Kitchen Basics: Roasting Garlic

Roasted garlic is one of those kitchen staples that anyone should be able to make. Not only is it great spread on toasted bread instead of butter or mixed with cream cheese for a sandwich spread, you can blend it in to sauces to thicken them slightly. 

The uses for roasted garlic are nearly infinite. Yes, you can make ice cream from it: I have. Ask me some day about the éclairs with roasted garlic pastry cream and black garlic chocolate ganache that I made for a dessert course for a garlic dinner.

Slice the Top off the Garlic

Slice the top off of each bulb. This will facilitate getting the garlic out of the husk once roasted.

Wrap the Garlic in Foil

Wrap the garlic and the tops in aluminum foil. Some people advocate pouring a little oil on the garlic before sealing the packet. This is not necessary: it just adds calories that you may or may not want and has no effect on roasting the garlic.

Roast Until Soft, 30-45 Minutes

Place the garlic in a moderate oven (say 350F, though temperature is not critical) until it is soft. You can squeeze the packet with your tongs (or your chef fingers if you've been doing this for a lifetime and can no longer feel heat!).

Squeeze the Garlic out of the Husks

Open the packet and let the garlic cool to touch, then squeeze the cloves right out of the husks. The garlic will pop right out, leaving the husk for the compost pile.

Roasted Garlic Ready to Use

You can roast as little or as much as you need. We would typically roast ten pounds at a time at the restaurant. For longer term storage, I would purée the garlic, put it in a sterilized container, and top it with a bit of olive oil to seal out the air.