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[Free Mr. Tony]

Trooper and I have been emailing about the confit cooking method. I've been doing my garlic like this for years, and figured I'd pass it along if anyone wants a new way to end up with roasted garlic cloves with a bonus of a ton of leftover garlic flavored oil.

Peel an entire head of garlic. Place in small sauce pan, and cover with extra virgin olive oil. Or whatever oil you would like.



Bring to a bare simmer, and cook until the garlic is nicely browned.



As soon as the garlic is browned, strain the oil into a bowl or the garlic will burn in the hot oil.



The oil that's left can be used to brush on garlic bread, pizza crust, in marinara, or anywhere you want a roasted garlic flavor.

[Kristin Meredith]

Is the left over garlic use-able?

[Free Mr. Tony]

Is the left over garlic use-able?

Definitely. You can mash, or use the whole cloves. It's basically roasted garlic. Most people I know cut the tops off the heads, and put the whole thing in the oven wrapped in foil with a little oil. This is less messy, and you end up with the garlic oil instead of just the roasted garlic cloves.

[Bar-B-Lew]

could you do that in a smoker on smoke mode?

[Kristin Meredith]

Thanks.  I always think roasted garlic is great in mashed potatoes.

[Bentley]

I know that the origin of confit was preservation of food, to insulate from oxygen so bacteria could not grow.  I thought in a confit cooking process the heat was usually fairly low 170-200° for long periods.  I have always done in the oven for that control and temperature.  It looks almost as if you are frying the garlic?  I was wondering if you considered the seasoning of the oil to be the same process as confit cooking?

[Free Mr. Tony]

Thanks.  I always think roasted garlic is great in mashed potatoes.

You could probably just use a little of the oil mixed with butter, and get the same flavor as the garlic cloves along with having super smooth potatoes at the same time.

could you do that in a smoker on smoke mode?

Good idea to try. Haven't done it that way, but I have no doubt the oil would pick up some smoke.

I know that the origin of confit was preservation of food, to insulate from oxygen so bacteria could not grow.  I thought in a confit cooking process the heat was usually fairly low 170-200° for long periods.  I have always done in the oven for that control and temperature.  It looks almost as if you are frying the garlic?  I was wondering if you considered the seasoning of the oil to be the same process as confit cooking?

Probably a loose interpretation of the term confit for this garlic.  Most of the time I think people view it as meat typically being cooked in its own fat. Example being duck covered in duck fat. This is just a food item covered in fat so kind of the same principle, but maybe not technically confit. I see it labeled that way in books so maybe it's just a way of describing a general process. For the garlic when I say bare simmer, I mean barely seeing bubbles breaking the surface. It took probably a good 30 to 40 minutes for the garlic to look that way. I didn't temp the oil, but I would think true frying would be seconds for the garlic to brown. Not several minutes. It's definitely a slow cook method. You are right on the oven. In bigger dishes that I want a consistent gentle simmer,  I usually run the oven about 300 and get a nice simmer.

[cookingjnj]

Thanks FMT.  This is a great way to actually get two flavor elements for future cooks.  Roasted garlic,  and just as good, roasted garlic flavored olive oil.  Two great favorites.

[Free Mr. Tony]

Did the same thing with whole shallots recently. I have been using them all over everything. Delicious.

[Conumdrum]

Smart stuff!  I wonder how long the garlic oil would last once filtered through cheesecloth and refrigerated?

Ohh what if you roasted the garlic head on the smoker then confit'ed it?  What would that be like? 

[Bentley]

Months and months and months...

Smart stuff!  I wonder how long the garlic oil would last once filtered through cheesecloth and refrigerated?