Life without garlic? I would rather never have to contemplate such a thing. The tiny cloves of the mythical Allium Sativum plant are pungent, intensely aromatic and impressively flavorful – an irreplaceable and unique ingredient.
I always marvel at what one little clove of garlic can do. Whether sautéed, roasted or used raw, its presence transforms any dish in the most dramatic, delicious way.
But have you ever tried making garlic confit? If you haven’t then you’re in for a wonderful treat.
The term confit is used to describe anything that has been cooked slowly into a rich, succulent texture. To confit garlic, the cloves are very gently poached in oil, transforming them into the most delicate, sweet and tender morsels. A dream!
The confit cloves can be used to flavor soups, sauces, pastas, vinaigrettes, marinades or mashed potatoes. For a quick but sublime nibble, spread them on a crusty slice of bread.
Olive oil is my preferred oil to confit garlic, but of course you can use others. I like to use extra virgin olive oil: since the temperature of the oil doesn’t get too high, its natural flavor is preserved and then slowly imbued with the delicate garlic flavor as the cloves cook.
And the confited garlic is not the only thing that will add zing to your recipes. Every drop of the oil will, too. Use the oil in salad dressings and marinades, drizzle it on veggies, or dip some bread in it.
Whichever way you use your garlic confit, you’ll be astounded by its subtle yet rich flavor. I can only hope that it’ll become a favorite pantry item in your household too.
Recipe: Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Garlic Confit and Baby Arugula
Garlic Confit
makes 4 cups (garlic with oil)
prep time: 20 min
cook time: 40 min
total time: 50 min
- 3 cups unpeeled garlic cloves (about 112 cloves)
- 3 cups extra virgin olive oil
- Step 1: Fill a large bowl with cold water and several ice cubes. Set aside.
- Step 2: Bring 2 quarts of water to a fast boil in a medium saucepan. Place the unpeeled garlic cloves in a sieve and dip them in the hot water for 20 seconds. Remove from boiling water and dip the sieve with the garlic cloves in the ice water bath. As soon as the cloves are cooled, place on a cutting board. Cut off root ends and skin garlic (the skins should slip right off). Pat dry with clean kitchen towel.
- Step 3: Place garlic cloves in a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan. Add the oil. (The oil should cover the cloves by 1”. You may need a bit more or less oil, depending on the size of the pan you use.) Heat pan over medium heat. As soon as small bubbles appear, reduce heat to very low (or the lowest setting on your stove: the oil should never reach 180°F and only small bubbles should form in the pan). As the oil heats up, bits of skin might float to the surface; skim them off with a mesh spatula. Gently cook the garlic for 40 minutes, stirring from time to time, until it is very tender and the cloves look very pale-golden. Remove pan from heat and set aside, allowing the cloves to cool in the oil. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.
- Cook’s note: Bring garlic confit to room temperature before using, as the oil will firm up when refrigerated.
Note: Blogger friend and health food expert Robyn Webb shared her tip on Twitter about blanching garlic to skin them. I was thrilled to see that it worked perfectly for skinning so many garlic cloves without bruising them. Thanks Robyn! Making my garlic confit has since been a cinch.
Step by step
Remove garlic cloves from root-end and leave unpeeled.
Fill a large bowl with cold water and several ice cubes and set aside. Place the unpeeled garlic cloves in a sieve.
Bring 2 quarts of water to a fast boil in a medium saucepan.
Dip the garlic cloves in the hot water for 20 seconds.
Remove from boiling water and dip the sieve with the garlic cloves in the ice water bath.
As soon as the cloves are cooled, place on a cutting board. Cut off root ends and skin garlic (the skins should slip right off).
Pat dry with clean kitchen towel.
Place garlic cloves in a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan.
Add the oil.
The oil should cover the cloves by 1”. You may need a bit more or less oil, depending on the size of the pan you use.
Heat pan over medium heat. As soon as small bubbles appear, reduce heat to very low (or lowest setting on your stove: the oil should never reach 180°F and only small bubbles should form in the pan).
As the oil heats up, bits of skin might float to the surface, skim them off with a mesh spatula.
Gently cook the garlic for 40 minutes, stirring from time to time…
… until the garlic is very tender and the cloves look very pale-golden. Remove pan from heat and set aside, allowing the cloves to cool in the oil. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.
Disclaimer: As always, my point of view is my own. I do not accept samples, and have no commercial relationship with any product, food or wine company.
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the step by step procedure Viviane. They are indispensable in the kitchen. I so agree with you that we can’t live without them. They also make a perfect gift. Thanks a lot.
Viviane, this looks outstanding. I think I’d have a hard time waiting to use this for recipes, and instead go straight for some crusty bread or toss some into pasta!
I plan on doing this soon! I have been meaning to for quite some time and this post was a nice reminder!
This looks great! And you’re right, I have never made this before.. so I am definitely in for a treat :-)
Jay, I’m with you on this one… It’s hard to resist having garlic confit on crusty bread!
Foodieforager & Emily, Thank you for stopping by and do let me know how it turns out when you make some…
Bon Appetit!
Hi!
I like garlics.
but I’ve never made Garlic confit!
I’ll try to do it.
but in Japan Garlic is not cheap.
we buy a garlic for $1.5.
Do you get it inexpensive?
Ayamlin, Garlic in the US is about $4/lb. It’s not that cheap either, but you know, a little goes a long way…
I just had a thought. I have several pounds of wild fresh ramps and will try this with those. I have been freezing, pickling, making vinegars, etc. but never thought of this!
Foodieforager: Ramps might work, but they’re very delicate, so you might have to cut down the cooking time. Also, I worry that the greens might cook too much. Do let me know how it turns out. You have intrigued me now. Might try it myself!
One more thought, this is a wonderful method for making mushroom confit – although the cooking is slightly different, I sauté the mushrooms at high temperature, before I confit them.
Love those step by step images. Garlic is my favorite too. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the detailed instructions. Garlic is wonderful when it is baked or cooked this way!
Garlic confit. Wow. I love that it lasts up to a month too. What a great gift, can’t wait to make a batch and give it out to friends (or keep it. yeah, I’ll keep it.)
wow! lovely pics…
http://forkbootsandapalette.wordpress.com/
This site is like a classroom, except I don’t hate it. lol
I add garlic to almost everything. This sounds like a wonderful option. I might have to do it in smaller batches though since not everyone in this house shares my love of garlic.
what a great way to prepare garlic….I do con fits of other veggies by roasting, including garlic and it caramelizes deliciously, never thought of using this method and to be able to prepare and keep that much garlic for a month is great way to have prepared garlic ready to use….
thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
all the best
Dennis
Wow this sounds amazing! I would eat it with everything : )
So glad my blanching technique worked for your fab garlic confit
This post is truly mouthwatering, now where’s all my garlic??
What a great idea for peeling garlic! Glad Robyn shared with you. You have beautiful pictures of every step. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Geeta
http://www.hushsupperclub.net
Looks great, a really great idea for the peeling the garlic. Thanks for sharing.
lovely post. i have not seen garlic used in this manner, and this would taste wonderful in so many dishes – thanks!
I have never tried this before but I will now. It looks really wonderful. I love the blanching method too!
What a great way to preserve garlic!
one time my MIL was explaining a recipe to me and when she got to the part about the garlic, she got this look on her face… she stopped, mid-sentence, to convey how important the freshness and quality of the garlic was, and to convey a sort of horror at using anything less. in the way that only a greek MIL can do. fresko, fresko, she said…. sort of shaking her head and wincing her eyes, at the mere thought of anything less–and at the thought of her daughter-in-law being the one doing it! it is a moment that comes back to me whenever i use garlic. now YOUR post comes to my mind whenever i am in garlic mode. love this post!!
I made this today – and it is truly wonderful. I can’t imagine it lasting more than two more days in our house! Thank you for the recipe I think it is going to become a staple.
Reena, I totally understand how the garlic confit would disappear in two days – it is the same in our house! I thank you for your comment and I am truly delighted you loved the recipe.
I have made this recipie and love it. I add a fresh bay leaf and a few whole pepercorns to the mix when its gently cooking, adds a really delicate pepper flavour to the oil.
Excellent recipe! I too love the wonderful taste of garlic prepared this way. Just wanted to make a note that there is the risk of Clostridium botulinum on all garlic and keeping it around for more than a week (even if diligently refrigerated) can open you up to the nasty toxin it creates (Botulism). The web has lots more reliable info on botulism risk so I won’t go into it here, I know my garlic confit doesn’t usually last more than a week anyway!
Oooooh! I cannot wait to make this! Thank you, Viviane.
Hi Viviane,
Looks amazing!
For a great guide on growing your own garlic see below.
http://www.wascene.com/home-garden/grow-your-own-garlic/
Regards,
Jim
I came here through a post on BuzzFeed about great grilled cheese recipes, and I immediately headed here for the garlic confit tips, thanks!
About peeling a lot of garlic cloves really easy: I recently saw a video over at The Kitchn (the link is below) where a chef shows how by shaking the cloves in a bowl for a few seconds the peels come right off! I’ve tried it a few times and it works marvelously. With the many cloves that this recipe requires, though, I’d imagine it’d take a few more seconds (a minute? two?) but I think it’d be worth it. Don’t you think? ;)
Here’s the link to the video:
http://www.saveur.com/article/video/video-How-to-Peel-a-Head-of-Garlic-in-Less-Than-10-Seconds
Dear Tess, Thank you for stopping by and for your comment. As they say, there are many ways to skin a cat! Thank you for the link.
How long can I keep this garlic? I pose the question because of the possible risk of botulism. Does this process get hot enough to kill any possible bacteria? When I make something like this, I usually only ever make enough for the upcoming meal. It would be nice to make more at one time.
Johane, You can refrigerate the garlic confit up to one week (it usually never lasts this long in my household though!). It’s hard to cut the recipe above in half as it needs to cook at a very low temperature for the garlic to be properly confit. My solution: give half the batch to friends of neighbors. Enjoy!
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