Confit Butter Garlic
Hot girl summer is around the corner but quite honestly there’s nothing hotter than a piece of crusty toasted bread slathered in this gorgeous buttery garlic and that’s the very first thing I do when I make this. It’s only right you test it out and enjoy the spoils of your hard (but secretly easy) work. Best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.
Normally I confit my garlic in oil but I decided to change it up (some would say level it up) and try it in clarified butter… and oh my days… I am truly in heaven. This recipe forms part of my Gorgeous Gorgeous Garlic series and has become an absolute staple in my kitchen. You need a jar of confit butter garlic in stock at all times – it’s about to absolutely blow your mind!!
Ok, I get the garlic part but what’s with the clarified butter?
When you clarify butter, you remove the milk solids which in turn eliminates any burnt flavours that can occur during high-heat cooking. What you’re left with is pure, smooth butter that is ideal for sautéing, frying and roasting as you don’t have to worry about it breaking down or burning during the cooking process. It ensures that your garlic cloves cook gently and evenly, whilst retaining that delicate and sweet flavour – which is exactly what we want. Using clarified butter is also super handy if you’re known as the person that always burns stuff.
You can also find my original confit garlic recipe on my BBC Food page or right here on my website. I just like telling people I have my own page on the BBC Food website. Legit feel like Nigella.
Ingredients
- 500g salted butter
- 7 bulbs of garlic, peeled
- Rosemary sprigs (if you have them)
- Dried chillies (if you have them)
- Pinch of flakey salt
Method
- Cube and melt your butter in the microwave. Make sure you use a dish suitable for the microwave!
- Once all melted, set in the fridge until hard.
- Once set, make a hole in the corner and pour out the buttermilk, save for another use like marinating meats such as chicken.
- Preheat the oven to 130°C/270°F.
- In an oven proof dish, add the peeled garlic, butter and any other ingredients (Rosemary, chilli etc) then bake in the oven for 1 hour 30 mins. Your clarified butter now has a higher smoke point.
- Keep checking on the garlic (just to make sure it’s not burning) and give it a stir occasionally. If it looks like it’s cooking too fast, turn the oven temp down.
- Once golden and soft, remove it from the oven and use it for anything and everything! It’s delicious, buttery and so smooth! Also, super spreadable! I always test it out by slathering it on a slice of crusty toasted bread.