Garlic Confit
(From the pantry)
A small luxury that turns up everywhere.
There’s almost always a jar of this in the fridge.
Soft, golden cloves tucked under oil, waiting to be spread onto toast, folded into dressings, slipped into a pan before anything else hits the heat. It’s the kind of thing you make once and then wonder how you ever cooked without it.
It’s not flashy. It doesn’t ask for attention.
But it changes everything it touches.
Ingredients
250 g garlic cloves (peeled)
250–300 g olive oil (enough to fully submerge)
3–4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
1 small bay leaf (optional)
3 g kosher salt
Method
Place the garlic cloves in a small saucepan or oven-safe dish.
Pour the olive oil over the garlic until fully submerged.
Add thyme, bay leaf, and salt if using.
Cook very gently:
Stovetop: Lowest heat for 35–45 minutes
Oven: 250°F / 120°C for 45–60 minutes
You’re looking for a slow poach, not a fry. The oil should be still, maybe an occasional lazy bubble.
The garlic is ready when the cloves are completely soft and lightly golden, but not browned.
Let cool, then transfer to a clean jar, making sure the cloves stay covered in oil.
Notes
Keep refrigerated and always use a clean spoon.
The oil becomes just as valuable as the garlic—use it anywhere you’d start with olive oil.
Spread the cloves onto bread like butter, mash into potatoes, or whisk into vinaigrettes.
It’s the quiet base note in a lot of good cooking around here.
Some things in a kitchen don’t announce themselves.
They just sit in the background, deepening everything over time.
This is one of them.