Mayu (Scorched Garlic Oil)

Fact-checked on paper only. This recipe has not been cooked or tested yet.

Why this works

Mayu is made by cooking fresh garlic in oil until it is nearly black. It is not made from fermented black garlic, which is a different ingredient [Crafty Cookbook]. Go slowly: rushing it gives bitter char instead of sweetness. Garlic in oil is a botulism concern, so the storage rule here is strict.

Yield: About 3/4 cup (180 ml) Times: prep PT5M, cook PT20M, total PT25M (ISO 8601)

Equipment

• Small heavy saucepan
• Wooden spoon
• Blender or immersion blender
• Fine-mesh strainer (optional)
• Clean glass jar or ice cube tray

Ingredients

• 60 g (about 12 cloves, 1/4 cup minced) garlic, minced
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) neutral vegetable oil
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) toasted sesame oil

Steps

1. Put the garlic and vegetable oil in the saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir often as the garlic goes from white to gold to brown to nearly black, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. If any piece smokes, lift the pan off the heat and stir.
3. Take it off the heat and cool 5 minutes.
4. Blend the garlic and oil with the sesame oil until smooth, about 1 minute. Strain if you want a smooth oil.
5. Pour into a clean jar and refrigerate right away.

What to watch for

• Uneven browning: stir constantly and lower the heat.
• Bitterness means it went past black into burnt. Start over.
• Never leave this oil at room temperature.

Storage

• Refrigerate homemade oil made with garlic and throw it out after 4 days [CDC].
• To keep it longer, freeze it in small portions on the day you make it. Okonomi Kitchen recommends freezing and keeps the fridge life to 2 days for its recipe [Okonomi Kitchen]. Thaw only what you need in the fridge and use it within 4 days of thawing; that last rule is our own caution based on the CDC line.
• Earlier drafts said it kept 1 week at room temperature and 2 months in the fridge. Those claims are dropped.

Allergens: Sesame.

Pairs with

Tonkotsu bowls. Use 15 to 20 ml per bowl.

Sources

1. CDC, Botulism prevention (homemade oils with garlic or herbs: refrigerate, throw away after 4 days): https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/prevention/index.html
2. Crafty Cookbook, mayu (fresh garlic cooked until black; fermented black garlic is a different ingredient): https://www.craftycookbook.com/mayu-black-garlic-oil-for-ramen/
3. Okonomi Kitchen, mayu (scorched garlic oil; freeze small portions): https://www.okonomikitchen.com/mayu-black-garlic-oil/

Citation links

• https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/prevention/index.html
• https://www.craftycookbook.com/mayu-black-garlic-oil-for-ramen/
• https://www.okonomikitchen.com/mayu-black-garlic-oil/