My favourite ingredient - Garlic

Garlic

Tony Budde, head chef and owner of the Unicorn Inn, Kincardine-on-Forth, Fife, Scotland on garlic:

"I've been here for four years and in that time I've used a lot of garlic. I like it because of its intense flavour and aroma and I feel that it is an essential seasoning.

We get ours from local veg supplier Ivan Wood & Sons. They are wholesale fruit and vegetable producers based in Fife and specialise in prepared produce.

We choose heads that are firm to the touch, with no softness. The best time of year is the summer as most garlic is grown abroad, the most common being from America. Crops are harvested in mid-July and hung in sheds to dry before reaching their prime in early August. Fresh and dried garlic is available year-round in most markets.

We smoke it, use it as a paste or crush it. It's great mixed with some olive oil or tomatoes. Then this can be used with fish or meat. Sea bass is particularly good, served with a bit of lemon and parsley too. We also use garlic with dishes such as lamb shank, served with a marinade made from rosemary, tomatoes and onion."