Garlic Scape Fries Are The Creative Way To Use Every Part Of The Vegetable

Garlic is the almighty flavor agent that comprises the aromatic foundation for everything from stews to roast beef to vegetable stir fries. While most of us buy a head or two every time we go grocery shopping, garlic cloves are just one part of the vegetable. Garlic scapes are the curly, wispy, green stalks that shoot out of the bulb of cloves, and they're a seasonal delicacy. They have the texture and appearance of chives, with a subtle garlic flavor that is often featured in summer pestos or as a salad garnish.

Garlic scape fries are a creative and unique way to enjoy them and their fleeting availability. As Tasting Table has demonstrated, potatoes are only the tip of the iceberg of veggies you can make into delicious fries. Garlic scapes may appear delicate, but they'll take on seasonings and crisp up just as beautifully as sturdier, starchier counterparts. Plus, you don't need a deep-fryer to achieve crunchy and delicious results. These fries only take a few minutes in an air fryer and just a few more in the oven.

A fat like olive oil or avocado oil will bring out their aromas while also acting as the glue for additional seasonings or bread crumbs. Simply spray trimmed and quartered scapes with oil, add your desired seasonings, and gently toss to combine before baking; air fryer scapes will take eight minutes to crisp, while oven-baked scapes will take closer to 15 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

If garlic scapes are new territory for your ovens and air fryers, many of the same rules used to crisp up other vegetables apply. One such rule is to ensure that you don't overcrowd garlic scapes when you arrange them on a baking sheet or frying basket. Allowing hot air to circulate freely between each stalk is key to crispy results, as is flipping them halfway through.

Bread crumbs will enhance the texture of fried garlic scapes, and super-fine breadcrumbs will prevent weighing them down. You can incorporate them easily by blending them with seasonings and tossing them into oil-coated scrapes. However, there are more elaborate and creative ways to make breading. In her recipe for air fryer asparagus fries, Recipe developer Miriam Hahn utilizes the light and adhesives powers of aquafaba for air fryer asparagus. You can likewise create dredging stations to coat garlic scapes first in aquafaba and then in seasoned breadcrumbs. This recipe for breaded and fried spring onions uses a wet batter of cornmeal, buttermilk, and seasonings. Since garlic scapes have a similarly delicate texture, this technique is worth a try.

Just as garlic cloves are aromatic foundations for an array of savory, salty, and spicy dishes, garlic scapes welcome a similarly broad list of ingredients to enhance their garlicky flavor. Smoky paprika, spicy cayenne, and savory bread crumbs would make a great combination. If you want to enhance their underlying flavors, add a dash of garlic and onion powder to the mix.