How to Roast Garlic
If you have never tried to roast garlic on your own before, NOW is the time to do so. Well, finish reading this post first then go forth and conquer! Roasting Garlic is not only a very easy thing to do, having it done and ready to put in your dishes will add a new depth of flavor you may not have previously experienced. I use it for my Avocado Cream, Spinach Cheese Twirls, and tonight I used it mashed up and mixed with olive oil as a base to my pizza instead of tomato sauce. There are endless uses to Roasted Garlic. And doing it yourself is so much better than buying it store bought with all those preservatives and additives and stuff. So grab some bulbs (of garlic silly, not 60 Watt) and lets get started.
Here's the breakdown! Only three ingredients - Garlic, salt and olive oil. (Aunt Gee this one is for you!)
First I cut the tops off exposing the bulbs inside. Please ignore my chubby hands and freckles. I try to imagine long slender fingers with soft ivory skin on my red-headed body, but that dream quickly evaporates when I see photo's like this.
Then shed the outer skin of paper from the bulb.
Place the heads on a sheet of foil and drizzle the tops of all of them with olive oil.
Then pull up the ends of the foil around the garlic like a purse. Don't bunch it up or pack it too tightly. Just bring it together at the top to keep in the heat and moisture. And please excuse this dark picture. I am still trying to figure out all this exposure, aperture, focus, macro and ISO crap and sometimes it isn't easy to just stop what I am doing to fix a shot. Especially with three kids! So please forgive my weakness and bear with me as I navigate this photography jungle. Thank you. You're so sweet.
Then you plop it in the oven, sit back and wait for the glorious smell of aromatic goodness to fill your kitchen. Which is what I did the other night while making dinner. It sat in the back of the oven while the chicken dish I was preparing cooked alongside. They became fast friends.
Chicken - "You sure are smelling nice tonight!"
Garlic - "Your looking might lean yourself!"
Ok, ok. Back to the task at hand.
Here are the beautiful golden pearls after they have emerged from the oven. Look at that sweetness. Soft and gooey and ready for the squeezing! Yep, we are going to squeeze those little suckers from their warm little home.
Ok, grab the heads by the bottom where the root is. Gently squeeze and watch them pop out of their papery shells. They have carmelized nicely and are soft and creamy. The flavor has mellowed some and will add a deeper flavor complexity to any dish you add it to.
I keep mine in a small ramekin covered with plastic wrap in the fridge. You'll never imagine all the uses you will find for this easy dish. Please go and try it yourself today. And tell me all about it.
Roasted Garlic
Each bulb will yield about 2 tablespoons of mashed garlic
3-4 heads of garlic
2 tsp Olive oil
Salt
Foil
Take the garlic heads and peel off the outside layer of paper. Cut a 1/4 inch off the top exposing the individual bulbs. Place on square of foil and pour oil over tops of all heads and wrap up like a purse. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Better yet, while you are baking dinner (not a cake) in the oven, throw the garlic in with it. Then you don't have to heat the oven at an odd time just for garlic. Let the package cool to the touch and then squeeze the bottom of heads to pop out the cloves (My 5 yo and 3 yo LOVE this part, "ewwwww" they say). Now comes the fun. You can mash them with a fork and serve them spread on toasted bagettes or, like I said earlier, use them in some recipes. To store them, place in a bowl cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. It's good tasting and good for ya. At least I think it is.