What is Garlic Confit
Confit is anything that has been cooked slowly into a rich, succulent texture. To confit garlic, fresh cloves of garlic are very gently poached in oil, this process makes the garlic soft, mashable, transforming them into delicate, sweet and incredibly delicious. The process of confit is applicable to literally anythin: tomatoes, vegetables, fruits chickpeas, meats like duck. This method of preserving food was originated in France. Back in the day before refrigerators food was often salted or slow cooked in fat to give it longer life. This unique technique turned out to be so delicious and sought after, it continues even now even after we have way better ways to give food a long shelf life.
Ingredients for Garlic Confit
The process of confi’ting is very simple with few ingredients. With some basic techniques, making confit is rather easy. Here are ingredients needed for garlic confit and step-by-step process.
- Garlic: use fresh garlic. It can be freshly peeled or store-bought peeled garlic cloves. Just make sure the cloves are plump, fresh without any bruise.
- Oil: traditionally extra virgin olive oil is used for best flavor. other high quality cooking oils work well too– grape seed, avocado oil, or oil you normal use at home should work, but my suggestion would be extra virgin olive oil.
- Herbs: Confit can be made without herbs, although herbs add freshness and added flavor. Herbs like thyme, rosmary, bay leaf, oregano, lemon peel are classic for best flavors. Spices like chili flakes, peppercorns, fennel seeds are all delicious addition to confit. Experiment with one or two from herbs and spices recommended.
How To Make Garlic Confit
- Prepare the garlic: buy fresh garlic heads and peel them, alternatively buy pre-peeled garlic cloves.
- Place the cloves in deep skillet or baking dish. Start by placing the herbs in the bottom of the dish. Then add the garlic cloves. Pour the oil over everything to cover the garlic. PROTIP: use a small baking dish or skillet with high sides, so you need less oil. Cover and bring the heat on the stove top(gas/convection etc) to a low simmer (NEVER BOIL) cook for about 30 minutes or until garlic is slightly golden, buttery.
- Slow roast in the oven alternatively you can slow roast the garlic in the oven for about 2 hours at 195ºF/100ºC. This should give you same results as stove top.
- Allow the garlic confit to cool remove any herbs, its okay to leave the herbs in too. When cooled, transfer the garlic to a clean, sterile jar and store for up to 2-3 weeks in the fridge. The garlic can also be frozen. Freeze them in small single containers, so you can defrost as needed.
How to Use Garlic Confit
Garlic confit is buttery, rich, mash-ably soft, with rich sweet flavor. Use it on toast, in pasta, rice, noodle, stir fry dishes, it elevates flavors of vinaigrette, dressing, salsas, hummus dips, butters use it anywhere you want to add umami rich goodness of garlic. Don’t throw away the flavorful oil, use it as a finishing drizzle to any dish too.
Recipes to try it in!
- Roast Garlic Soup
- Veg Loaded Smoked Salmon Chowder
- Garlicky Tahini Dressing
- ROASTED SMOKY TOMATOES WITH SPAGHETTINI AND GARLICKY BREADCRUMBS
- ORANGE RADICCHIO SALAD WITH BLACK GARLIC VINAIGRETTE
- RAINBOW ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH ALMONDS AND GARLICKY BREADCRUMBS
- Creamed Spinach
- Mushroom Stroganoff with Mashed Cauliflower
How to Use Garlic Confit Safely
Is garlic confit safe? Garlic confit has a life, always keep it in the fridge. Like any cooked food there’s always a high risk of bacterial growth when not properly stored and used up within a certain period of time. Once your garlic is cooked and its cooled transfer garlic confit with its cooked oil to a clean sterile container, and refrigerate immediately. Refrigerated in its oil, the garlic confit will keep for up to 2 weeks when properly stored. If you wish to keep it longer than 2 weeks I recommend freezing the garlic confit.
Can you freeze garlic confit? absolutely! Freeze it along with the oil in individual containers for up to 2 months. You can even freeze it in covered ice-cube trays for easy removal, the small individual portions are perfect when you need small amounts.
Garlic Confit
Equipment
- Skillet or baking dish
- clean jars
Ingredients
- 3-4 heads garlic, fresh about 3 cups cloves
- 1½ cups e. v.olive oil or other high quality cooking oil of your choice, see notes for recommendations.
- a few sprigs of thyme or rosemary** see ingredient notes for other herbs and spice recommendations
Instructions
- Peel the garlic cloves, or check for bruised if store bought.
- Preheat the oven to 195ºF/100ºC if cooking the garlic in the oven.
- Place the herbs followed by the peeled garlic in a deep baking dish or skillet. Pour the olive oil over the herb-garlic so it covers and submerges everything.
- Place the skillet on the stove and slow cook on simmer for 30-40 minutes. If you prefer cooking in the oven, place the herb-garlic-oil in a deep baking dish and slow roast in the oven for about 2 hours. (It may take lesser time so check every 30 minutes). When the garlic is cooked it should be soft, tender and lightly golden.
- Once the garlic has achieved its doneness, take it off the heat and allow it cool completely Pull out the herbs out if you wish. Then transfer to a sterilized glass jar and keep it refrigerated up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 2 months.
Looks great! Ill give it a try.
Happy you like the recipe, Please let me know how it turns out.