Garlic Confit
Incorporating garlic confit into your dishes is truly a game-changer. It adds so much flavour and depth that I doubt you'll go back to cooking without it.
Slow-cooking garlic in oil transforms it into tender, buttery bits of deliciousness with a mellow taste. A few confit garlic cloves spread on toasted sourdough is simply magical. As a spread, you can enjoy it with crackers or with bruschetta as well.
You can add a few cloves to your mashed potatoes, you can also use the oil along with the confit garlic when cooking pasta, sauces, and even in dressings.
You will need:
2 or 3 garlic heads, peeled
100 ml oil - sunflower/olive oil/ rapeseed oil (or enough to fully cover the cloves)
fresh or dried herbs - rosemary/thyme
How to:
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 5
Peel the garlic and place it in a small oven-proof dish
Pour the oil on top, making sure to fully cover the garlic cloves
Add the herbs and mix gently
Put the dish in the oven for 25-30 minutes (or until the garlic is tender) at 180C/gas4/350F. Cooking time will vary by a few minutes, depending on the type of oven used.
Remove the dish from the oven and let it cool down completely. As soon as it has cooled down, transfer everything to an airtight jar, making sure the oil completely covers the garlic
Store the garlic in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
You can use fresh or dried herbs such as rosemary or thyme
You can add a few chilli flakes or peppercorns for extra flavour
Depending on the type of oven you use (conventional or fan-assisted) please check the garlic after 20/25 minutes. It needs to have a nice golden colour and be creamy, if it boils for too long it will become slightly crispy and bitter.
I usually opt for olive oil or sunflower oil, but feel free to experiment with the oil of your choice, as long as it has a pretty high smoking point, such as vegetable or sesame seed oil.
Just be warned, while you're cooking this, your kitchen will smell amazing.
If you like this recipe, please click on the little heart below, and if you try it, please let me know how it went, in the comments below.
I hope life is treating you well.
Take care