What is garlic confit?
How to make garlic confit
On the stovetop So, it should be no surprise that I am sharing how to make garlic confit—it is another of my favorites. I am even sharing three methods so you can choose the one that best fits your needs – on the stovetop (taking less than 30 minutes!), in the oven, and in a crockpot. The garlic cloves become tender, soft, and smooth like butter, and their flavor is milder and slightly sweet. I love to add the garlic confit to so many dishes or even just spread it on some toasted bread. For anyone who’s even slightly a fan of garlic, I’m sure you will love this garlic confit recipe just as much as I do. Once ready, the garlic cloves become soft, sweet, rich, and flavorful without the bitterness of raw garlic. Best of all, this method yields TWO delicious products: tender, buttery garlic, AND fragrant garlicky oil. In the oven Heat on low heat and cook for about 20-30 minutes. Keep an eye on them and stir occasionally. If the oil is bubbling too much or it seems like the cloves are starting to burn at the bottom, lower the heat even more. Within 20-30 minutes, the cloves will become soft like butter. You can remove the pot from the heat whenever you are happy with garlic confit softness and creaminess—test by taking one and spreading it over a cracker or toasted bread. If using a cast iron skillet/pan, the garlic might take 10-15 minutes longer to cook as the pan takes longer to heat. Add the ingredients to the dish. I like to place the rosemary first, then the garlic cloves, and finally, pour the olive oil over them. Make sure you add enough oil to submerge the garlic entirely so the cloves don’t burn. Place the dish in the oven and slow-cook the garlic at 210ºF/100ºC for about 2 hours. I recommend checking at 1:30 hours and then every 10-15 minutes, as each oven is different. When ready, the confit garlic cloves will be tender and lightly golden but not too browned. Test their softness by spreading one on some toast or a cracker. In the crockpot Cool the garlic confit and store Let the garlic and oil slow-cook for 2 hours, and then test the softness of the cloves. If you want them more browed and more tender, increase the time and check on them every 10 minutes or so. Keep in mind that even if you turn off the crockpot, if you leave the confit inside, it will continue to cook as the machine is hot. That’s why, as soon as you are happy with the creaminess, I recommend carefully transferring the garlic confit (cloves and oil) to another heat-proof dish where it can cool. Once ready, allow the garlic confit to cool to room temperature. To speed up the cooldown time, place the confit in a sterilized glass jar and place the jar in an ice bath (a bowl with ice-cold water). Optionally, you can remove the herbs. Finally, place the jar in the refrigerator as soon as it cools enough.
Ways to use garlic confit
I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said that I use this garlic confit recipe on everything. Here are my favorite ways to use it:
Spread over toasted bread or crackers (like these seeded crackers)- alone or with cream cheese and other spreads. As part of a cheese board – with veggies, antipasti, and lots of cheese. Add it to roasted vegetables or mash the cloves into dishes like creamy mashed potatoes or crispy smashed potatoes. Smash it over this Burrata Caprese salad or other salad bowls. Flavor pasta dishes and bakes – like this one-pot pasta or pasta with roasted red pepper sauce.
You can also use the cloves or the garlic oil in dips, sauces, spreads, vinaigrettes, dressings (like this roasted garlic dressing), etc. I love to use the oil as a dipping oil for bread or when sauteeing instead of vegetable oil.
