garlic scapes on a plate, season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and serve it as a side dish to any favorite meal.

Grilled garlic scapes go nicely with grilled seasonal vegetables like asparagus, carrots, and potatoes.

Grilled garlic scapes are also a favorite pizza topping of mine.

What are Garlic Scapes

A garlic scape is a flower stem produced by hard neck garlic a few weeks before the bulb is ready to harvest. To allow the bulb to develop, the scape is removed from the plant. Garlic scapes have a softer, milder garlicky taste than garlic cloves.

Garlic scapes are only accessible from late spring to early summer for a brief time. If you don’t have a garlic garden, seek scapes at your local farmers’ market.

Grilling Garlic Scapes

A sweet smokey char complements the basic mild garlicky taste of the garlic scape in this grilled garlic scape dish.

Make The Garlic Scapes

Clean the garlic scapes under running water. If the ends and tips are brown, trim them.

If the bottom ends of the stems are fibrous, gently bend each stalk until it snaps. Each scape will break off just above the point where it becomes woody. Allow the garlic scapes to dry naturally on a clean kitchen towel.

Freeze the trimmings to make chicken stock.

Preheat The Grill

Preheat the grill to medium (approximately 425 degrees Fahrenheit). Clean the grates thoroughly.

Brush The Garlic Scapes Lightly With Oil

In a large mixing basin, combine the garlic scapes. Put in the extra virgin olive oil and mix with your hands to coat the scapes evenly.

Garlic scapes, Grilled

Place the garlic scapes on the hot grill and cook until nicely charred, then flip to broil the other side.

Garlic scapes are well done when they are slightly burned on the exterior and delicate on the inside, which takes about 8 minutes.

Garlic Scapes Should Be Served Warm

Remove the garlic scapes from the grill, place them on a platter, season with sea salt and ground pepper, and serve it as a side dish to any meal.

Recipe

Ingredients

• one pound garlic scapes
• one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Clean the garlic scapes under running water. Remove any brown ends, woody stalks, or dry tips. Freeze the trimmings to make chicken stock.
• Preheat the grill to medium (approximately 425 degrees Fahrenheit). Clean the grates thoroughly.
• In a large mixing basin, combine the garlic scapes. Put in the extra virgin olive oil and mix with your hands to coat the scapes evenly.
• Toss the prepared garlic scapes on the heated grill grate and cook until nicely charred. Flip and cook the other side.
• Garlic scapes are done when they are crispy and slightly burnt on the exterior but soft on the inside, which takes approximately 8 minutes.
• Take out the garlic scapes from the grill and arrange them on a platter, season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and serve as a side dish with any meal.

Garlic scapes as a side dish:

• Chop them into small pieces and sauteé them in butter or oil for about 5 to 6 minutes and serve it as a green bean or add it to salads and mix fries.
• Roast or BBQ the garlic scapes whole and serve them like garlicky asparagus with some aioli dip or some balsamic and olive oil.

Frequently Asked Questions

What to do with excess garlic scapes?

Mix all the ingredients in a processor along with some zest and juice of lemon, cheese, plain or roasted almonds, and plenty of top-quality extra-virgin olive oil. Here, stir it into hot pasta, use it as a dip for crudités, drizzle it over your favorite pizza, or fold it into scrambled eggs.

Which part of garlic scapes should we eat?

The whole garlic scape is edible, and you can use the entire scape in pestos and other delicious purees. But, the area from the bulb where it bulges out to the skinny tip can be tough and stringy, so it is better to discard that portion.16 May

Can you use the tops of garlic scapes?

Throw entire garlic scapes on the grill, just like you would make grilled scallions. Fold chopped scapes into a dip for grilled meat or roasted veg.

Do you peel garlic scapes?

Try to make your cut as neat as possible to avoid crushing the stalk. Once you separate the scape, the plant will direct more of its resources to the bulb. The result is larger, more flavorful garlic cloves.

Can garlic scapes be frozen with no blanching?

Garlic scapes are both edible and delicious! You can easily freeze garlic scapes – for use far long into the winter. Some people like to chop and then Blanche the scapes for around 2 minutes before packing them away in freezer bags. Others like to simply chop and freeze in bags with no blanching.

Can you eat garlic scape raw?

Absolutely! Raw garlic scapes are absolutely edible, with a sharp garlicky-green flavor. Beware, though – older scapes can be quite tough, which can make them unappealing or not so delicious in their raw state. Try a little bit before you commit to using them raw in a recipe.

Conclusion

Grilled garlic scapes are the finest way to experience garlic scapes if you’ve never worked with or eaten them before. The greatest garlic scapes dishes, in my opinion, are those that leave the garlic scape entire. Scapes, in my humble view, have no place in pesto, hummus, or compound butter. Okay, perhaps compound butter.

Garlic scapes have a similar texture to asparagus and a lovely garlicky flavor. Garlic scapes are delicious if you like garlic. Even if you don’t like garlic, garlic scapes are likely to appeal to you since their garlic flavor is less intense and easier to perceive.