Here is how to roast garlic the right way! Caramelised oven roasted garlic bulbs in tinfoil and olive oil… try this very easy method!
Do you know how to roast garlic?
There are a couple of different ways to do it.
Here is my favorite way for how to roast garlic to get soft and silky garlic cloves. Slice it in half, sprinkle some olive oil on top, pepper, salt and dried herbs.
Tinfoil
Then wrap the whole lot up in a sheet of tinfoil.
Pop it in a hot oven.
And you are all set!
So what do you think of my favorite method? How to roast garlic: a very easy method to roast fresh garlic!
Do you use another way to roast garlic?
How To Roast Garlic Best In The Oven
Here is another way how to roast garlic.
Peel the garlic cloves and then let them simmer gently in enough olive oil for 30 minutes or so. Garlic doesn’t need a long time to become soft and smooth.
Be prepared to have your whole kitchen filled with the most appetizing garlic aroma ever! If you were not hungry before, from the time you smell that fragrant garlic then your appetite will follow in an instant.
Believe me.
Mouth watering to say the least.
Literally.
But I can hear you say: who in the world need 3 bulbs of roasted garlic?
Recipes with Roast Garlic
It seems like a huge amount of roasted garlic.
But there are many different ways to incorporate them into meals.
Just to give you some inspiration.
Here are a couple of useful recipes: roasted garlic spaghetti below, bagna cauda garlic dip, aglio e olio pasta and a creamy chicken and roasted garlic soup…
So here is how to roast garlic!
Enjoy!
How To Roast Garlic Best In The Oven
- 1 garlic bulb
- ½ tsp dried herbs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- pepper
- salt
Remove the somewhat larger layers on the outside of the garlic bulb. Do make sure the cloves are still wrapped up.
- Then carefully turn the bulb on its side and slice it in half. The bottom part should more or less stay together.
- Then wrap each half bulb in a piece of tinfoil and drizzle with some olive oil, pepper and salt.
- Close the parcels and then roast them in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 35 to 40 minutes or until soft and golden.
How To Roast Garlic Recipe for Spaghetti
Now you know how to roast garlic…
Here is the perfect perfect recipe with roasted garlic!
A buttery garlic spaghetti for dinner tonight? Al dente cooked pasta and caramelised garlic cloves…
This spaghetti is a family favorite!
Garlic Spaghetti
I served this dish a few times for family and guests.
And some were not fond of garlic (I only heard about that at the end of our dinner) but they didn’t seem to have a problem with it. They polished off their pasta plates and even asked for a second plate of this addictive stuff!
How To Roast Garlic Recipe for Spaghetti
How to roast garlic: a very easy method to roast fresh garlic!
The soft garlic is to die for.
Its strongest raw flavor disappears as soon as you cook it through. The smooth texture inside has a caramelised almost buttery creamy texture.
I learned how to roast garlic in the oven.
But you can also braise the garlic cloves in an inch of olive oil over very low heat on the stove instead if you don’t have an oven (look at my aglio e olio pasta recipe for that). Just heat a cup of olive oil in a pan and simmer the garlic cloves over very low heat until they are super soft.
En Chemise
Whatever method works best for you.
How to roast garlic: I leave the cloves in their protective skins.
In France this is also called garlic ‘en chemise’ which literally means ‘in its shirt’. The skins are not edible. Remove the soft garlic using your fork and knife or suck out the creamy inside.
It is extremely rich and full of flavor, believe me!
How to roast garlic: caramelized oven roasted garlic bulbs in tinfoil and olive oil!
Enjoy!
How To Roast Garlic Recipe for Spaghetti
- 18 oz dry spaghetti (500 g)
- 4 small garlic bulbs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- a handful fresh parsley chopped finely
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- pepper
- salt
Remove the layers on the outside of the garlic bulb. Make sure the cloves still stick together.
- Then carefully turn the bulb on its side and slice the top off. Don't slice it in half. The cloves should stay together.
- Do the same with the other garlic bulbs. Then wrap each bulb in a piece of tinfoil and drizzle with some olive oil, pepper and salt.
Close the parcels and roast them in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 45 to 50 minutes or until soft and golden. In the meantime cook the spaghetti in the meantime until tender.
- Then drain the pasta. Melt the butter in a large pan.
- Add the cooked spaghetti and stir well. You can do this in portions if you like.
- Break the roasted garlic bulbs into pieces and add them to the spaghetti. Stir and check the seasoning. Add more pepper or salt to taste. Divide the pasta and garlic over deep plates. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
Garlic Benefits
How to roast garlic: a very easy method to roast fresh garlic!
But is garlic friend or foe?
Garlic benefits have been known for numerous centuries and used in ancient cuisines and medicines up until today. Sometimes the love and hate relationship between mankind and garlic turns hostile.
In the Middle Ages for example it is rumored that a certain king loathed garlic as he considered it food for the poor. Anyone at court who had even the faintest garlic breath was banned.
It is bizarre how many people are revolted by the thought of garlic! Its pungent smell and aftertaste it leaves in the mouth seems to be the main reason.
How to prepare garlic?
Every now and then someone trendy shows up to make new revelations about how to treat ingredients best and overturn previous believes. For some time I crushed garlic using a garlic press.
One day to another it was abolished and regarded as sacrilege. Slicing was the new trend! After a while grating garlic was much better. Then you had to leave them whole. Or smash them using the blade of your knife.
I believe you should do whatever you like best.
It is your kitchen!
Raw Garlic
First of all garlic is used as a fundamental condiment in the whole world to bring depth and flavor to your dishes such as soups, vegetables, (dipping) sauces and proteins like chicken, fish, seafood or meat.
Fry off slices of garlic in some hot oil or butter for a few minutes before adding the rest of your ingredients. The garlic will loose its raw flavor and become soft and edible.
Raw garlic is hard to digest. It is said that the strongest flavor comes from the (light green) inner core of a garlic clove. You can remove it if you prefer.
Garlic Classics
French and Spanish cuisine are often based on raw garlic.
Think of aioli, a mayonnaise of garlic, egg yolk and oil. Pan con tomate and ajo blanco or Spanish garlic soup.
If you are not comfortable about using dried or fresh garlic, use garlic paste. What I like about this paste is you can rub for example chicken with some garlic paste and leave it to marinate for a while.
Mind you, it can be as strong as natural garlic so be careful. Garlic powder is also available. I used it before and found that it is not very strong so perfect for more subtle dishes.
Garlic is not only a great condiment but also a surprising ‘vegetable’.
How To Roast Garlic
You can use fresh or dried garlic.
Tear apart the bulb (or just cut off the top) and leave the skins on the cloves. If you know how to roast garlic, you know that the cloves become extremely soft. This way of preparing garlic is frequently used in combination with roasted chicken.
Garlic is popular in Asian cuisine. It is an important ingredient for curry pastes, stir fries and soups. Minces garlic is often fried golden and sprinkled on a dish as a garnish to add a crunchy texture.
Pickled garlic can also be found, especially in Indian and Thai cuisine. Young garlic bulbs are pickled for 3 to 6 weeks in sugar, salt and various spices.
Garlic Oil
You can make garlic oil at home.
Heat some olive oil in a pan, add chopped garlic and simmer this for 10 minutes. Remove the garlic and let the oil cool down. You can add additional flavors like rosemary, chili, bay leaf, lemon zest, peppercorns,…
The garlic oil is perfect for any dish. Use it hot or cold. It is a great marinade for fish or drizzle it on toasted bread or pasta!
You can store the oil in glass bottles in the fridge for maximum 1 week. I have no experience with black, roasted or fermented garlic because it is not available around my place.
Fresh And Dry Garlic
If you buy dried garlic, make sure that the bulb is firm and immaculately white (or pink). Any soft spots, damage or grey to black mold-like specks are often a sign of bad garlic. One mouldy garlic clove can turn the whole bulb bad in a few days.
Get rid of it!
Fresh garlic is more expensive.
It should look white to slightly green and extremely fresh, almost shiny. Fresh garlic is seasonal and at its best In the summer. Some supermarkets offer freshly chopped garlic in plastic jars to make it easier for you while cooking.
Frozen And Flakes
Another very handy product I use very often: frozen chopped garlic. I prefer small and compact boxes instead of plastic bags.
Garlic powder or dried garlic flakes are mainly sold in small glass bottles that fit any herb and spice rack.
You might remember the stereotype dried garlic strands braided into plaits and hung in a kitchen.
All very rustic and cozy. But that is exactly what you shouldn’t do.
Storage
Dried garlic stays at its best if you keep it in a dark, dry and cool environment like a pantry. This will keep the garlic from sprouting again.
A kitchen is too hot, a fridge too cold.
If you peel the cloves in advance, their quality will diminish. You better to keep the bulb intact and tear off cloves whenever you need them.
Don’t store garlic in a closed container. It needs air to breathe.
You can also keep raw garlic cloves in olive oil. However it is better to cook the garlic in oil. Heat some olive oil in a pan, add chopped garlic and simmer this for 10 minutes. Remove the garlic and let the oil cool down.
Shelf Life
How long can you keep dry garlic?
A couple of weeks if you keep it in a dark, dry and cool place like a pantry. I am a moderate garlic user so a single bulb of garlic will last for about 2 weeks in my kitchen.
If you are not sure about the quality of the garlic after some time, it is easy to know if it is still safe to use.
First of all the cloves should be firm and dry. The inside color should be fresh and white. If it smells weird, don’t use it.
If dry garlic starts sprouting, you can still use it. Only remove the green stem in the middle because it might taste bitter.
Flavor Loss
Keep fresh garlic in the fridge for maximum 2 weeks.
Store garlic paste jars and tubes in the fridge once you open them. Just keep an eye on the ‘best before’ date to make sure it is still safe to use. Keep garlic powder and dried garlic flakes in your spice cupboard.
Or store them in a cool, dry and dark cupboard for up to 4 months. After a while their flavor tends to diminish. There might be nothing wrong with it but what is the point in using it if the flavor is gone?
If any kind of garlic starts to turn brown, has a foul odor or just doesn’t look or feel right: just get rid of it.
Medical benefits
Garlic contains over 200 kinds of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, potassium, selenium and iron. Studies show that (dry) garlic has a powerful antioxidant effect, reduces high blood pressure and is a natural antibiotic that decreases the risk of infections.
It eases digestion and joint pains and encourages a better blood circulation due to its anti-coagulant properties. A moderate daily use of garlic consists of 1 teaspoon per person.
Overconsumption of (raw) garlic not only gives you a terrible breath but can also be damaging to the digestive tract, stomach and intestines causing irritation.
Supplements
For those who hate the taste or smell of garlic there are garlic supplements.
However garlic itself is not a medicine but a natural source of vitamins and minerals. It has a positive influence on our body in combination with other healthy food.
Garlic allergy exists.
Symptoms include headaches, skin rashes, stomach aches and vomiting.
Garlic Breath
A few trick (or myths?) to get rid of a garlic breath…
Drink a glass of whole milk, chew on coffee beans or cardamom seeds, eat fresh parsley, drink mint liquor or even eat chocolate!
Brushing your teeth doesn’t work at all. The most effective remedy is to stop eating garlic. But that is not an option, is it?
So back to our recipe here!
How to roast garlic: caramelized oven roasted garlic bulbs in tinfoil and olive oil…
Easiest method for how to roast garlic!
