Summer is hot. And humid. And I don’t like heat. Or humidity. But I still like to cook! And eat! Summer is the perfect time to create dishes that don’t crank up the heat in the house, making the air/con work even harder, and making this girl even crankier.
Few ingredients add more depth and richness than roasted garlic. Fresh garlic is often too zingy, but the thought of having my oven on during hot summer days is nearly enough to push me towards bland food. Close, but not quite.
My drive for flavour led me from oven to induction cooktop. There I discovered a way to ramp up taste without sacrificing comfort. And best of all, it’s an easy fix!
First, let me introduce you to one of the best little kitchen gadgets of all time. It’s just an inexpensive silicone garlic peeler, but it works wonders! Seriously! All you do is put a clove of garlic inside the tube, roll it on the counter with a firm hand, and out pops a naked clove.
What remains inside the little silicone tube is all the papery peel.
A quick rinse with water when you have finished gets this silicone miracle-worker ready for next time.
The beauty of this little gadget is that you can easily peel one or two heads of garlic without much fuss. Another way to tackle large quantities of garlic is a little like playing Yahtzee. Read about it here.
Once you’ve peeled all the garlic cloves, put them in a small saucepan and cover with good quality oil. I am currently using avocado oil for all my cooking, but olive oil works well, too. Add a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary, and bring to a light simmer.
Cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes, turning the garlic cloves often, until they develop a nice golden hue and are soft. Don’t cook too hard, because scorched garlic is as nasty as roasted garlic is lovely.
When it’s achieved the perfect state of roasted-ness, add the garlic to pressure cooked mashed potatoes, salsa, spread on buttered toast, or anything else your little heart desires. Drizzle the delicately infused oil on fish, or substitute it for butter in any of your savoury dishes. Delightful!
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Stovetop Roasted Garlic and Infused Oil
Description
Roast garlic without heating up the house
Ingredients
- 1 – 2 heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled
- 1/3 cup good quality avocado or olive oil
- Fresh sprigs of rosemary
Instructions
- Simmer together over low heat, turning the garlic regularly, until soft and golden coloured.
- Remove rosemary. Add garlic cloves and oil to a multitude of dishes.
