Roasted garlic oil is a simple and delicious way to add an extra boost of flavour to any meal. By using a neutral oil you can get even more bang for your buck too! And once you have your delicious new flavoured oil, you can use it to preserve all that lovely sweet roasted garlic. Keeping the garlic harvest as long as you can is key to a flavourful year.
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For My Low FODMAP Friends
About a year ago, I was having some pretty serious gastrointestinal issues. In the end, it was all diagnosed as IBS. Which, annoyingly, is kind of a catch all term that means I need to be cautious with what and how much I eat. Through this journey to figure out what was wrong, my gastroenterologist had me try cutting out different things in my diet. And for a short while, I was eating on the Low FODMAP diet.
FODMAP is an acronym for “Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols”. They are short chain carbohydrates that can be poorly absorbed in the small intestine, and are prone to absorb water and ferment in the colon. Which means you have to cut out A LOT of foods. Garlic, very sadly is one of them. Which was honestly such a blow to me. I’m not a garlic fiend like some folks, but it was still such a drag. Through my research (helped out a lot by my doctor) I learned that garlic itself is the issue, but an oil infused with garlic is fine. Hooray!
Choosing the Oil
I now insist on making this with a neutral oil. The first time I made this I used extra virgin olive oil because I love it, and had some on hand. It was fine, but I really felt that I just needed the garlic to be the main event. It’s like cooking with salty ingredients, and then trying to season the dish with more salt. You can always add flavour, but it’s hard to take it away. If I want a fruity olive oil flavour, I can add it. But if I’m only looking for a garlic flavour alone, I need to be able to have it on it’s own. So in the end Sunflower oil was the winner.
Flavouring the Oil
Okay, obviously the oil is being flavoured with garlic. But you can optionally add some herbs if you are looking for a slightly more savoury, spiced, or floral flavour. If this is the first time you’re making this oil, I recommend keeping it simple with just the garlic. I like to keep one bottle of plain garlic oil and one bottle of a more herby garlic oil on hand. That way I can more specifically flavour the dish that I’m cooking. Some great flavour additions for this oil are:
- Rosemary
- Peppercorns
- Bay Leaves
- Coriander Seeds (Toasted)
- Sage
- Chili Flakes
Saving that Roasted Garlic
And finally, since you’ve just roasted this garlic, you can also use your delicious new oil to preserve it. Roasted garlic is milder, and a touch sweet. It’s like garlic that bred with caramel and rolled in butter. I love this stuff, and once I was eating garlic again I was so happy that I had kept it stored away. If you are not going to eat your garlic, still keep it! It makes a really great gift. Honestly, I know so many friends that like roasted garlic but don’t want to go to the effort of making it on their own. So gift that goodness on. I pack the cloves into 4oz (quarter pint) jars, cover them with oil, and store them in the fridge. Stored like this I’ve been able to enjoy my garlic for up to a year. And likely longer than that, except I ate it all.
If you’re looking for a use for your new roasted garlic oil, rubbing it on a Whole Roasted Chicken. Or coating these Roasted Root Vegetables.
Roasted Garlic Oil
Equipment
- 3-4 4oz jars if you'll be storing the garlic.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Garlic
- 6 cups Sunflower Oil Or another neutral oil that you like.
- Optional Herbs and Spices See some good options above.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 300F.
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the tops off of all the garlic cloves.
- Pour the oil into a large roasting pan. Add the garlic cloves, cut side down.
- Add any herbs and spices that you like.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and roast for about an hour. The garlic should be caramel coloured, and very soft.
- Remove the garlic and herbs from the oil, and pour the oil into a bottle.
Storing the Garlic
- Once the garlic has cooled enough to touch it, gently squeeze the cloves out of the skins into a bowl.
- Add the garlic cloves into the jars. You want them packed tight but not crammed in. Pour in enough of your new garlic oil to cover the cloves. You'll need to poke the cloves around a little bit to dislodge any bubbles, and may need to top up the oil.
- Store the jars in the fridge.
LizaLeigh
