Roasted garlic, no matter how you prepare it, is the easiest thing ever and it’s always a big hit as an appetizer. Aside from making a great appetizer, it has a million other uses that add a divine taste to so many things.
Roasted Garlic
Ingredients: Makes approximately ¼ cup roasted garlic
- 2 large garlic bulbs
- 2 to 3 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher or Himalayan salt
- Fresh ground pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Remove a bit of the outer paper from the garlic. Shave the bottom a bit to allow it to stand up straight in the cooker. Cut off the tops of the garlic bulbs so that some of the cloves are exposed. Place the garlic cloves in the cooker and secure the top. Roast the garlic until a golden color about for 45 to 60 minutes. The cloves should be completely soft and will begin to pop out slightly from their skins. Allow the garlic to stand until cool enough to handle.
Holding the garlic head at the base; gently squeeze each head to push out the cloves. You may need to peel a few skins from a few cloves that are completely enclosed. Serve it immediately with crackers for crostini’s as an appetizer or transfer the roasted extracted garlic and cooking oil to an airtight container. Roasted garlic will keep, refrigerated, up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 3 months.
Uses: Below are just a few suggestions
- As an Appetizer on cracker or crostini’s
- Mix into mashed potatoes.
- Use as a substitute for mayonnaise on sandwiches.
- Toss into steamed vegetables
- Add to pasta dishes and or sauces
- Add to soups and stews
- Add to creamy dressings,
- Add to vinaigrettes,
- Add to dips and spreads.
Notes: The quantity you make is entirely up to you. A fun way to roast garlic is on a grill; bring the grill temperature up to 400° F and follow the instructions as directed. If you don’t have a garlic cooker, a small aluminum pan wrapped tightly with foil, a double layer of aluminum foil cupped to contain the oil and then loosely wrapped around the garlic, or you may use a small roasting dish warped tightly with foil will do just fine.
What’s there not to like about roasted garlic. Roasted Garlic does have a serious number of uses; it can be made ahead of time. If you have a foodie friend, a small jar of this makes a great gift.
Time to eat…
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