A life changing garlic recipe.

Okay. I know that’s a massive claim but I swear this recipe will transform everything you eat from so-so to bloody awesome! And it’s not the actual recipe (which is barely a recipe at all) but the things you can do with this garlic once you’ve made it. It can be added to so many things and because the garlic has been slowly roasted in the oven you don’t have that bitter acrid taste that you can often get when adding raw garlic to things. This has a deep, sweet, savoury flavour that adds depth and warmth to dishes, especially hummus or garlic bread.

As with any recipe it’s better to plan in advance. Although this is super easy with only two ingredients there are a few steps so give this a read through before you start. It’s all gentle and slow though and I find it a really relaxing way to spend some time in the kitchen.

Ingredients

• 10 bulbs of garlic
• 500 ml bottle of olive oil

Get yourself a baking tray/tin that can hold the bulbs of garlic and oil and turn the oven to 120°c. This is approximate as it depends on your oven, adjust accordingly if you know it runs hot or cold. It’s set pretty low as you want the garlic to slowly cook and not boil or burn.

Rub the white papery skins off the bulbs of garlic but keep the purple skins on, they’ll protect the garlic while it roasts. Once the papery skin is removed, separate the bulbs into cloves (in the bakery we use more bulbs than I’ve suggested here and it seems to take forever but this amount will only take 5 or 10 minutes) and add to the tin. Then the oil goes in, you need enough to just cover the tops of the garlic cloves. Believe it or not that’s it. Told you it was easy.

Now place the tin in the oven, uncovered for at least 1 hour and 30 minutes and that’s it. You can potter around, put your feet up, read a book or come up with some ways of how you’re going to use your garlic…

You will know the garlic is ready before even checking on it as the smell will be filling the kitchen. Nothing gets my mouth watering and tummy rumbling like the smell of butter, garlic, white wine and parsley mingling in a pan. This is a close second.

Carefully take it out of the oven and leave it to cool. Once cool take a sieve and place a bowl underneath it. This is where the fun begins. Start adding the garlic to the sieve a ladleful at a time and press the garlic into the sieve with the back of the ladle or a wooden spoon. Wonderfully soft garlic pulp will push pleasingly through into the bowl. When you think it’s all released from its skins, press a little more. My arms were starting to ache at this point but there’s always a bit extra to squeeze out. Keep doing this until it’s all gone and then add the garlic and the oil into an air tight container. This will now last for weeks in the fridge and can be added to anything.

How to use

• Add to dips like hummus and baba ganoush to give a deep rounded depth of flavour.
• Add to yogurt and serve with Turkish eggs
• Smear on your favourite bread after toasting
• Stir through green beans with some lemon juice or wine vinegar
• Add to some Mayo for an amazing garlic mayonnaise
• Add to a tomato sauce and serve with pasta or roasted meat
• Mash it into potatoes

Basically put it into anything you fancy, the options are endless.

Right I’m off to whip up a garlicky brunch and possibly a garlic martini 🍸

Let me know if you make it and leave me a comment in the box below, I’d love to know.

Happy Sunday! 🧄