Infuse means to steep in liquid so as to extract the essential flavors of the ingredients. Infusing olive oil is an excellent way to ramp up simple everyday cooking with pops of unexpected and delicious notes. Our elevated garlic confit olive oil is a wonderful addition to any pantry, just like our flavor-infused balsamic vinegar.
What You’ll Need
- baking dish
- aluminum foil
- mason jar with lid
- cheesecloth
- Chef’s knife
- cutting board
- measuring cups
Volodymyr Plysiuk/Shutterstock
Ingredients
- salt
- 1 cup olive oil
- ground black pepper
- 3 Black peppercorns (whole not cracked)
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 head of garlic
Instructions
Step #1: Gorgeous Garlic
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Slice off the top of the head of garlic so the cloves are exposed. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
Step #2: Interesting Ingredients
Flip the garlic over and put the exposed clove side into a small but deep ceramic baking dish. Fill with the olive oil, peppercorns, and thyme. Cover with aluminum foil.
Step #3: Radiant Roasting
Roast for an hour. Then, remove from heat and let cool (with foil cap still on) for 20 minutes.
Step #4: Strain Success
Strain the infused oil through a cheesecloth into a sterile mason jar. Pop the roasted cloves of garlic out and add them to the jar, along with 1 sprig of thyme. Cover and refrigerate. This 10 oz. infusion will be good for up to two months.
This garlic confit oil can be used in so many inventive ways, in vinaigrettes to dress salads, to add a pop of umami goodness to any roasted veggies, drizzled on homemade pizza or pasta, smeared over crostini, and many more!
