Thomas Keller's cookbook, Bouchon, inspired me to make garlic confit. It's so simple and easy to make. Just take about two heads of garlic and submerge in olive oil, until barely covered in a large pot. Place on very low heat and let barely bubble for about 30 minutes.
Let it cool. You now have garlic confit that can be mashed or diced and used to accent a dish of chicken or fish AND you have a garlic oil to flavor salads, pasta, etc. Store with the oil covering garlic in the fridge for a week or so. We cooks need all the help we can get. Simple recipes like this that you can turn to in a pinch are life savers.
Though garlic infused oil is a delicious idea I would warn cooks to beware of keeping this oil (even in the fridge) for more than a few days. Garlic roasted in oil provides the perfect environment for the growth of clostridium botulinum, the food-borne bacteria that cause botulism, which can make a person very ill. I think it's best to remove the garlic from the oil for storage and keep it for a very short time. Most restaurant chefs are required to take a food protection course and already know this, but many home cooks do not. Nonetheless, happy confit-ing!
Posted by: ufchef | March 13, 2005 at 05:47 PM
Hey Joe..
Don't know if you're in the park slope area but there's a new restaurant coming to town...and we're the ones bringing it! check out the blog and more on our ever-developing site.
Posted by: Farid | March 16, 2005 at 09:57 AM
farid, looks like quite an experience and will keep tabs on your restaurant. best of luck!
Posted by: joe | March 18, 2005 at 10:32 AM