Roasted Garlic
To roast garlic, slice the top off an entire head to expose the cloves, drizzle with olive oil, wrap tightly in foil, and bake at 400°F until the cloves are soft enough to spread like butter. The result is a mild, sweet, and mellow paste that loses the sharp bite of raw garlic.
Commit to the patience of the oven.
The garlic needs time to soften into a jam-like consistency; if you pull it too early, the cloves will remain firm and bitter.
- Chef's knife
- Aluminum foil
- Baking sheet or muffin tin
What goes in.
- As neededWhole heads of garlic
- 1 tspOlive oil per head
Steam inside the foil
Wrap the foil tightly around the head so no moisture escapes; this creates a localized pressure cooker effect that turns the cloves golden and supple.
The method.
Prepare the head
Peel away only the outermost, papery layers of the garlic skin. Use a sharp knife to cut about 1/4 inch off the top of the head so that the tops of every clove are exposed.
Season
Place the head on a piece of foil. Drizzle the olive oil directly onto the exposed cut, letting it seep down into the cloves.
Seal
Gather the edges of the foil upward and twist tightly at the top to create a sealed pouch. Place it on a baking sheet to catch any oil leaks.
Roast
Slide into a 400°F oven for 40 to 45 minutes. You know it is done when the house smells distinctively sweet and you can easily pierce a clove with the tip of a paring knife.
Extract
Let the head cool for 10 minutes. Hold the base and squeeze; the roasted pulp should slide out of the skins in one cohesive piece.
Other turns to take.
Herb-infused
Place a sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme inside the foil pouch before sealing to infuse the garlic with woody aromatics.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a muffin tin if roasting multiple heads; it keeps them upright and prevents them from tipping over.
Store the leftover cloves in a jar covered with olive oil in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Don't discard the papery skins; they can be added to a stockpot for vegetable or chicken broth.
The ones that keep coming up.
How do I know if the garlic is overcooked?
If the garlic turns dark brown or black instead of a deep golden amber, it has passed the sweet stage and will taste acrid.
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