There are a few universally recognised truths. The earth is round. The sky is blue. And there’s no such thing as too much garlic. If you’ve ever looked at a recipe and doubled the suggested amount of garlic then we’re sure you’re a perfect candidate for the magic that is Confit Garlic Butter.
Confit comes from the French term for foods cooked in oil or sugar over long periods of time. This can have many benefits including extending their shelf life. It’s most often used to describe the process of cooking meat in its own fat, for example, duck, pork or goose confit. This process of preservation works because the meat is salted and cured before the confit process so the moisture is drawn out before the slow cook kills off most of the dangerous microorganisms.
Unfortunately, vegetables don’t have their own fats so when confiting, they need outside help. Most of the time olive oil is the preferred choice for the subtle flavours it adds, but any neutral vegetable oil works too. For garlic confit, the slow cooking process results in a soft spreadable paste with a much richer flavour. In the same way that caramelised onions have an overwhelming natural sweetness, confit garlic also loses all its pungency in favour of a more mellow flavour.
Once it’s gone through the process, the garlic is soft and spreadable and many people choose to use it as is to slather on toast. But if you want to kick up the delicious factor even further, Confit garlic butter is the way to go. All it takes is straining out the oil and blending the garlic with softened butter, and maybe even some herbs and cheese if you’re feeling adventurous. Don’t worry though, all that oil isn’t going to go to waste. Bottle it up and use it to drizzle on salads or cook steak for a subtle garlicky aroma.
This butter can be used anywhere from mashed potatoes, stews, on top of roasted meat or veggies, in sandwiches and of course on toast. There’s no limit to its beauty. So stop settling for boring old butter and instead level up your meals with a garlic twist.
Ingredients:
- 3 garlic bulbs (20-30 cloves)
- 300 gm of olive oil, or just enough to cover the garlic cloves
- 500 gm butter
- Handful of rosemary, thyme or any woody herb (optional)
- 100 gm parmesan (optional)
- Spices like paprika or cumin (optional)
Method:
- Peel the garlic cloves and place them in a small pan
- Cover the garlic with olive oil and place over the lowest heat. If the oil starts to bubble, remove the pan from the heat to cool a little then place it back over the heat to finish.
- Cook for 30 minutes until the garlic is soft.
- Once the pan is cool, strain the garlic from the oil. Bottle the oil and refrigerate for later use.
- Blend the garlic cloves and softened butter until it reaches a whipped and slightly airy consistency.
- At this point you can add any additional seasonings including herbs, spices or cheese as per your taste.
- Spread on warm crusty bread and enjoy.
