Everyone loves roasted garlic. The creamy texture, the subtle nuanced garlic flavors that still pack a strong punch, the culinary versatility and the aphrodisiac qualities. We all know that if everyone on the Love Team is garlic-ed up, we go from Love to Game On fine and fast. When you google Roasted Garlic, you get a lot of hoopla and unnecessary steps to the goal. Our Avanti Natural method is simple, time efficient, extra flavorful & has added benefit for the avid gardener too. Here we go:
Start w/ a bag of whole garlic heads. US or California grown preferable. We get ours at the Costco from the folks at Christopher Ranch. One bag is just right for one casserole dish. Rub off any extra skin and cut the tops off each head.
This is one of so many projects where nothing goes to waste. Did you know that those skins and tops are a potent natural pest repellent for the garden? Save them all as you go.
When you're done you'll have a nice bag full of skins and tops. Aphids, slugs, snails and other pests don't care for garlic and onion refuse much at all. But the microbes in your garden sure do. The pests will run while the soil gets richer. Yet another Win Win Win. Sprinkle the refuse all around any plants that seem to be infested.
And remember that all mulch helps retain water in the soil as it breaks down, so this action saves water too. Now, let's get back to the roasted garlic. Arrange the heads in a single layer in a favorite baking dish. You can be fancy and tuck in some fresh herbs like rosemary, bay, lemon verbena, thyme, oregano, basil, dill, etc. Anything you like. Two or three at most. Top w/ very good quality healthy oils, such as extra virgin olive, avocado, grape seed, safflower, sunflower, etc. Add a 1/2 teaspoon of favorite salt. At Avanti we prefer our flavored sea salt blends such as Rosemary Coriander or Anise Hemp. And then add in some citrus slices. They really contribute to the final flavor.
Make sure the herbs are tucked beneath the garlic so they don't scorch. I like to bring the oil up just a bit over half the way. That will give you plenty of flavored oil. This time we used a mixture of EVOO and high-oleic safflower oil from the Oil Barn in Montana, where safflower grows well. You'll find that the citrus, of any sort, lemon, lime, orange, tangerine or small grapefruit compliments the richness of the finished product. Today we used a small Valencia orange.
Next, place the dish into a cold oven, and cover w/ a cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. No need to waste aluminum foil here. Set the oven to 350. Set the timer for 1 1/2 hours. When the timer goes off it should look like this:
Not quite done, pale golden, some cloves starting to ride out. This is what you want when the timer goes off. Replace the lid, turn the oven off and let the dish cool in the turned off oven. Effective use of a turned off oven is both a lost art and the true cook's best friend. There's something about a dish cooling slowly that enhances flavor and texture like no other. The old folks understood that. We need to return to those tried and true ways.
Et Voila. The next morn, removed from the oven, here's what we have. Room temperature, ready to prep and fully delish. Of course, you can pack them up just like this. Remove the herbs and discard. I personally use the citrus along w/ the garlic. Slice it up or puree it. It's equally as subtle as the golden garlic orbs. I like to prep the garlic out at this stage as follows. I think it makes for ease of use and also provides me w/ a superb broth too.
So now, with impeccably clean hands, squeeze all the garlic heads into clean glass jars. Fill the jars about 2/3 full. Top off w/ the oil that's in the dish. Save the citrus separately or add them to the broth below as you wish.
Save all the spent garlic heads and the herbs. Put them into a medium stock pot and cover w/ water. Add a pinch of salt and a splash of dry vermouth, about 3/4 of a cup or so. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and let it perk for about 30 mins.
Let the broth cool in the pot, then strain. The garlic herb citrus broth is rich w/ the oils you've used and makes a great start to any garlic or onion soup. Remember that it has a higher oil content than most broths, so it works well for grain soups such as millet, quinoa & barley or for a great pasta fagioli, rice soup or potato chowder.
Eating Healthy & Delicious is a Win Win Win
Situation!
Eat, Live & Party Well
Blog post by Chef Mark Cleveland
Avanti is the longstanding leader in organic,
sustainable, local, flavorful cuisine in Orange County, CA.
Meaning 'forward' in Italian, Avanti Natural is a culinary
philosophy that integrates the best of traditional European and Asian healthful
eating with the latest nutritional information for optimum health.
Our successful restaurant Avanti Café was located on
17th St in Costa Mesa from 2005 through 2014. Follow us on social media to see what
is new and in store for Avanti in our culinary futures.
At Avanti Natural, we believe that you don't have to
sacrifice taste to eat healthy; you can Eat Well & Live Well
Important Avanti Natural Links
Pinterest
Youtube
Avanti Natural
Avanti Café
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Avanti Natural Website & Blog
linkedin
No comments:
Post a Comment