Few foods metamorphose as dramatically or alluringly as garlic when it is roasted. Hardly a savory recipe exists in which one could not imagine this substance. I always have these garlic preparations on hand.

　　This recipe is a component of Fish in Foil with Sweet Onions, Tomatoes, and Mojo Verde and Grill-Roasted Rack of Lamb in Red Mole .

　　

Ingredients

Makes 2 2/3 cups garlic oil and 1/2 cup garlic mash

　　3 large heads garlic, cut horizontally in half

　　3 cups pure olive oil

　　4 sprigs thyme

　　1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns, toasted

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

　　

Step 2

Put the garlic heads cut side down in a small casserole or ovenproof pot and pour the olive oil over them. Add the thyme and pepper. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the garlic is soft enough to mash.

　　

Step 3

Remove garlic from the oil and set aside.

　　

Step 4

Strain the oil into a bowl and let cool, then pour into an airtight container. The oil will keep for at least a month. To make the garlic mash, squeeze the cloves out of their papery husks into a bowl. Mash the roasted garlic with a fork. Store mash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

　　Reprinted with permission from New World Kitchen by Norman Van Aken. © 2001 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.