Garlic Confit

One of my favorite condiments is garlic confit. (It's french and pronounced con-fee.) Not only is it easy to make, but you wind up with a lovely garlic infused olive oil at the same time.  The garlic and oil keeps for weeks in the refrigerator. I am always finding new uses for it and it is even delicious on its own.

The more you do to garlic the stronger the flavor. It's like the finer you chop it, the angrier it becomes. But, when you roast the whole bulb, in its papery covering, the garlic takes on an almost sweet flavor. When you put it through a press, the flavor is sharp and pungent. I loved roasted garlic but it is a real pain, once it is roasted, to separate the cloves (pieces that make up the bulb) from the papery skin.  That's okay if you are serving it as an appetizer and everyone is digging out their own pieces to spread on french bread, but if you want to use it in a recipe...

I still remember roasting over a 1/2 dozen bulbs of garlic, painstakingly squishing it out of their stubborn little coats and winding up with barely a half cup which my dad ate in 4 seconds. On the plus side, I feel this has contributed to his longevity.

So I will keep you in suspense no longer, here's how to make it. I can't even call it a recipe it is so easy. At your local market you can find garlic that is already separated into cloves and peeled.   I get mine at the Fruit and Veggies Farm Market on Haverford Ave.  between Wynnewood Rd and Lorraine Ave. in Ardmore.  

Place the garlic in a heavy bottomed pan.  Cover with a good quality olive oil, I use the kalamata olive oil from Trader Joe's. Don't worry about using too much oil. After the garlic is poached, the oil is perfumed with the garlic flavor and is wonderful for seasoning veggies, brushing on whatever you want before grilling or broiling it, in salad dressing, mixed with some grape seed oil and used for sautéing, etc.  Now gently heat the garlic/oil mixture until the garlic barely sizzles and slowly poach it for about 25 minutes or until the cloves are really soft.  Don't let the heat get too high because you don't want the garlic cloves to brown. You might have to periodically remove from the heat if your cooktop doesn't have a low enough setting.  Once the garlic starts to sizzle, I put an additional grate from the stove over the gas burner so the pan is further from the heat and cook it that way. Let it cool and store both the garlic and the oil in the refrigerator.  

Now your asking after all this, what do I do with the confit?  Well you can:
1. spread it on French or Italian bread sprinkle with a bit of Parmesan and broil for a delcious garlic bread with virtually no fat
2.  cut off the top of the Brie, drop a dozen or so cloves on top (depends on the size of the Brie wheel) and heat until the garlic starts to sink into the Brie. Serve with French bread or crackers
3. Moosh (a technical term) it with an equal amount of Dijon mustard and some herbes de Provence. Spread on lamb, steak or tuna and broil
4. Use as a spread for sandwiches
5. Add the cloves to the spinach or greens that you are sautéing in the garlic oil. Add salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes to taste.  Leave the garlic cloves whole
6.  Use your imagination. I've got you started. Just remember they are in the fridge before you start cooking.  You'll find they're gone in no time.

Enjoy