I was on one of my many stops at Costco the other day and saw a bag of fresh garlic for a phenomenal price. I have been paying as much as 60 cents per bulb in my regular super market and this bag of garlic came out to about 20 cents per bulb. So, like the impulse buyer I am (especially when it comes to food), I purchased the bag and came home only to realize how large that bag had grown from the store to my home. How was I going to use all that garlic before it spoiled?
Well, there’s a nifty technique called confit. This is a great way to save/preserve an overabundance of garlic! Now in the strict French definition, to confit is to simmer meat in its own fat. But you can confit other than meats and use fats or oils to accomplish the task. When you confit the garlic it preserves it in the oil and you end up with a smooth, spreadable, very silky product. Gently poaching the cloves in the oil of your choice yields a sweet and aromatic morsel.
I poach mine in extra virgin olive oil. The bonus you get from this is that whatever extra oil is left is garlic infused and can be used when you want that subtle flavor of the usually pungent vegetable.
The confit garlic cloves have many uses. Mix it with butter as a spread to make garlic bread. Combine the garlic confit with butter, fresh thyme, rosemary and oregano and some freshly squeezed lemon juice as a rub for baked chicken. Other dishes that would benefit by the inclusion of confit garlic are mashed potatoes, salad dressings, pizzas, crostini’s. soups, in marinades, over veggies and whatever else your creativity can muster.
Once the confit is finished, it will store for months in your refrigerator.
INGREDIENTS:
- Individual garlic cloves, peeled (you can decide how much you want to poach)
- Extra virgin olive oil (or an oil of your choice)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Place the peeled garlic cloves in a pot.
- Put enough oil so that it comes above the layer(s) of garlic.
- Start to confit on a medium high heat and watch closely. You don’t want to deep fry the garlic. You want to poach it gently and it should never turn a dark brown. If you have a glass top stove you may want to use a heat diffuser.
- The minute you see bubbling in the oil, reduce the heat to simmer.
- Continue simmering for approximately 20 minutes.
- Let cool to room temperature
- With a slotted spoon, fill a tightly lidded jar(s) with the garlic cloves and put enough oil to cover the cloves.
- Any leftover oil in the pot can be strained and refrigerated for later use.