Roasted Garlic Confit
Raw garlic bites back, but slow cooking turns it into something entirely different. By keeping the heat below a simmer, you strip away the harsh acidity and replace it with a sweet, custard-like texture.
Patience is your primary ingredient.
Do not rush the temperature; if the oil bubbles vigorously, the garlic will fry rather than confit, turning bitter. You want to see the occasional tiny bubble, not a boil.
- small heavy-bottomed saucepan or oven-safe ramekin
- chef's knife
- glass storage jar
What goes in.
- 3 headsgarlic, separated into cloves and peeled
- 1 to 1.5 cupsextra virgin olive oil (enough to cover the cloves)
- 2sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary (optional)
- 1/2 tsppeppercorns
Maintaining the temperature
The goal is an infusion, not a fry. Keep the heat on the lowest setting possible to ensure the cloves soften through the center without browning on the edges.
The method.
Prep the cloves
Peel the garlic cloves carefully, keeping them whole. Remove any woody ends.
Combine
Place the cloves in the saucepan and pour in enough olive oil to submerge them completely. Add the herbs and peppercorns.
Cook
Set the pan on the lowest burner setting. Cook for 60 to 90 minutes. The garlic is ready when a knife slides through a clove with zero resistance and the color is a pale, uniform cream.
Cool and store
Let the mixture reach room temperature in the pan before transferring everything—oil and cloves—into a clean glass jar.
Other turns to take.
Spicy Confit
Add two dried whole red chilies to the oil during the cooking process.
Citrus Infused
Add a strip of lemon peel, avoiding the bitter white pith, to the oil.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always keep the garlic fully submerged in the oil while stored in the refrigerator.
If the oil solidifies in the fridge, let the jar sit at room temperature for ten minutes before using.
Use the leftover garlic-infused oil to sauté greens or as a base for vinaigrettes.
The ones that keep coming up.
How long does this keep?
Kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it will stay fresh for up to two weeks.
Why did my garlic turn light brown?
The heat was likely too high. While still edible, the flavor will be nuttier and closer to roasted garlic than the mild, sweet profile of a true confit.
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