Ingredients
- This is the perfect recipe to capture that pure, summer-garlic taste — no bitterness in sight. Use garlic confit to punch up any vegetable dish or to inspire any number of dishes on its own. Smash it, puree it, pulverize it into a paste, or use the
- Extra virgin olive oil
- As many heads of garlic as you want
- Ways To Use Garlic Confit Whip a few cloves and some of the infused oil with vinegar to make a vinaigrette
- Smash some of the cloves and whisk them with some of the infused oil. Toss the thick garlicky oil with steamed vegetables
- Toss roasted or grilled vegetables with a spoonful of the tender garlic.
- Spread the tender cloves over toasted bread or cheese-smeared crostini.
- Layer garlic confit into a sandwich or pizza.
- Toss garlic confit into a vegetable pasta.
- Whip the tender cloves into any vegetable puree for sweet garlic flavor.
- Make a vegetable and garlic confit salad. Slice the cloves in half and toss them into a tomato, basil, and toasted bread salad.
- Use some of the oil to sauté corn-off-the-cob just briefly. Toss the corn with sliced or smashed cloves, fresh basil, and feta. (Add zucchini and/or tomatoes to the corn salad if you wish.)
- Add garlic confit to sauces and soups.
- Use the back of a fork to break down cloves into a paste. Stir the garlic paste into plain Greek yogurt or ricotta to make a creamy garlic dip or condiment. If you wish, add summer herbs to the mixture or drizzle the top with a good olive oil or chili oi
Garlic Confit (1)
Method
- Peel the cloves from 2 heads (or more) of garlic
- Place the cloves in a small saucepan and pour in enough olive oil to cover them, 1/2 to 3/4 cup for 2 heads
- Over medium heat bring the oil to just a hint of a simmer, then reduce the heat to as low as it can go
- You want to poach the garlic, not simmer it
- Cook for about 45 minutes, until the garlic is soft and tender, but not falling apart
- Transfer the garlic with a slotted spoon to a clean jar and pour the oil in to cover the cloves
- Cool the mixture to room temperature
- Cover the jar tightly and keep refrigerated for several weeks, or freeze for several months
- (Keep the cloves covered in oil and be careful about using a clean spoon to dip into the jar)
- As a variation, add rosemary and/or thyme to the saucepan along with the garlic to cook
Comments
Thanks to Ettrick Gardens for providing the elephant garlic used in the demonstration at the market
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