The Best Roasted Garlic You’ve Ever Had
If you don’t have kids (or a significant other that wants meat), I think a loaf of bread and a roasted garlic is a great meal. Maybe add a rich red wine and/or some crisp salad to round it out.
Do any of you remember Bistro 110 right off Michigan Ave. in Chicago? Well, it was one of my family’s favorite restaurants when we would go down for the day to shop, be tourists, or see a show. It was all kinds of French fancy, but the best part was the roasted garlic and fresh bread that came to the table. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
(Sidenote: my mouth is also watering thinking about what a trip to Michigan Ave. used to be like. Was it fancy because it was a different time or fancy because we were 12? Maybe both?!)
Anyway, you can easily recreate this roasted garlic at home. It takes a decent amount of time in the oven, but minimal actual work, making it a perfect Sunday project.
Ingredients
1 large head of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste
Serve with:
1 loaf of soft, fresh bread
1 stick of salted butter, room temperature
Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Peel off any extra layers of skin from the garlic. Using a sharp knife, cut off the top ¼ to ⅓ inch of the garlic. You want to see the tops of the cloves without losing too much of them.
Place the prepared garlic in the center of a small piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and honey, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap the foil tightly so the garlic is fully enclosed.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until your kitchen smells amazing. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. Open the package, and using a knife or fork, make sure the cloves are soft.
To serve, warm slices of fresh bread. Top with a generous smear of butter. Using a butter knife, carefully remove a clove or two of garlic and smear on the bread. Top with a sprinkling of kosher salt if you’re feeling really fancy.
Notes
Be really careful when cutting off the top of the garlic. If there is a hearty stick to be cut, use a knife to remove the tops off the cloves, but consider using kitchen shears for the stalk.
Use this recipe to dress up mashed potatoes, soup, or dip. Really anything that calls for garlic will be doubly enhanced with this add-on.