Roasted Garlic

Roasting garlic is a simple process. Garlic bulbs are a cluster of little cloves in skin. When the whole bulb is roasted the garlic in each clove becomes soft and the flavour mellows. The uses for roasted garlic are many. If I know I'm going to use it in an Italian dish such as a pasta or pizza sauce or to rub onto foccasia bread before baking, I like to add a sprig of rosemary during roasting. If I'm going to use the roasted garlic to add to salad dressings, guacamole , salsa or humus I leave out the herbs. Once roasted, don't discard the olive oil the garlic has been roasted in as it's full of flavour and can be added to your dishes along with the garlic.

Ingredients:

• whole garlic, you can do one or as many as you like
• olive oil, enough to drizzle over and make a shallow puddle for the garlic to sit in
• salt and pepper
• sprig of fresh rosemary, optional

Method:

1. Peel the outer layer of skin off garlic bulb, leaving the bulb in tact.
2. Cut the top off the whole bulb, exposing the inside of each of the cloves.
3. Place the garlic cut side up in a little roasting dish, or on a double piece of tin foil that is large enough to pull up and over the clove to seal as it roasts.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the garlic making sure it runs into each little clove. Add enough so the bulb is sitting in a little puddle of oil.
5. Add a sprinkling of salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper.
6. If adding rosemary place on top of garlic and give it a little drizzle of oil.
7. Place lid on garlic roasting dish. If using foil, place in a pie plate and seal up. The plate will catch any oil if it escapes.
8. Place garlic in oven pre heated to 375- 400º for 40-45 minutes. For such a small item I often bake it along side something else as I'm not heating the oven for only this. I also place the foil packaged cloves right on the BBQ and roast it along side what's cooking on the grill. 
9. Remove from oven. Remove lid or open foil and allow the garlic to cool slightly before squeezing out of the cloves.
10. To remove garlic, pick up whole bulb and gently squeeze softened roasted garlic right into the olive oil in the baking dish or onto another dish if you don't want it in the oil. 
11. To use mash with a fork and add to your recipes. 

Serving suggestion: for a quick appetizer spread roasted garlic onto a slightly butter toasted baguette and top with your favourite cheese. (try adding a few garden fresh tomatoes before you add the cheese) Place under the broiler for a minute or two.....but watch it so it does not burn.! Serve immediately. 

Garlic after roasting.

Share this post