How
to Roast Garlic
The flavor of garlic becomes quite mellow, wonderfully
sweet and nutty tasting when roasted. In fact,
raw garlic tastes two to four times stronger than
cooked garlic. Once roasted, garlic becomes very
spreadable and is good to have on hand to use
in recipes. Each bulb (head) of roasted garlic
yields approximately one tablespoon of puree.
When
choosing garlic, the size and color are not important
but firmness is. Buy loose garlic and look for
hard bulbs that do not give when you press on
the cloves. Raw garlic should not be refrigerated.
It is best stored at room temperature in a cool,
dry place where air can circulate.
Preparing
roasted garlic is very simple. The following technique
is for roasting garlic in the home, but garlic
may also be prepared by wrapping it in foil and
roasting on an outdoor grill. You can multiply
the ingredients to roast as much garlic as needed.
INGREDIENTS
2 medium garlic bulbs
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Roast
no more garlic than will be used in two weeks.
Peel, puree and place roasted garlic in a small
covered container. Pour in enough olive oil to
cover garlic with a thin film. Keep container
tightly covered and in the coldest part of the
refrigerator (under 50oF).
Don't
discard the olive oil used for roasting and storing
garlic…it's good to have on hand for recipes
that call for flavored oil. Store under refrigeration
and discard unused oil after two weeks.
Tip:
To remove the garlic smell from hands after handling
raw garlic, rub fingers thoroughly with the bowl
of a stainless steel spoon under running water
and wash hands with soap. (The metal neutralizes
the garlic fumes.)
Uses for Roasted Garlic:
Flavored
Mayonnaise: Mash a few roasted garlic cloves
with the flat side of a knife and whisk the puree
into plain mayonnaise.
Garlic
Bread: Spread 1/2-inch thick slices of French
or Italian bread with softened butter; spread
a generous amount of roasted garlic puree over
butter and lightly brown under broiler.
Garlic
Mashed Potatoes: Add 1 tablespoon of roasted
garlic puree to your favorite scratch or instant
mashed potato recipe.
Sauces:
In a small bowl, blend one tablespoon of roasted
garlic puree with an equal amount of melted butter;
mix into the pan juice of roasted meats and poultry.
Soups:
Roasted garlic puree is so soft that it melts
into pureed or creamed soups with only a little
stirring.
