Garlic might be one of my favorite elements in the food pyramid. Garlic can be added into so many different cuisines, providing a different flavor in each. During my recent trail at Le Barricou, I learned to make a variety of dishes and sauces including garlic confit. I knew immediately that it was something I needed to make as soon as possible.
When I think of confit, I usually think of duck confit, but why not use this delicious technique on something else. Confit basically refers to cooking a meat or vegetable slowly in fat and then preserving it in that fat. For garlic confit, you really don’t need a lot of ingredients and really just need about an hour of time to complete. Not only are you left with delicious garlic, but the extra virgin olive oil that you cook the garlic in can be reused giving your food a hint of garlic.
This recipe give you the instructions for one head of garlic, but if you want more, just increase the garlic and use more olive oil. I also utilized the stove top method, but you can also do this in the oven.
Ingredients:
1 head of garlic, each clove peeled, washed and dried
3 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon lemon juice
~1 cup olive oil
In a small sauce pan add garlic, herbs and top with olive oil. The above measurement is an estimate because it will depend on the size of your pot. The garlic needs to be completely covered in olive oil.
Bring the pan to a very low simmer, the lowest possible setting on your burner. Cover and cook for between 40 minutes and an hour. You want to check occasionally to make sure the garlic doesn’t brown too much, removing from heat if necessary. Cook until garlic is soft and tender.
Let garlic and oil cool completely and then place into a jar (oil and garlic) and cover. This should keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. Serve on a steak, on a pizza, on warm buttered bread…the list goes on. Enjoy!!
