Roasted Garlic has numerous uses. Once upon a time I dated an Italian boy who was constantly lauding the merits of roasted garlic, which I was far too naive to understand. "You mean you just spread it on bread? And then eat it, just like that?" I demanded, incredulous. Well, time has passed and I have been known to eat entire heads of garlic in one sitting, for which I am forced to apologize to Coworkers and to Husband; when we were first married, Husband actually spent a night on the sofa to get away from my offensive pores.
Sacrifices have to be made for good taste, however, and I will take minor shunning if it means good garlic eating. Both of the following methods yield soft, sweet garlic which can be used for spreading on bread, adding to pasta, etc.
To roast garlic: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut an entire head of garlic in half, widthwise and place in a 10-inch sheet of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Fold up the sides of the foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes. Carefully open the packet and test with a knife - the garlic is done when it is very easily pierced with a knife.
To make garlic confit*: Place 20 peeled garlic cloves (cut the hard "stem" end off) in a small sauce pan and cover with 3/4 cup vegetable, canola, or olive/canola oil blend. Heat on very low heat (the garlic should not turn brown) for 40 minutes to an hour, until a knife can easily pierce the cloves. Store, refrigerated, for up to a month. Basi Italia uses this method, spiked with red pepper flakes and herbs, as an alternative to butter to serve alongside their rolls.
*Confit is a method of preservation whereby something (usually meat, as in duck confit) is cooked slowly in fat - usually, again as in duck confit, in its own fat. It is then submerged and stored in the fat, where it will last for months. This method of preservation was essential before refrigeration was available, and is now used in higher-end cuisine (at least in the States).
