Roasted Garlic Recipe
I have roasted garlic in my refrigerator at all times; it just makes everything taste better. When garlic is roasted it retains the delicious flavour of raw garlic but without the bite; it’s sweeter, mellower and softer, and oh so deliciously caramelized – like the difference between raw onion and slowly sauteed onion. Be sure to make a lot because you will use it frequently: whisk into mayonnaise and salad dressings, spread on toast for quick garlic bread, lather on pizza crusts before adding your other toppings, add to mashed potatoes, spread thickly on grilled steak, smear on a whole roasted chicken, add to soups, stews and sauces. You will run out of roasted garlic before you run out of ideas for it. This recipe keeps for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator, but it won’t last that long I promise you.
- 12 whole garlic bulbs (or however many you want to make, keeping in mind that you can never have too much roasted garlic!)
- water
- salt to taste
- olive oil
- cut the tops off the garlic bulbs to expose the individual cloves (discard the top portion) (photo 1 and 2)
- place cut bulbs in a saucepan or frying pan (photo 3)
- add water to come about halfway up the sides of the bulbs
- cover with a close-fitting lid or aluminum foil
- roast in a 350F oven for at least one hour and up to two hours, until the individual cloves are golden and caramelized (add more water as necessary so the pan doesn't dry out) (photo 4)
- when the garlic has cooled enough to handle, squeeze the bulbs into a container (glass is best) (photo 5)
- discard remaining water
- season roasted garlic with salt to taste
- cover with olive oil (don't stir it in) to preserve (photo 6)
- store in refrigerator
- the oil will solidify in the refrigerator, but that's ok, just spoon however much garlic and oil you like into or onto your soup, noodles, pizza, bread, etc.
photo 1
photo 2
photo 3
photo 4
photo 5
photo 6
