Technique Geek

About Roasted Garlic

By admin ⋅ January 3, 2009 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Roasted garlic is everywhere these days — in crackers, soups, cheese, salad dressings, and pasta sauces. This method is where it all begins. You can multiply this method to make as much roasted garlic as you need.

Terminology: A bunch of “cloves” of garlic is what you get if you break apart a “head” of garlic. What you purchase in the grocery store’s produce section is a head of garlic. In the accompanying photo, the head of garlic is on the right (with the stem end pointing up and the root end down) and the cloves of garlic are on the left.

Each head of garlic will yield a heaping tablespoon of garlic when roasted, but you can multiply this method to get however much garlic you need.

Rub the head of garlic roughly between your hands to loosen any paper that would come off anyway. Slice off the top of the head so most of the cloves are exposed. Place on a square of aluminum foil for easy cleanup, or select the smallest baking dish you have. Bring the edges of the foil up to wrap the bulb, gathering at the top. Leave a small (1/4-inch) opening at the top. Put the wrapped bulb on a baking dish and pour a couple of teaspoons of good olive oil (use extra virgin olive oil if you have it) into the opening in the foil. A nice shake of coarse kosher salt and a grind of fresh pepper doesn’t hurt, either. Close up the foil (or, if you’re using a baking dish, cover or wrap it with foil). Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 45 minutes until the garlic is completely soft… or, if you’re doing a pork roast (or a chicken or turkey or whatever), put it in at whatever the temperature of the oven is anyway, and roast it until done (signs of doneness: softness when lightly squeezed (be careful — it is hot!)).

Allow the heads to cool slightly before handling them, to prevent burning yourself. Use the paste warm or cooled. If serving it warm, such as when serving as a spread for bread, pull a clove off of the bulb and squeeze out the delicious buttery roasted garlic onto the bread (or, if you want to be fancy-schmancy, use the tip of a small knife to remove the paste from each head).

If using the paste as a seasoning in cooking, remove the cooled garlic paste from the head by cutting off its stem end. Then use your fingers to squeeze the paste from each clove into a small bowl and discard the skins. Mash the garlic paste with a fork or back of a spoon til smooth. Use paste as desired.

Roast several bulbs at a time to have the paste on hand for seasoning. Freeze the paste in ice cube trays or wrap small portions in heavy plastic wrap; put into freezer bags. Thaw to use. Or, refrigerate the paste in an airtight container or wrapped in heavy plastic for up to a week.