Oven Roasted Garlic

“Most dear actors, eat no onions nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath.”
......wrote William Shakespeare in "A Midsummer Night’s Dream".

Yet, the popularity of garlic has forever remained high as it is sure to transform any serving of food into an aromatic and healthy culinary experience.

Historically known to cure ailments, garlic is a common condiment in most households. Ours is not an exception. What we like best about garlic is that the intensity of its pungency varies depending on the style in which it is cooked.

One of our favorites is oven roasted garlic. On a cold wintery evening, a serving of warm roasted garlic works perfect with a glass of wine. The best part - its aroma - that travels from the oven through the entire home to tease the senses.

Once roasted the firm texture of each clove softens and can be squeezed out of its sheath. I prefer pulling the cloves out of the oven when they are just done and not very soft.

A drizzle of olive oil, a dash of salt and freshly crushed pepper on warm roasted garlic tastes like no other. The pungency is mild and is shadowed by its sweetness that hits the taste buds a little later.

Ingredients

1 pod of Garlic (Any variety, medium sized)
1½ teaspoon Olive oil
½ teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper
Salt to taste
A pinch of paprika powder
¼ teaspoon of finely chopped parsley

Method

- Pre-heat oven to 350F.

- Separate the cloves (with peel on) from the pod. Place the cloves in a oven safe dish and roast for 10-15 min.

- Turn off the oven, but let the cloves sit in it for 5 min. Pull the cloves out of the oven and slowly remove the peel off each clove while warm.

- Drizzle olive oil over the cloves. Add salt and crushed pepper. Garnish with a dash of paprika powder and finely chopped parsley. Serve warm.

We love combining roasted garlic with basil pesto (store bought or home made) and marinara sauce in place of dips. The flavors come together and don’t overpower that of the roasted garlic.

In short, oven roasted garlic is a fantastic treat to the palate....and a must if you love garlic in your meal, like us.

These roasted cloves of garlic go out to Sunita’s Think Spice...Think Garlic .