Turn Garlic Confit Into A Creamy Whipped Spread — You're Going To Want It On Everything

If you are a garlic lover that just can't stop yourself from buying the bulk bags at Costco, you're probably familiar with the feeling of frantically trying to think of another garlic dish to cook as you watch those cloves slowly grow green sprouts. Garlic confit whipped spread may be the perfect solution for you, and it couldn't be easier to make. Garlic confit creates sweet, subtly pungent cloves that can then be blended into a whipped spread and used to level up just about anything savory (think pasta, mashed potatoes, pizza, or slathered on grilled cheese and burgers). It's an incredibly simple hack for using up garlic, or for having a legitimate reason for buying those jumbo bags in the first place. 

We mostly hear about confits when it comes to meat (a gorgeously tender, melt-in-your-mouth duck confit, for example), but vegetable confits too often fly under the culinary radar, and that's a shame because the whipped spread that can be made out of garlic confit is divine. The process is straightforward: once you have your garlic bulbs out of their skins, cut the tops off and submerge them in olive oil. Simmer for one to two hours, until your bulbs are soft and light brown in color. Separate the bulbs from the oil and blend them up into a creamy whipped spread, adding a little of the oil, some salt, and any other herbs you like.

A perfect garlic confit whipped spread begins with fresh, firm garlic bulbs. You don't want to use the pre-peeled ones for this, and that's because not only does fresh garlic have better flavor, it also has a lower risk of bacterial contamination, which is important when making garlic confit. Next, a high quality olive oil should be used, as it will be infusing all of its hues into the garlic as the simmering takes place, and the garlic-infused oil can also be used after the bulbs have been taken out. 

To peel your garlic bulbs easily and quickly, you can use this bowl shaking hack, or place the individual bulbs in a bowl of hot water and let them sit for a couple of minutes. Drain the water and then the peels should slide off the bulbs easily. 

Once your spread is made, it's important to make sure you eat it right away or store it in the fridge for up to two weeks. Garlic confit is susceptible to bacterial growth due to the warm, low oxygen, low sugar environment, and though it is extremely rare, there is a small risk of the bacteria that causes botulism growing if left out to sit at room temperature.