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Growing Chefs! Ontario Garlic Confit

Garlic Confit

“Garlic confit is made by slowly cooking whole garlic cloves in olive oil. The slow cooking transforms the sharp flavour of raw garlic into a rich, mellow ingredient that can be used in sauces, dressings, compound butters, mashed potatoes, or simply spread onto warm bread.”
Difficulty
Beginner
Yield
Approximately 1 cup garlic confit
Ingredients
3 heads garlic1 1/2 cups olive oil, or enough to completely cover the garlic2 sprigs fresh rosemary4 sprigs fresh thyme1 bay leaf1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Equipment
Chef's knifeCutting boardSmall saucepanWooden spoonMason jarSlotted spoonTasting spoonsClean dish towel

Get Organized!

Gather your mise en place; get together all of the equipment needed for the recipe and gather your ingredients.

Get Prepped!

Separate the garlic cloves from each head and peel away the papery skins. Trim the root end of each clove if needed, keeping the cloves whole.

Prepare the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns.

Get Cooking!

Place the peeled garlic cloves into a small saucepan. Pour in enough olive oil to completely cover the garlic. Add the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns, if using.

Place the saucepan over low heat and cook gently for 30 to 40 minutes, maintaining a very gentle simmer. The oil should have only the occasional small bubble around the garlic. Avoid allowing the oil to boil, as this can cause the garlic to brown instead of slowly softening.

The garlic is ready when the cloves are tender enough to be easily pierced with a knife and have turned a light golden colour.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the garlic to cool slightly in the oil. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a serving dish or storage container and pour the oil over top to keep the cloves submerged.

Serve warm with fresh focaccia, spread onto bread, or use in sauces, dressings, mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables.