-
Prep time
5 minutes
-
Cook time
1 hour 30 minutes
-
serves
6 to 8
Author Notes
Garlic confit is a surefire way to upgrade just about anything, from balsamic vinaigrette and carrot soup to avocado toast and steamed broccoli. Peeling the garlic is the hardest part of this recipe, and it goes a lot faster if you have a podcast or audiobook playing in the background. From there, it’s entirely hands off, simmering away on the stove while you kick back. The wide cook range, anywhere between 45 minutes and 1½ hours, is because of the low heat. How powerful is your stove? How conductive is your pan? These variables make a big difference. Check in every so often to make sure the garlic is gently, not vigorously, bubbling. (My stove doesn’t know its own strength, so sometimes I’ll push the pan halfway off the burner, or remove it from the burner for a minute or two to calm down.) A little patience will lead to buttery soft cloves and deeply savory oil. Speaking of which—I call for olive oil here because I adore how its fruity grassiness gets along with garlic. But if you want your confit oil to have a more subtle flavor, just swap in the same quantity of canola, grapeseed, or vegetable oil.
A few notes about food safety: Because garlic confit is so low in acid, mindful storage is especially important. To reduce the risk of food-borne botulism, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), garlic confit should always be chilled, not kept at room temperature. When working with garlic confit, use a clean utensil to take out what you need, then immediately return the jar to the fridge to avoid the batch coming up to room temperature. From the fridge, make sure you use it up within 2 weeks. If you’d prefer, you can also store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
—Emma Laperruque
Watch This Recipe
Garlic Confit
Ingredients
-
3
heads garlic, broken into cloves, ends trimmed, peeled
-
1 cup
extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
-
Combine the garlic cloves and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat, likely all the way, to maintain a gentle simmer, like bubbling seltzer, for 45 minutes to 1½ hours, until the cloves are very tender and golden brown. Transfer to an airtight glass jar, making sure the cloves are submerged in the oil, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Or freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Emma was the food editor at Food52. She created the award-winning column, Big Little Recipes, and turned it into a cookbook in 2021. These days, she's a senior editor at Bon Appétit, leading digital cooking coverage. Say hello on Instagram at @emmalaperruque.
See what other Food52ers are saying.