Do you agree that roasted garlic is the best thing ever? As far as near-magical transformations go, roasted garlic should get a standing ovation. Through the simple alchemy of hot oven heat, garlic starts off raw and crunchy and astringent, and it emerges soft and caramelized with a gentler flavor that borders on sweetness. It’s like night and day.

Ingredients:

1 or more heads of garlic
Olive oil

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 200°C & set the rack in the middle position.
2. Peel (most of) the paper off the garlic. Peel away all the loose, papery, outer layers around the head of garlic. Leave the head itself intact with all the cloves connected.
3. Trim about 1/4 inch off the top of the head of garlic to expose the tops of the garlic cloves.
4. Drizzle 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil over the exposed surface of the garlic, letting the oil sink down into the cloves.
5. Wrap the garlic aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 40 minutes.
6. After 40 minutes, begin checking the garlic. The garlic is done when a center clove is completely soft when pierced with a paring knife. Even once soft, you can continue roasting until deeply golden for a more caramelized flavor — check the garlic every 10 minutes. Exact roasting time will depend on the size of your garlic, the variety, and its age.
7. Let the garlic cool slightly, and then serve. Press on the bottom of a clove to push it out of its paper. Roasted garlic can also be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.

Ways to Use Roasted Garlic

1. Spread on bread or crackers
2. Mashed into salad dressing
3. Mashed into hummus, baba ganoush, or other spreads
4. Used in place of raw garlic in soups, casseroles, and sauces