Confit garlic puree is that secret weapon ingredient that can level up any dish. While it may sound fancy, it’s actually easy to make restaurant quality confit garlic puree at home.

With just a few simple ingredients – garlic, oil, thyme, and sea salt, you can achieve sweet, spreadable garlic puree that rivals any restaurant recipe.

In this article, we’ll guide you step-by-step through making velvety smooth confit garlic puree that’s packed with savory roasted garlic flavor.

Read on to learn all about the ingredients and process for creating this versatile condiment that adds the perfect hit of sweet slow cooked garlic to mayonnaise, dips, salads and more!

Choosing Quality Ingredients for Optimal Confit Garlic Puree Flavor

Forget store-bought garlic pastes unlock a world of rich, complex flavors with restaurant quality confit garlic puree.

With only four ingredients, this deceptively simple recipe elevates any dish, from roasted vegetables to crusty bread, with its nutty sweetness, velvety texture, and a subtle hint of herbal elegance.

Making incredible confit garlic puree starts with using fresh, local garlic. Here’s an overview of the key ingredients you’ll need to make flavorful confit garlic.

The Ingredients

• 2 Garlic bulbs.
• 1 cup Rice bran oil. (Or enough to cover the garlic).
• 3 sprigs Fresh thyme.
• Himalayan pink salt.

Selecting The Right Garlic

• Local Garlic Cloves — Forget supermarket garlic, which has often traveled continents and lost its vitality. Seek out local, fresh garlic. Look for plump, firm cloves with roots still attached and papery skins, a sign of recent harvest. These cloves will burst with flavor and moisture, crucial for creating a delicious confit garlic puree.
  • Garlic’s magic lies in its complex flavor compounds. There’s the sharp, pungent hit responsible for that familiar bite. The mellow sweetness, and the savory richness of umami. When you Confit the garlic it gently tames the pungent hit while amplifying the sweetness and umami, leaving you with a balanced, deeply satisfying flavor profile.

The Power of Thyme

• Fresh Thyme — With its earthy, slightly lemony aroma, it adds a touch of complexity to the puree. Use fresh sprigs for the most potent flavor, ideally grown in your garden. Their essential oils release as they confit, infusing the garlic with a subtle herbal whisper.

Rice Bran Oil: Nature’s Secret Weapon

• Rice Bran Oil — Its neutral flavor and high smoke point make the perfect confit medium. Unlike olive oil, which can impart its taste, rice bran oil allows the garlic to shine. Its high smoke point ensures stable cooking at low temperatures without burning.

The Magic Of Himalayan Pink Salt

Himalayan Pink — Don’t underestimate the power of the amazing salt! Himalayan pink salt, with its trace minerals and subtle sweetness, elevates the puree’s flavor without overpowering it. Use freshly ground pink salt for even distribution, and avoid using iodized salt, which can have a metallic aftertaste.

The Charm of Confit

Now, let’s talk about the magic that happens during confit. Unlike high-heat roasting, which can burn garlic, confit takes a low and slow approach. Submerging the garlic in oil and gently heating it for an extended period allows for several transformations:

• The garlic cloves soften and become incredibly tender, almost melting into the oil.
• The garlic mellows, creating a sweeter, more rounded flavor profile.
• The flavors from the thyme infuse the oil and garlic, adding a layer of herbal complexity.

Mastering the Confit Technique

The recipe is beautifully simple, but mastering the confit technique requires attention to detail. Here are some essential tips.

• Use A Heavy-Bottomed Saucepan — This ensures even heat distribution and prevents hot spots that can burn the garlic.
• Preheat The Oil Gently — Don’t let it get too hot; the garlic will brown and become bitter.
• Add The Thyme And Garlic — Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Let the saucepan slowly tick over. There can be tiny bubbles moving slowly around the garlic. Confit for 1-1 ½ hours, depending on the size of the garlic cloves.
• Patience Is Key — Don’t rush the confit process. Low and slow is the way to go for maximum flavor and texture.

Once the garlic is softened and lightly golden, remove it from the oil and let it cool slightly. Using an immersion blender or food processor, you can blend it into a smooth puree.

I like to force it through a fine sieve. This takes a little more time. However, the result is velvety confit garlic puree. Season the puree with the Himalayan pink salt to taste.

The Recipe Confit Garlic Puree

Forget the harsh bite of raw garlic and the blandness of store-bought pastes. Our confit garlic puree is a culinary masterpiece that unlocks the true potential of this humble bulb. Garlic transcends its pungent beginnings to become a velvety, flavorful essence through the gentle magic of confit slow cooking in oil.

Separating And Peeling The Garlic Cloves

1. Start by breaking apart the head of garlic into individual cloves. Then, peel the papery skin off each clove to expose the garlic flesh.

Confit Low And Slow

2. Toss the peeled garlic sprigs of thyme in a small saucepan. Now add the rice bran oil. You want enough to cover the garlic. Now, place the saucepan on the element set to the lowest setting. This will gently heat the oil. Let the saucepan slowly tick over. There can be tiny bubbles moving slowly around the garlic. This is normal. Confit for 1-1 ½ hours, depending on the size of the garlic cloves.

Doneness Test

3. You will know the confit garlic is done. It will be a light golden color when you can easily pierce the garlic with a knife. If a clove still seems firm, confit them for longer in 15-minute increments, testing frequently.

Making The Confit Garlic Puree

4. This is how restaurant quality confit garlic puree is made. Strain the garlic through a fine sieve (keep the garlic-flavored oil). Now, using a spoon, pass the confit garlic through the sieve. This is a little more work. However, it is well worth it. You will have the most velvety smooth confit garlic puree. Season the confit garlic puree with Himalayan pink salt, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Beyond the Recipe: The Versatility Of Confit Garlic Puree

This confit garlic puree is not just a condiment but a flavor booster with endless possibilities. Here are just a few ways to use it.

• Whisk it into butter and spread it on crusty bread before toasting for a delicious and satisfying garlic bread appetizer.
• Mix it into mayonnaise to create the most amazing confit garlic aioli.
• Stir it into your finished risotto for a mellow sweet garlic hit to impress your guests.
• Use it as a base for dips and sauces, like hummus or tzatziki.
• Mix into butter with fresh herbs to make a confit garlic compound butter.
• Add a dollop of confit garlic puree to your mashed potatoes for a garlicky kick.

Cooking Is A Science And A Skill

Cooking is a science and a skill that requires a deep understanding of both the technical and creative aspects. Cooking is also a matter of precise measurements and ratios.

For example, baking is particularly sensitive to accurate measurements and temperatures. A slight deviation in the amount of an ingredient or cooking degrees can result in a completely different outcome. So, to help you, here is a handy little unit converter tool for cooking without guesswork.

Restaurant Quality Confit Garlic Puree Anyone Can Master

No ratings yet

PREP TIME: | 15 minutes mins

COOK TIME: | 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

TOTAL TIME: | 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

SERVINGS: | 1 serve

AUTHOR: | Shannon The Helpful Chef

PIN PRINT RECIPE

DESCRIPTION

DISH SUMMARY

Learn how to make velvety smooth, sweet confit garlic puree at home. That rivals any restaurant with our simple step-by-step recipe and cooking tips.

Equipment

• ▢
  Cookware
• ▢
  Kitchen Gadgets
• ▢
  Kitchen Knives

Ingredients

1x2x3x

METRICUS CUSTOMARY

• ▢ 1 bulb Garlic local fresh
• ▢ 2 cups Rice bran oil
• ▢ 2 sprigs Fresh thyme
• ▢ Himalayan pink salt

Instructions

SHOWHIDE

• Separating And Peeling The Garlic Cloves — Start by breaking apart the head of garlic into individual cloves. Then, peel the papery skin off each clove to expose the garlic flesh.
  
• Confit Low And Slow — Toss the peeled garlic sprigs of thyme in a small saucepan. Now add the rice bran oil. You want enough to cover the garlic. Now, place the saucepan on the element set to the lowest setting. This will gently heat the oil. Let the saucepan slowly tick over. There can be tiny bubbles moving slowly around the garlic. This is normal. Confit for 1-1 ½ hours, depending on the size of the garlic cloves.

  Doneness Test — You will know the confit garlic is done. It will be a light golden color when you can easily pierce the garlic with a knife. If a clove still seems firm, confit them for longer in 15-minute increments, testing frequently.
  
• Making The Confit Garlic Puree — This is how restaurant quality confit garlic puree is made. Strain the garlic through a fine sieve (keep the garlic-flavored oil). Now, using a spoon, pass the confit garlic through the sieve. This is a little more work. However, it is well worth it. You will have the most velvety smooth confit garlic puree. Season the confit garlic puree with Himalayan pink salt, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  

Chef Tips

MASTERING THE CONFIT TECHNIQUE

The recipe is beautifully simple, but mastering the confit technique requires attention to detail. Here are some essential tips.

Use A Heavy-Bottomed Saucepan — This ensures even heat distribution and prevents hot spots that can burn the garlic.

• Preheat The Oil Gently — Don’t let it get too hot; the garlic will brown and become bitter.
• Add The Thyme And Garlic — Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Let the saucepan slowly tick over. There can be tiny bubbles moving slowly around the garlic. Confit for 1-1 ½ hours, depending on the size of the garlic cloves.
• Patience Is Key — Don’t rush the confit process. Low and slow is the way to go for maximum flavor and texture.

Once the garlic is softened and lightly golden, remove it from the oil and let it cool slightly. Using an immersion blender or food processor, you can blend it into a smooth puree.

I like to force it through a fine sieve. This takes a little more time. However, the result is velvety confit garlic puree. Season the puree with the Himalayan pink salt to taste.

Nutrition

Serving>1serve | Calories>196kcal | Carbohydrates>1g | Protein>0.2g | Fat>22g | Saturated Fat>4g | Polyunsaturated Fat>8g | Monounsaturated Fat>9g | Sodium>0.3mg | Potassium>16mg | Fiber>0.3g | Sugar>0.01g | Vitamin A>95IU | Vitamin C>4mg | Calcium>10mg | Iron>0.4mg

COURSE:

Condiment

CUISINE:

New Zealand

KEYWORD:

Confit Garlic

|

Fresh Garlic

|

Puree

This recipe and its accompanying photographs are protected by copyright. While we encourage you to share or link back to this recipe. We ask that you do not copy and paste the full recipe onto social media or your blog.

Loved this recipe?Mention @number8cooking or tag #number8cooking!