The short answer: cover peeled garlic cloves with olive oil and cook them very gently, at about 90 to 120 °C (195 to 250 °F), for 1 to 2 hours until soft and golden. Keep the confit in the fridge and use it within 4 days, or freeze it.
Garlic confit is garlic cooked slowly in oil until the cloves turn soft, sweet and spreadable. You get two things from one pan: cloves you can mash onto bread or stir into sauces, and a mellow garlic oil for cooking. It takes a few minutes of work and a little patience.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Hands-on time | 15 minutes, most of it peeling |
| Cooking time | 40 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the method |
| Makes | About 1 cup of cloves plus 250 to 350 ml garlic oil |
| Keeps | 4 days in the fridge, 3 months in the freezer |
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 heads of garlic, about 150 g peeled cloves (1 cup)
- 250 to 350 ml (1 to 1½ cups) olive oil, enough to cover the cloves
- Optional: 2 sprigs thyme or rosemary, 1 bay leaf, ½ tsp black peppercorns, 1 dried chili
Peeling tip: separate the cloves, put them in a jar with a lid and shake hard for 30 seconds. Most of the skins come off. Pre-peeled cloves work too, as long as they are firm and unblemished.
Which oil? A mild olive oil is the classic. Extra virgin works, but strong ones can turn bitter over long heat. A neutral oil gives a cleaner garlic taste.
Three ways to make garlic confit
1. On the stove (about 45 minutes)
- Put the cloves in a small saucepan and pour in oil until they are just covered.
- Set it on the lowest heat. You want tiny, lazy bubbles, never a frying sizzle.
- Cook for 40 to 60 minutes, stirring now and then, until the cloves are pale gold and a knife slides through them.
2. In the oven (about 2 hours)
- Heat the oven to 120 °C (250 °F).
- Put the cloves and oil in a small ovenproof dish, cover it with foil or a lid, and bake for 1½ to 2 hours.
- The oven method needs the least attention and gives the most even result.
3. Slow and hands-off with the NOIDS Herb Lab (2 to 3 hours)
The NOIDS Herb Lab Oil function holds a steady 100 °C (212 °F), which is a true confit temperature, so nothing can catch or fry while you get on with other things.
- Put the peeled cloves and herbs into the Glass and cover them with oil. Stay under the MAX mark.
- Cover with the Dish Lid and place the Glass in the Main Body.
- Turn the Rotary Control to Oil. The cycle runs for about 120 to 180 minutes and then cools by itself.
- The cloves come out soft and pale. For more colour, tip everything into a pan and give it 5 to 10 minutes on low heat.
- Lift the cloves out with a spoon and pour the oil through the Filter Set into a clean jar.
How to store garlic confit safely
This is the part that matters most. Garlic is a low-acid vegetable, and garlic covered in oil sits in the low-oxygen conditions where Clostridium botulinum bacteria can grow at room temperature. You cannot see, smell or taste it. University food-safety services in the US give the same advice for home-made garlic in oil:
- Cool it fast: let it cool for no more than an hour, then put it in the fridge.
- Fridge: in a clean, closed jar, and use it within 4 days. The oil goes cloudy and firm when cold. That is normal.
- Freezer: spoon cloves and oil into an ice-cube tray, freeze, then keep the cubes in a bag for up to 3 months. Use them straight from frozen.
- Never keep garlic confit at room temperature, and never give it as a gift in a jar on the shelf.
How to use garlic confit
- Mash 2 or 3 cloves onto toast with flaky salt.
- Stir into mashed potatoes or a pan sauce.
- Blend into mayonnaise, hummus or a salad dressing.
- Spread under the skin of a chicken, or into the herb butter for your turkey.
- Toss with pasta, a little of the oil and grated cheese.
- Use the oil for roasting vegetables or frying eggs.
Garlic confit, roasted garlic and garlic oil
| Garlic confit | Roasted garlic | Garlic-infused oil | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Peeled cloves cooked under oil | Whole heads roasted dry in foil | Oil flavoured with garlic, cloves removed |
| Texture | Soft, spreadable, golden | Soft, sticky, darker | Oil only |
| Main use | Spreads, sauces, the oil for cooking | Spreads, dips | Dressings, drizzling, frying |
For an oil without the cloves, see our guide to making garlic oil in a pan.
Questions
How long does garlic confit last?
4 days in the fridge, or about 3 months in the freezer. Do not keep it at room temperature.
Why did my garlic confit turn brown or bitter?
The heat was too high. The oil should barely bubble. Next time use the lowest setting or the oven at 120 °C.
Can I use the oil from garlic confit?
Yes, it is a mild garlic oil. Store it the same way as the cloves: in the fridge for 4 days, or frozen.
Do I have to peel the garlic?
Yes. Unpeeled cloves cook unevenly and the skins make the oil cloudy.
