Garlic confit is a simple ingredient; it’s just a bunch of garlic cloves simmered in olive oil. However, this simple ingredient is incredibly versatile, and it’s a valuable addition to many kinds of recipes. If a dish has sauce, if it’s pasta-based, or if it just needs extra-flavor, there’s a good chance that garlic confit will do the trick.

Making a Simple Garlic Confit

Making garlic confit from scratch is relatively easy, but there is still some degree of precision required to prevent the garlic cloves from being overcooked. The best part? It only requires three ingredients, and you probably already have them in your kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 cup of olive oil
1 to 1 1/2 garlic heads
Salt and pepper, as preferred

Note – these should be more than enough to make about 35-40 cloves.

Directions:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
    2. Set the heat to low and add the garlic. This should keep the garlic from getting overcooked. Cook the garlic for about an hour.
    3. Use a clean spoon to scoop out the garlic cloves and put them in a jar. Cover the cloves in oil and store in a fridge for one month.

The entire process may take some time, but once the confit is ready, you should have more than enough for several recipes. But what can you actually do with the confit once it’s ready? Here’s a quick rundown of popular uses for garlic confit to help you get started.

  1. Vinaigrette – Want a rich-tasting vinaigrette? Get about three or four cloves and some oil from the same jar, then mix it with some vinegar. Vinaigrette enhanced with garlic confit works best on salads with delicate greens such as lettuce, arugula, and cabbage.
  2. Sandwiches – Garlic confit is tender enough that you can use it for enriching the flavor of your favorite toasted bread sandwiches. This is especially good with sandwiches that contain cheese as the garlicky flavor complements the creamy texture of the cheese.
  3. Pizza – Unlike regular garlic cloves, garlic confit isn’t that strong that it overpowers other toppings typically found in pizza. Add a layer of garlic confit on top of pizza – especially those with mild toppings such as mushrooms or spinach – for a tasty treat for the family.
  4. Condiments – Eating potato chips and fries is great, but it’s a lot better if you pair it with a great-tasting dip. Get a couple of garlic confit cloves and mash them into a paste before mixing with cream cheese or yogurt. Add a few herbs and a dash of olive oil and you’ll have the perfect condiment for parties.
  5. Salad – Earlier, we talked about using garlic confit to complement your salad, but you can also use the cloves as part of the actual salad. Carefully slice a few cloves and toss them in a bowl with slices of tomato, basil leaves, and toasted bread. It’s tasty, healthy, and takes very little effort to prepare.
  6. Grilled Vegetables – A common problem with grilled vegetables is that some of them taste bland even when drizzled with olive oil. However, you can mix the greens with a spoonful of garlic confit. This not only enhances the taste of the dish but also gives the grilled veggies a great aroma.

Garlic confit may not be as fancy as some ingredients, but anybody with experience in making food will agree that its versatility more than makes up for that fact. Whether you want to add flavor, aroma, or even texture to a dish, garlic confit will usually be more than enough for the task.