Here's how to roast garlic so it's soft, sweet and jammy. It's super easy and doesn't require much effort. All you need to do is take a couple of garlic heads, cut off the tops, drizzle them with a bit of oil, wrap them in foil, and bake them in the oven until the cloves become soft and sweet.
Roasting garlic like this turns it into a spreadable treat that's great for adding to focaccia dough, mixing into dressings, or spreading on crusty bread, see more uses below.
Buying and Storing Fresh Garlic
Buying: Choose firm heads of garlic with tight, unblemished skin. Avoid heads that have sprouted or that have soft or shriveled cloves. They’re past their prime. Also, stay away from peeled cloves. They won’t last long without the protection of their papery skins.
Storing: Keep whole heads of fresh garlic in a dark, cool, dry place for up to two months. Once broken into individual cloves, the garlic will last about two weeks. Don’t store your garlic in the refrigerator, as the moist air encourages mold.
How to roast garlic step-by-step
1. Select the freshest garlic you can for roasting, (A). Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut about ½ inch off of the stem end of each garlic head (B).
3. Place each head, cut-side up, on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1 Tbs. olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (C) Bring the opposite ends together and crimp tightly to sea.l. Repeat with the remaining garlic heads. Place the packets on a baking sheet (D).
4. Roast until the garlic is soft (you can test by inserting a cake tester or paring knife, but be careful when opening the packets), 45 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Set the baking pan on a wire rack and let the steam escape from the packets until they are cool enough to handle. Squeeze the garlic from cloves and discard the skins.
How to Keep
Roasted garlic cloves can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week. To freeze, squeeze cloves from skins into airtight container; freeze for up to 1 month. About ¼ cup of defrosted garlic is equal to 1 head.
10 Ways to Use Roast Garlic
Roasting garlic mellows and sweetens its flavor and adds a delicious caramelized note. Here are ten simple ideas for using roasted garlic.
1. Stir into mashed potatoes or cooked vegetables.
2. Use as a spread for sandwiches.
3. For a delicious, quick appetizer, spread onto crackers topped with soft goat cheese and cherry tomato halves.
4. Spread onto toasted baguette slices to make easy croutons for soup.
5. Stir into the drippings from a roast for a savory gravy.
6. Whisk into a vinaigrette to use on a hearty salad.
7. Smear roasted garlic under the skin of a whole chicken before roasting.
8. Stir it into risotto during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
9. Spread onto crostini and top with goat cheese.
10. Add to cooked pasta along with olive oil, parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs like parsley or basil.
How to Roast Garlic
Ingredients
- 4 heads garlic
- 8 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Slice about 1⁄2 inch from the top of each head of garlic. Arrange the garlic cut side up on a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drizzle with 2 Tbs. of the oil and season with 1⁄4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Add a few thyme sprigs and wrap the foil tightly to make a packet.
- Roast until the cloves are light golden-brown and very soft, 45 minutes to h hour. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- To remove the garlic from the heads, squeeze the cloves from the bottom intoa small bowl and mash with a fork.
Notes
Nutrition
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