Garlic, as a cooking spice, is quite versatile. There are not many dishes or cuisines for which garlic is not a good complement either as a side dish, as an infusion or mixed into the meal.
For the best flavored garlic, learning how to roast fresh garlic cloves can give a subtle difference to the taste of a dish when compared to dried powdered or salted garlic or minced garlic that is pre-prepared and purchased in a store. It might come as a surprise how sweet and nutty freshly roasted garlic can taste compared to the mass-manufactured and pre-prepared garlic seasonings.
Buying and Storing Garlic
If bought fresh from grocers or farmers’ markets, garlic can be stored for several months in a cool and dry place in a pantry. There is no reason to refrigerate garlic prior to roasting.
Roasted Garlic Flavor
Garlic can be roasted using a toaster oven, convection oven or conventional oven, but garlic can also be roasted in a pan on a stovetop. Roasting garlic is the best way to bring out the nutty sweetness that garlic is known for, instead of the pungent aroma often found with processed garlic. In fact, garlic that is roasted doesn’t leave the bad breath scent for which garlic sometimes gets a bad rap, and there are many researched health benefits to consuming raw or roasted fresh garlic.
How to Oven Roast Garlic in Foil
Peel the desired amount of garlic cloves and cut off the pointed tops to release the aroma and interior oils. These pieces can be roasted whole or cut or chopped, and then placed inside foil. Leave the foil unsealed at the top. Drizzle the garlic with a favorite oil or flavored oil, add any complementary spices (any savory spice will work well, including: rosemary, thyme, basil, sage, paprika, sea salt, pepper and more).
Place the foil on a baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake at 350-375 degrees for 40 minutes, until the tops of the garlic are lightly browned but not burnt.
Pan Roasted Garlic
Roasting garlic in a pan uses the same oil drizzle technique, except the garlic cloves cannot be unattended while roasting. Simply place the cloves in the pan, add a little butter, flavors and spices, and then drizzle the oil over the cloves. Turn the flame onto a low/medium-low heat, and use a spatula to constantly move the garlic.
Once the garlic has softened, and this might take as much as 15-20 minutes of constantly stirring, the flame can be turned up higher and the cloves allowed to sizzle until lightly browned and slightly firm on the outside.
Using Roasted Garlic
Roasted garlic complements most recipes or can be sautéed with onions, butter and a little brown sugar for a succulent side dish. Roasted garlic can be stored in an air-tight container, plastic bag or jar for up to a month in the refrigerator before it begins to lose its flavor, or it can be infused into an oil and kept for longer.
Michelle L Devon - ~~Michelle Devon has 15 years of writing and over a decade of editorial experience, working with hundreds of publications and ...
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