Garlic Confit
Simply put, “Confit" (don’t pronounce the ‘t’) is a type of food that is cooked low and slow submerged in usually a fat. Many types of fat could be used, such as duck, grapeseed, or olive oil. This cooking method originated in French cuisine as a method of food preservation before refrigerators. When this cooking method is applied to garlic cloves, the flavor becomes concentrated and brings out a rich, buttery sweetness to the garlic and tames the strong bite. It can be used many ways, such as added to softened butter, put in soups or stews, add to vinaigrette, mashed potatoes, or simply mash and spread the cloves on toasted crostini. The leftover infused oil can be used for anything you use oil in, such as drizzling over salad or pasta, or top off a bowl of hummus. Such a delightful flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 heads of FRESH garlic separated into cloves and peeled.
- ½ tsp or more of sea or kosher salt.
- 2-3 sprigs of rosemary, thyme, bay, basil or sage leaves; whatever you like…. it’s optional.
- ½ or more of red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F (108 degrees C).
- Place peeled cloves into a small shallow oven-safe baking dish with a cover or large ramekin. Sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes (also optional, but I’d add them ????). Add a few sprigs of your favorite herb. Get creative! Any of them will add to the flavor profile. Some people just like to keep it simple though and only add the salt.
- Cover with EVOO, ensuring all cloves are covered. Cover the dish (with foil if needed). Bake in a pre-heated oven until garlic cloves are soft and easily pierce with a fork, about 60-75 minutes. Check after about an hour and see how the cloves are softening. Slight browning around the edges is fine. Do not overcook as garlic can become bitter.
- Transfer garlic cloves to a clean glass mason jar with lid or a glass storage container. Cover with more oil if cloves are not submerged. Seal lid tightly and refrigerate right away at temps under 38°F (3°C).
Notes
- Is garlic confit safe to eat? Yes, if stored properly! Garlic in oil mixtures stored at room temperature can provide an ideal environment for botulism to grow and produce toxins that could make you very ill.
- ALWAYS keep the finished garlic confit submerged in its oil, tightly covered, and refrigerated. It is best to use within a couple of weeks.
- When you use some of the confit, each time use a clean utensil to extract what you want from the jar. And don’t return unused portions back to the same container. These are just good food safety practices.
- You could freeze the confit for longer storage by putting garlic cloves and oil in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, remove cubes from the tray and store in a freezer bag. Grab as many as you want and bring to room temperature just before using. It will last longer this way; however, I don’t have experience on the effects of freezing to the taste and texture.
- Two ways to peel this many garlic cloves: Put them in a covered container and vigorously shake for a minute or so and the skins will mostly come off. Or you could put cloves in a bowl of boiling water for 30 secs or so and then move them to a bowl of cold water. The skins will loosen and peel quite easily.