Easy Roasted Garlic for Big and Bold Flavour

These roasted garlic cloves are big on flavour and make a healthy condiment you don’t want to be without. The next time you fire up the oven, toss in a couple of heads of garlic for the easiest roasted garlic you will ever make.

THE EASIEST WAY TO MAKE ROASTED GARLIC

Easiest roasted garlic, you say? Well, here’s a new flash: all roasted garlic is the easiest!

Considering the beautiful simplicity of this flavourful bulb, it doesn’t seem to be used very often except by restaurants and the consumer packaged goods industry. And why not?

If you had to choose between plain hummus and roasted garlic hummus, which would you choose? Or what about butternut squash soup and roasted garlic butternut squash soup? Unless you’re a purist, the chances are you’d be reaching for the latter in both cases. Not only is it delicious added to recipes, it even sounds good.

HOW TO MAKE ROASTED GARLIC VIDEO

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WHAT’S THE POINT OF ROASTING GARLIC?

Adding roasted garlic to a dish is one of the simplest ways to build flavour and depth. It will elevate whatever you’re making, taking it to the next level.

I use regular garlic on a daily basis, but there’s something about the caramelized sweetness of its ovenbaked brethren that I can’t shake loose. I’m sure you’ve had it in dishes before, but have you ever had it freestanding?

If you try biting into a clove of fresh garlic, you’re likely never to do it again. It’s too pungent, isn’t it? It even tastes antibacterial (which it is)!

Roasting garlic completely changes the flavour profile and makes it easier to digest. It mellows out to a degree that you can eat it as is and enjoy its new creamy, buttery texture. Shoot, you can even spread it on toast!

HOW DO I STORE ROASTED GARLIC?

Roasted garlic is in its prime when it’s still warm and you can pop it out of the skin and cheekily sneak a caramel clove.

If you like prepping things in advance to make a week worth of dinners easier on yourself, then it will keep well for about a week. However, the sooner you use it, the better!

If you roast a large batch, you’ll be happy to know that you can freeze it! Mind you, I would use it within a three month time span, so make sure to label it.

DIFFERENT WAYS TO USE ROASTED GARLIC

• Spruce up hummus, baba ganoush, and other party dips.
• Spread it on a pizza, or use it as a topping.
• Serve up a couple of heads to everyone at the table to enjoy as a unique side dish.
• Jazz up a pot of mashed potatoes by mashing some in.
• Make soups sparkle with your "secret ingredient".
• Squeeze a full head into a batch of breakfast potatoes.
• Spread it on a baguette with a bit of goat cheese for a tasty snack or appetizer.

WHAT ARE THE STEPS?

First off, you’ll need a head of garlic, olive oil, tinfoil, and a knife.

If you have a fresh head of garlic, that’s the ideal, but roasting it in the oven is a great way to use up older stock. Having spent a number of years working in the food industry, I have a strong “first in, first out” mindset.

Now that you have what you need, we’re going to get into the steps. You will also find a video tutorial of me walking you through these steps if you scroll up a bit.

USE YOUR KNIFE

With that handy knife of yours, you will begin by slicing off the top of the garlic. Aim to lop off 1/4 to 1/2″ and remember to stash it in your freezer bag of kitchen scraps to make a homemade stock with later.

PEEL

To make things a bit neater when you squeeze out your roasted prize in the near future, peeling away the layers of papery skin is advisable. Full disclosure: I don’t usually do this. I normally make sure that there’s no loose peel that might get in my way later, but everything else I leave on. It’s the easiest roasted garlic after all, remember?

DRIZZLE

Next, drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil over that fragrant bulb. I like eyeballing how much oil I’m putting on, but a tablespoon will do the trick. Do yourself a favour though, and eyeball it. Live on the wild side and put that tablespoon down! By the way, you’re welcome to season the bulbs with some salt and pepper at this stage. I’ll leave that decision up to you.

FOIL

Wrap up your head of garlic in a small square of tinfoil, put it on a baking sheet, and pop it into a 350º preheated oven for forty minutes. When the time is up, you can either leave it in the cooling oven for extra caramel goodness or remove it and let it cool.

A BEST PRACTICE: BE AN ENERGY SAVER

In WWII, households would have baking days where they would fire up their ovens and jam them with meats and vegetables. Neighbours would invite each other over to help fill the hot oven so that the energy usage was fully taken advantage of.

While we’re not in war time, there’s a lot we can learn from this level of frugality. When you’re roasting a chicken, or baking a loaf of bread, why not toss in some foiled potatoes, a squash, or, shucks, a few heads of garlic?

As tempting as it might be, please don’t fire up your oven just for the sake of a few heads of this beautiful condiment (because that’s what it is, really).

Try to get in the habit of roasting or baking in bulk. And in case you’re interested, here are some more frugal kitchen rules to read up on.

WRAPPING IT UP

So that, my dear reader, is how to make the easiest roasted garlic ever.

Have you made roasted garlic before? If yes, would you say you make it once in awhile, or regularly?

I would love to hear how you use it and how your method might differ from mine. If not, do you think you’ll give it a try? How will you use it? I hope you’ll let me know in the comments below!

EASIEST ROASTED GARLIC INGREDIENTS

for one head

Head of garlic

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS FOR EASIEST ROASTED GARLIC

1. Preheat oven to 350ºC.
2. Remove any loose outer layers of the peel.
3. Slice off the top 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the head.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and, if desired, sprinkle on a bit of salt and pepper.
5. Wrap in tinfoil or pop into the oven for 40 minutes*.

*As long as you turn the oven off, there’s no need to remove the garlic from the oven. I usually let mine sit in the cooling oven and enjoy the extra caramelized goodness it imparts.

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Love and gratitude,