Oh how I love Garlic Confit, it’s like love at first sight since the day I first had it at our favorite restaurant in town called the Grey Plume. Sadly they’ve since closed, but we still think about how wonderful their food is so often. The garlic was tender, creamy and sweet like roasted garlic. So delightful!
What’s garlic confit? Yes, it sounds fancy but it’s actually a super simple way to preserve the garlic. Especially, if you’re like me, you got a big bag of fresh peeled garlic from Costco! What to do with them after you even made Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic? TheFrench word “confit” literally means to preserve. A confit is a technique traditionally used to preserve meats by cooking them in their own fat at low heat for an extended amount of time, like the famous duck confit. Garlic confit uses the same technique. You let the garlic cooked in oil at low heat for a long period of time. You can also add herbs like thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, whole black peppercorn and crushed red pepper to jazz it up, but you can make it without the extras and just do garlic and oil.
What can I use garlic confit for? These tender, creamy cloves can be used in countless recipes. Spread them on bread/sandwiches, add them to pasta sauce, mashed potatoes, on pizza, mashed them with butter, add to frittata, omelet, roasted vegetables, etc. The possibilities are endless. Basically any recipes that have garlic. Put it in mason jars and give it to your friends and family for extra love. Seriously, you should make it!
How to safely make garlic confit?
When it is stored improperly in oil and in warm temperatures (without oxygen) or at room temperature, it can produce a very serious toxin that causes the illness botulism, which is a rare poisoning caused by toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. We also need to use a clean jar with a tight seal to store garlic confit; as soon as the garlic and oil are cool, refrigerate immediately. Also, use a clean dry spoon every time.
How long does garlic confit last?
If you store it properly, it should keep for 3-4 months, however, to be completely safe I recommend only storing it for up to 3 weeks. You can also safely freeze garlic confit for several months.
What kind of oil I should use for garlic confit?
You can use olive oil, but virgin olive oil is the best. Less flavorful oil like canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil will also work. They won’t add any depth of flavor to your confit, but if you want to save a little bit of money, go for it. You do you!
I think that’s enough knowledge in one day. ha ha Now let’s cook some food!
Add garlic cloves in a heavy saucepan or large pot like Le Creuset
To test for doneness, use a fork. If it’s very soft, turn off heat. If not, let them cook until they are tender but not burnt.
Remove the pot from the heat, keep covered and let cool to room temperature. Using a clean spoon, divide garlic and herbs among clean resealable glass or mason jars. Fill them with garlic and oil. Refrigerate immediately.
Hope you give this Garlic Confit recipe a try and let me know how it goes and please share some ideas on what you use it for. The recipe card and comment box are below.
- 8 cups peeled garlic cloves
- 4 cups regular or extra virgin olive oil
- 8-9 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorn
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Add garlic cloves in a heavy saucepan or large pot. Add the oil, thyme, black peppercorn and crushed red pepper flakes. Cover and cook over low heat (you want the garlic to gently poach, not deep fry!), about 1 hour to 1½ hours. Small bubbles will rise from the garlic. The oil temperature should not go above 200°F (you can use a candy thermometer if you have one).
- To test for doneness, use a fork. If it's very soft, turn off heat. If not, let them cook until they are tender but not burnt.
- Remove the pot from the heat, keep covered and let cool to room temperature. Using a clean spoon, divide garlic and herbs among clean resealable glass or mason jars. Fill them with garlic and oil. Refrigerate immediately.
It should keep for 3-4 months in the fridge, however, to be completely safe, use it within 3 weeks. You can also safely freeze garlic confit for several months. Always use clean dry spoon every time you use it. Enjoy!
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