It’s true. When baked at a moderate temperature for 30 to 60 minutes, garlic is transformed from a potent and crunchy accent ingredient into a rich and velvety star.
But that’s hardly news. Over the last several years, many home cooks have discovered just how wonderful these rich-and-golden
morsels are, either as an offering all unto themselves when placed in the vicinity of a crusty loaf of artisan bread, or as a savory ingredient in dishes ranging from mashed potatoes to stir-frys and vegetable sautes.
I’ve been walking folks down the straightforward process for years.
My favorite approach is to slice through each head about 1-inch down from the stem end, then plop the heads, cut-sides down, in a puddle of olive oil before placing them in a moderately hot oven for 45 minutes or so, just until the bulbs give way to a gentle squeeze from the cook, which indicates that the cloves are soft and tender.
Then last spring a handy little appliance entered my kitchen that made things even more simple. The Roasted Garlic Express is a counter-top electric garlic and vegetable roaster. It can handle up to 3 heads of garlic at a time, and they go from raw and robust to caramelized and creamy in only 27 minutes.
And the charming part? The machine is even shaped like a garlic head.
From a carbon footprint perspective, this tea kettle-sized wonder uses a fraction of the electricity a conventional oven consumes and is especially appreciated on days when I don’t want to heat up the kitchen.
And although the process of roasting garlic produces a heavenly environment, on days when I’m not wanting to throw too many garlic aromas into the house, I plug it into the electrical outlet on my deck.
A few other pluses: The nonstick interior cleans easily and it shuts off automatically, so you can leave the garlic roasting without giving it a second thought.
You have four finishes to choose from: stainless steel, white, black and terra-cotta. It retails for $35 to $50, depending on the style, and makes the perfect gift for folks “who have everything,” especially if you include a bottle of fabulously fruity olive oil and a dozen heads of fresh and juicy “new crop” garlic.
A number of on-line retailers sell the roaster, including amazon.com. For a complete list, go to the company website at www.roastedgarlicexpress.com.
Roasted garlic puree
3 heads of garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil (more as needed)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 to teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Using the garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper, roast the garlic using one of the methods described previously.
Note: If using the electric garlic roaster, only use 3 tablespoons of oil for roasting, then add additional olive oil later when making the puree.
Let the heads cool, reserving the olive oil the heads were roasted in. Squeeze the cloves from the softened bulb of garlic into a medium-sized wide bowl. Using a fork, mash the cloves, working in the remaining olive oil, along with the pepper flakes, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Blend until the mixture is pureed, but still slightly grainy.
Scrape the mixture into a small container. It will keep for weeks in the refrigerator. To dtore, pour a thin layer of olive oil on the surface (stir the olive oil into the puree when ready to serve).
Makes about 1 1/4 cups.
Pesto variation: Add a spoonful of pesto to the puree.
Zesty variation: This one’s a delicious spread, or addititive for anything from French bread or vegetables to baked potatoes, pasta, and risotto. Increase the soy sauce to 1 tablespoon, and add 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, and 2 teaspoons honey. A 1/8-teaspoon pinch of cayenne is also a nice touch. This will keep its flavor and potency, when stored in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator, for up to 2 months.
Recipe from “The Onion Book,” by Jan Roberts-Dominguez.
Roasted garlic-stuffed mushrooms
1 bulb garlic
16 large (2-inches in diameter) or 32 medium (1 1/2 -inch) mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil (left over from the roasted garlic)
1/2 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Additional olive oil
Roast garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil as directed either for the electric garlic roaster, or in your oven.
Meanwhile, remove the stems from the mushrooms (they easily twist out) and finely chop. Add the chopped mushrooms to a skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and saute over medium-high heat until softened and lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and cook an additional minute over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and parsley (if using) and toss to distribute the cheese evenly; set the mushroom mixture aside.
Squeeze the softened cloves of garlic from the bulb. Using a fork, mash enough of the bulbs to measure 3 to 4 tablespoons. At this point, add remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the mashed garlic and continue mashing to incorporate the oil. Fold the garlic mixture into the chopped mushroom mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush or rub each mushroom cap with additional olive oil and arrange them, rounded side down on a baking sheet. Spoon a portion of the filling into each mushroom. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until very hot and golden brown on the surface.
Makes 16 large or 32 medium-sized appetizers.
This dish is a heavenly experience at every turn, from the fluffy-buttery potatoes, to the sweet slivers of caramelized onion and tender little morsels of roasted garlic.
Mashed Yukon golds with roasted garlic and caramelized onions
2 whole bulbs of garlic
1 large yellow onion
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup half & half
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled (or not)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Roast garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil (as directed above) either for the electric garlic roaster, or in your oven. Remove from roaster or the oven and let it sit until it’s cool enough to handle. Squeeze the bulb to extract as many of the roasted cloves as possible; set aside.
To prepare the onion, cut it in half lengthwise from stem to root end. Trim off stem and root ends and peel. Place the onion halves on a cutting board, cut-side down and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. Cut each half ring into half again. Cut enough onion pieces to measure 2 cups.
Place the prepared onion in a medium-sized heavy-bottom pot with the butter over medium heat. Cook the onion in the butter until it softens and turns a pale gold, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into 2- to 3-inch sized pieces of fairly uniform size for even cooking. Place them in a large pot with enough water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, add the half & half to the butter and onion mixture and bring it just to a boil. Turn off the heat and set the mixture aside.
When the potatoes are tender, drain well into a colander. Return the potatoes to the pot and mash with a potato masher. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and continue mashing to mix in the salt. Stir in most of the hot cream, butter and onions and combine. Add the roasted garlic cloves and fold them into the mashed potatoes. The potatoes may seem too thin at this point, but you’ll notice that they soon thicken. Add additional cream/butter mixture to reach desired consistency. Add additional salt, if desired.
More stuff!: Other things to stir into your potatoes include grilled corn kernels, roasted peppers, smokey bacon, blue cheese, extra-aged Gouda.
Makes 6 servings.
From “Oregon Hazelnut Country — the Food, the Drink, the Spirit,” by Jan Roberts-Dominguez.
Roasted garlic vinaigrette
3 heads of garlic, roasted in one of the methods previously described
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
After roasting the garlic, remove from the oven and let them cool thoroughly for easier handling; reserve the olive oil to use in the vinaigrette. Squeeze the roasted cloves from each head. Add the cloves to a blender or food processor and blend together with the mustard, vinegars, salt and pepper. With the motor running, add the reserved olive oil from the roasting pan, which should be about 3 tablespoons.
With the motor still running, continue adding the remaining 1 1/4 cups of olive oil in a very thin stream and blend until the mixture is creamy and slightly thickened. Adjust seasonings to taste. This vinaigrette may be made up to one week ahead and stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed jar.
Makes about 2 3/4 cups vinaigrette.
From “Oregon Hazelnut Country — the Food, the Drink, the Spirit,” by Jan Roberts-Dominguez.
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, artist, and author of “Oregon Hazelnut Country, the Food, the Drink, the Spirit,” and four other cookbooks. Readers can contact her by email at janrd@proaxis.com, or obtain additional recipes and food tips on her blog at www.janrd.com.
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