Q: My boyfriend and I purchased some garlic relish thinking it would make a good dip, but it's overly pungent to eat straight out of the jar. I was wondering if any fellow readers had good recipes for this strange substance.
Sent by Mary
Editor: Mary, what about stirring it into soups or spreading it on a sandwich? Mixing the relish with other ingredients might help to mellow its pungency.
Readers, what other ideas do you have?
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I have to admit that I have no idea what garlic relish is, but it sounds like something I'd throw into the food processor when I'm making hummus. Or any type of dip, actually.
Make a dip or spread with mayo, if still too strong add more mayo until you like it....use it as part of a marinade?
I too would like to know what garlic relish is exactly.
It sounds like it might be wonderful baked into quiche or stirred into softened cream cheese or spaghetti sauce.
Use it as a pizza topping or as an accompaniment to the protein of choice?
Use a bit of it to make garlic fried rice?
There's really not enough information on the taste. Is it vinegar based and loose? Is it more like a savory chutney or jam? If it's really pickled garlic then perhaps it can be used in some roasted or braised dishes.
If it's like a chutney or jam then, I would try it as a topping on a hot dog/sausage or hamburger. A touch with a cheese/cracker combo. A thin smear on turkey breast or other meat in a sandwich....
I picked up a Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Garlic and Onion Jam at the farm stand the other day.... while pungent and very garlicky, it's sorta sweet and pungent with balsamic notes. Looking forward to it on a sandwich or crackers with some swiss or well aged cheddar. There's a English style toasted cheese sandwich with onion and cheddar that's partially melted where this could be subbed for the raw onion slice....
If it's like garlic pickle (we have one in Pakistan that's oil based, very spicy, with whole cloves of garlic) then it makes a perfect delicious condiment companion to any kind of Pakistani or Indian curry. It's great for a mixed group where some people are more spice-friendly than others, as you can mix in as much as you like.
Goes particularly well with a potato/cauliflower curry or try a Pakistani brunch with yoghurt, alu paratha and garlic pickle. Yum yum yum yum.
I was the one who submitted the original question. I wasn't entirely sure how else to describe it, so I apologize for not being more descriptive. But chooriyah was spot on! It must really be garlic pickle because the item we bought is oil-based and has lots of garlic in it. Thanks so much for your suggestions, everyone.