How to Roast Garlic

Oven roast garlic cloves are a flavorful addition to any dish! How to roast garlic, the easiest way possible.

There are moments in life when you find yourself in possession of massive amounts of garlic.

I’m not sure exactly how this happens…. but it happens.

Maybe you planted a load of garlic in your garden, expecting half of it to die, but instead it all flourished and is ready to harvest.

Maybe you hit the mother-of-all-sales on garlic at the farmers market and you couldn’t resist buying it up by the armful.

Maybe your vampire fearing brother-in-law came to visit over the weekend.

However you came about this garlic-overload, you’ve got to figure out what to do with it, before it dries out.

I suggest roasting it.

For a few reasons:

One, oven roast garlic is so yummy, with dark roasted tones and a nutty essence.

I’m under the impression that anytime a dish is lacking flavor, it probably needs a hefty dose of garlic. Adding roasted garlic to dishes, provides a sweetness and a unique complexity, you just can’t get from regular garlic.

Two, it’s easy to keep: canned, packed in oil and refrigerated, or even in the freezer.

Three, instead of chopping it, you simply smash the tender little cloves and mix them into whatever you are cooking. I like smashing things… it’s therapeutic.

Roast garlic cloves are easy to prepare. I believe the best way to insure even roasting and rich flavor is to roast the garlic in a dutch oven.

The thick sides and lid of the dutch oven, insulate the garlic cloves, and regulate the temperature for even cooking and color.

This is how I do it…

How to Roast Garlic

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the tops off the heads of garlic, so that most (or all) of the cloves are exposed.

Place the heads of garlic in a dutch oven, cut-side-up. You can place as many as you like in the dutch oven, in a single layer. I usually roast anywhere from 3 heads up to a dozen.

Drizzle olive oil liberally over the top of each head. Depending on how many heads of garlic you plan to roast, you may use between 1/4 – 1/2 cup of oil.

Generously sprinkle good quality sea salt (I like Celtic Makai Pure) over the tops of the garlic and pepper to taste.

Place the lid on the top of the dutch oven and move it to the oven.

Roast for 35-45 minutes, until the garlic tops are golden brown.

Once the oven roasted garlic is cool enough to touch, squeeze the cloves out of each head into a bowl.

You may have to peel back layers if the outer cloves weren’t exposed enough.

Store in an air-tight container in the fridge until ready to use. You can also “can” or freeze the roast garlic cloves.

I like to use oven roasted garlic cloves in:  breads, soups, salad dressings, mashed potatoes… the possibilities are endless!

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