I recently was in the grocery store and came across the most massive bulb of garlic I have ever seen. It was elephant garlic, which I had never seen in real life, but had heard about, so obviously I had to buy it!
Elephant garlic is a type of garlic that belongs to the Allium family, which also includes onions, leeks, and chives. Despite its name, elephant garlic is not a true garlic but rather a variant of the leek species. It is called “elephant” because of its large size compared to common garlic bulbs. For scale, one whole garlic clove from an elephant garlic is bigger than a whole bulb of normal garlic!
The flavor of elephant garlic is milder and less pungent than that of regular garlic, making it a popular choice for those who want a subtler garlic taste in their dishes. The bulbs are composed of large cloves that are easy to peel.
Elephant garlic is much sweeter and milder than normal garlic. So I don’t recomend substituting it for normal garlic. It won’t pack as big of a punch as normal garlic does in dishes like sauces, braises, sauteed dishes. Instead I recommend treating it as it’s own thing and cooking it to draw out the sweetness. I love to confit elephant garlic, or saute as it’s own dish!
What is Garlic Confit?
Garlic confit is a cooking method that involves slow-cooking garlic cloves in oil until they become tender, sweet, and infused with the flavors of the oil. This process results in a milder and sweeter taste compared to raw garlic. Confit is a French term that traditionally refers to a method of preserving food by slow-cooking it in fat. In the case of garlic confit, the slow-cooking process is used to enhance the garlic’s flavor and texture.
The best way to confit is submerge the garlic in olive oil, add herbs, and cook in the oven at a low temperature of 250*F until it is soft and cooked through. Cooking it at this low tempearture allows for it to be sweet, jammy and delicious!
How to Use Garlic Confit:
I love using garlic confit in a ton of different ways, here are my favorite!
- Spread on bread or crackers
- Spread on a sandwich
- Make a puree out of them
- Use on charcuterie boards
- Blend into sauces
- Pizza toppings
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SERVINGS: 1 cup
- PREP TIME: 10 Mins
- COOK TIME: 2 Hrs
- TOTAL TIME: 2 Hrs 10 Mins
Ingredients:
- 1 bulb elephant garlic
- olive oil, enough to cover, around 2-4 cups
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- maldon salt to finish
Preparation:
STEP 1.
Preheat the oven to 250*F.
STEP 2.
Prep the garlic. Peel all the cloves and add to a small oven safe pot. Cover with olive oil so it is completely submerged. Add rosemary and tuck it into the oil.
STEP 3.
Confit the garlic. Place the dish into the oven and cook for 2-2.5 hours, until the cloves are soft and easily pierced with a fork.
STEP 4.
Drain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Reserve the oil for cooking. Remove the rosemary sprigs. Top the garlic with maldon salt and serve or store in the fridge for up to two weeks.
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