This Spicy Garlic Confit Oil is infused with a flavorful combination of roasted garlic cloves, crushed red pepper flakes, black peppercorns, and fresh thyme. It's rich, delicious, and completely versatile!
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We planted garlic early last year and harvested it during the summer. It's really easy to plant, but takes a long time to grow. We just put in another round of garlic that'll be ready to pull early next spring. After cleaning, storing, and drying this summer's garlic harvest, we're left with so much to use! And, believe me, I've shared some and use a lot of it when I'm cooking. There's still so much left over!
Lately, I've been playing around with infusions, using fruit, and herbs and veggies from the garden. Most recently, I started infusing oil. Infusing oil takes the flavor of your food to a whole new level! I recently made a Garlic Confit Oil that was amazing over Caprese salad and drizzled on top of pizza! We used it up pretty fast - used it on basically everything - so I decided to make it again.
This time around, I wanted to make a spicier version of this garlic oil. So I used the same basic recipe, but added crushed red pepper flakes. Not too much, but just enough to give it a nice "pinch." And when you roast garlic, it brings out this sweetness that balances out the hint of spice so well!
Spicy Garlic Confit Oil
This garlic confit oil is so easy to make! All you need is a head of garlic and some simple ingredients. After it's made, you're left with a delicious garlic and red pepper infused oil that'll add an extra layer of flavor to so many different dishes.
To start this oil infusion, first we need to roast the garlic. Clean a head of garlic and cut off the top. You're going to season the open top with salt and pepper and place it face down in a baking dish.
Then, you're going to add olive oil, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and fresh thyme. Cover the dish with foil and roast for one hour. Your kitchen will smell amazing!
Once the garlic is roasted, remove the dish from the oven and let it cool for about 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the garlic from the dish and set it on a paper towel to drain. Then, strain the oil from the baking dish into a glass jar.
Next, squeeze the garlic cloves out of the head of garlic and add them to the jar. You might be able to squeeze them right into the jar. If desired, add a fresh sprig of thyme as well.
Pop a lid on the jar and store this garlic confit oil in the fridge for up to one month. Do not store this oil on the countertop. It will be safe to use when stored in the fridge.
Spicy Garlic Confit Oil
Ingredients
- small heads garlic or 1 large
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 5 whole black peppercorns
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Rinse garlic and cut off the top to expose the cloves. Season garlic with salt and pepper and place face-down in a baking dish.
- Add olive oil, peppercorns, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes to the baking dish. Cover dish with foil and roast in the oven for 1 hour.
- Remove dish from oven and allow to cool 30 minutes.
- Remove garlic from dish and allow to drain on paper towels.
- Strain the oil into a glass jar (like an 8 oz. mason jar). Then, squeeze the cloves out of the head of garlic and place into the jar. Add another sprig of fresh thyme, if desired.
- Close the lid and place jar in the fridge to store. Oil will keep for 1 month.
How to Use This Spicy Garlic Confit Oil
Now that you've made this amazing smelling garlic confit oil, you might be looking for some different ways to use it. Here are just a few!
- Stir it into a salad dressing
- Use it as a bread dipping oil
- Toss pasta in it or add it to a sauce
- Add it to a marinade
- Drizzle it onto steak as it's cooking
- Mix it into mashed potatoes
- Use it to make a tasty garlic butter
- Drizzle it onto pizza
- Stir it into hummus
- Use it to sauté veggies
The possibilities really are endless!
Did you make this Spicy Garlic Confit Oil recipe? Share it on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!
