Oven-Roasted Garlic Confit
If there is one recipe that perfectly encapsulates my passion for fine ingredients and sun-drenched cuisine, it is this oven-roasted garlic confit in olive oil. It brings together two ingredients I particularly love – garlic and olive oil – but not just any kind! For this next leg of my culinary journey through the Drôme – following the goat cheese pastry and the stroll through the lavender fields – I am taking you today to discover Drôme Garlic and Nyons Olive Oil.
In June, market stalls offer both fresh and dried garlic. For this recipe, I chose fine heads of dried garlic with firm, plump cloves—which are, in fact, the first things I recommend checking when selecting garlic.
The magic of this recipe lies in its simplicity. The cloves cook slowly, covered, in olive oil until they become wonderfully tender and melt-in-the-mouth; the garlic develops a milder, delicately aromatic, and slightly sweet flavor.
Oven-Roasted Garlic Confit recipe
Ingredients you do need to prepare oven-confit garlic:
- heads of garlic
- olive oil
- fresh herbs of your choice: a sprig of thyme and rosemary, a few sage leaves
- sea salt flakes
Believe me, once your jar is ready, you’ll find a thousand ways to use them. I love tossing a few cloves into a tomato and burrata salad, serving them alongside grilled meat – like a ribeye steak – or simply mashing them onto a slice of toasted bread. In fact, that’s exactly what I did the moment they came out of the oven, just for a quick taste… With a nice slice of rustic bread, a pinch of fleur de sel, and – why not? – a few drops of balsamic vinegar reduction for a touch of acidity, it’s a real treat.
An Italian friend even told me about a pasta recipe using confit garlic cream that sounds absolutely irresistible. Unfortunately, my first jar disappeared much faster than expected… so I’ll have to make another batch very soon to try it out! 😉
Another bonus: the olive oil used for cooking becomes a culinary treasure in its own right. Delicately infused with garlic, it elevates vinaigrettes, grilled vegetables, fish, meat, and Mediterranean cuisine in general.
In short, if you’re looking for a simple, aromatic, and sun-kissed recipe to accompany your summer meals, this oven-roasted garlic confit in olive oil is likely to become a kitchen staple.
Other condiment recipe ideas you might like:
Oven-Roasted Garlic Confit
Ingredients
- 1 large head of garlic
- +/- 25 CL olive oil
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme (optional)
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary (optional)
- 2 sage leaves (optional)
- Salt flakes
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C.
- Separate the head of garlic and peel the cloves.Place them in a small lidded casserole dish or terrine.
- Add the thyme, rosemary, sage, and salt, then cover with olive oil.
- Place in the oven and let confit for about 40 minutes.Allow to cool.
- Transfer the cloves to a clean (ideally sterilized) jar.Using a small sieve, strain the cooking oil over the garlic cloves into the jar.
- Seal the jar and store in a cool place.Remove garlic cloves as needed and reseal the jar tightly.If necessary, take the jar out a little while before use so the oil becomes more fluid.
