I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE hummus. I joke, but there is truth in the fact that I could put it on almost anything. And I mean anything. I eat it at breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is just something about the garlicky acidity that appeals to my taste buds. So to to find a “condiment”–is hummus a condiment?–that ranks up there with hummus is saying something.
I was scrolling through Instagram the other day and a post stopped me dead in my tracks. Garlic Confit. I mean anything prepared confit is pretty fab in my opinion. But garlic? That is just strait up next level.
Let me explain. We love garlic in this house. My husband. My kid. Me. It doesn’t scare us. I’ve had the 40-Clove Garlic Chicken, followed by Garlic Ice Cream at The Stinking Rose. (Delish!) When I was young, my grandparents lived 20 minutes from the garlic capitol of the world (Gilroy, California). So anything crazy garlicky makes us pretty happy, plus it keeps away the vampires, so there’s that too.
So seeing Garlic Confit pop up in my Instagram feed was pretty mind blowing. I won lie. It was enough of a game changer that I Googled a couple recipes, got a feel for the preparation, and then dropped everything and went straight to the kitchen. I needed to try this liquid gold for myself!
After going through a couple blog posts and watching a video or two, I made some notes and settled on a version that uses both butter and extra virgin olive oil for the preparation. The refrigerator life in the butter version is reduced significantly, but everything is better with butter, right?
I bet at this point you are wondering what you do with Garlic Confit? The great part is that you can use it multiple ways. You can use only the oils or only the cloves or both together. You can add it to pasta dishes (I drizzled it on to my bolognese before serving) or veggies. It makes a great appetizer when served with crackers and cheese. And toast or crostini? Yes, please.
So here it is. I can’t take credit for the recipe since it comes from notes from a couple sources. However, Garlic Confit is something so special it needs to be shared. If you haven’t tried it yet, it is decadent and delicious. The garlic flavor is so mild and the cloves literally melt in your mouth. It is versatile, yet luxurious. And like hummus, I could put it on literally everything.
Garlic Confit
Course: Appetizers, Condiments16+
servings10
minutes45
minutesIngredients
1/2 c EVOO
3 tb Butter
2-3 Bay Leaves
2oz Garlic Cloves, peeled
Directions
- In a small sauce pan, heat olive oil and butter over low heat until it reaches 185F.
- Add bay leaves and garlic and cook over lowest heat setting available. Take care not to simmer. Stir occasionally.
- Cook 45 minutes, or until cloves are tender and soft.
- Turn off heat and let cool to room temperature. Remove bay leaves and place the cloves in a warm glass jar using a slotted spoon. Cover garlic with all oils from the pan. Store in refrigerator for up to seven days.
