Every month, I make a dedicated trip to our local Asian market for green veggies, various grains, and tofu. Over the years, I’ve learned to stop gawking at mysterious items because it’s just so easy to ask or quickly Google “durian fruit” or “bamboo noodles.” What I’m saying is I’m tacking my own ethnocentrism, head on.
Speaking of heads, a pile of garlic has been languishing in my refrigerator because I always get a large bag of peeled garlic from this particular market. It’s so fresh and inexpensive and it saves me the peeling time. Unfortunately, my recent Mexico trip really put me behind the ol’ allium 8 ball and they have begun to turn. Luckily, I have a bit of experience with confiting, so I had no trouble salvaging the precious garlic…30 cloves at a time.
Confit is a term to describe food cooked slowly in grease, oil, or sugar water. The temperature remains low and the heat consistent over a longish period of time. The result is tender and delicious ingredients that you can eat now or for weeks to come.
I’ll post a quick recipe below, but allow me to close with an extremely bland 2016 Tripadvisor review misleadingly entitled “Garlic Heaven!” about an Italian restaurant called Cosa Nostra in Whitby, England. The author, one Carol Singer (47) of Leeds, does not like garlic and needs us to know about it in some detail. I say this because Whitby is the place Bram Stoker began his legendary vampire novel, Dracula. Coincidence? I’ll let you decide.
Also here is the trailer to my third favorite vampire movie, because where else will I ever be able to work it in?
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Garlic Confit
Serves: 6-8
Prep: 10 Minutes
Cook: 1-2 hours
Ingredients:
30 Garlic cloves
1-2 cups of Grapeseed oil (to completely cover)
1 Big spring of thyme
A pinch of chili flakes
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a pot.
Simmer slow and low on the stovetop for 1-2 hours.
Pour into glass jar and cool before serving or covering.
Garlic confit will last in your refrigerator 2-3 weeks.