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Garlic Confit Recipe: Ottolenghi’s Confit Garlic Oil

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Dec 21, 2024 • 1 min read

This is the ideal condiment to have on hand anytime you want to add a warm, mellow garlic flavor to a dish.

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What Is Garlic Confit?

The French word “confit” literally means to preserve. It’s a time-honored tradition used by home cooks and chefs to salt and slowly cook an ingredient in fat. Garlic confit requires fresh heads of garlic and cooking oil that simmer in a saucepan until tender. Similar to roasted garlic, garlic confit can be used as a flavorful addition to many other dishes.

How to Use Confit Garlic

Cooking the cloves slowly leaves them tender and slightly sweet—perfect as a garnish or for mashing into a confit. You also get a lovely garlic-infused oil that can be:

  • Drizzled over pizza
  • Added to a vinaigrette for salads
  • Tossed with pasta sauce
  • Roasted with potatoes
  • Blended into soups
  • Used for dipping bread

Tips for Making Garlic Confit Oil

Methods of cooking confit can vary based on your accessibility to appliances, but it’s achievable with the basic elements: fat, salt, proper storage, and cool and consistent temperatures.

  • You can play with this recipe by adding other aromatics to the oil for layered flavor (sage leaves, herbs like rosemary or thyme, or orange peels or lemon skin).
  • Feel free to double or triple the recipe, too: Cook the garlic in an ovenproof pan at 120°C/250°F with enough oil to submerge the cloves. Seal the pan tightly with foil, and cook until the cloves are soft and very lightly colored.
  • Store the cloves in their oil in an airtight container at room temperature for several weeks. Make sure you use a clean jar with a foolproof lid.
Yotam Ottolenghi’s Confit Garlic Oil Recipe

Yotam Ottolenghi’s Confit Garlic Oil Recipe

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makes

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

  1. 1

    Combine all ingredients in a small sauce- pan over medium-low heat. Cover and cook until the garlic is soft and just begin- ning to color, about 20 to 25 minutes.

  2. 2

    Leave the lid on, remove from the heat, and set aside for 10 minutes; the garlic will continue to cook in the heat of the oil.

  3. 3

    Strain the oil into a clean glass jar and spoon in the garlic, thyme, and chili.

  4. 4

    Once cool, transfer everything to an airtight, sterilized jar and store at room temperature for several weeks.

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