Sounds fancy, doesn't it? Confit (k��n-f����) comes from the French word "confire," which translates to "preserve." Today, confit is a condiment made by preserving food (and intensifying flavor) in fat, sugar, or wine through a slow cooking process. For example, a confit can be fruits cooked in sugar, meats cooked in fat, or vegetables cooked in oil or wine. In our case, we are making a garlic confit by poaching garlic cloves in olive oil. This process produces a rich, garlic flavor in the cloves with the bonus of also having garlic-infused olive oil. Delish!
Ingredients:
- 5–10 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 ½–2 cups of high-quality olive oil (or enough to cover garlic cloves)
Directions:
- Pour olive oil in a small saucepot and add garlic cloves. Heat on low for about an hour until garlic cloves are tender. Do not fry or brown the cloves. Cool before putting into jars.
- Oil and garlic can be stored in an airtight glass container for up to a month in the refrigerator.
- Once you've made this epicurean condiment, try it in your favorite recipes as a substitute for raw garlic. See below for our favorite garlic hummus recipe with garlic confit.
Garlic Hummus
Ingredients:
- 2 cups chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 4 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
- 8 cloves of garlic confit
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- Warm water as needed
Directions:
Place all ingredients into a food processor or a blender. Blend to a creamy consistency, adding water to thin as necessary. Serve with vegetables, pita chips, or as a sandwich smear.