It all sounded so innocent at first. While working at New York City's Hearth, Food Editor Rhoda Boone learned a quick and simple trick to adding maximum garlic flavor to any dish. How simple? We're talking two ingredients. How quick? Just five minutes. Cooking garlic in olive oil over low heat for just a short amount of time creates a flavor-bomb ingredient that delivers savory flavor to pretty much anything.
Soon, though, Rhoda found herself doing it at home, too.
"The key is to start the oil cold, which lets the garlic infuse the oil as it gently heats up," says Rhoda. "That way, the finely chopped garlic becomes crispy and golden instead of burning."
It's a bit hard to believe that in just five minutes the oil can take on incredible flavor, but it does. You can supercharge the oil even more by adding your favorite whole spices and herbs to the oil along with the garlic. Fair warning: You're going to want to make a lot of this. Here's how Rhoda does it:
Pour 1/2 cup olive oil into a small sauté pan and use a garlic press to crush 4 medium garlic cloves directly into the oil. Add 1 to 1 1/2 tsp. of your favorite herb or spice (such as crushed red pepper flake, cumin, or dried oregano). Gently warm oil over medium low heat, stirring often, until garlic is crispy and golden brown and aromatics release their fragrance, 3-5 minutes. Resist the urge to walk away from the stove as the oil cooks—you want the garlic to become crispy and light brown, not dark and bitter. Once the garlic is ready, immediately scrape the oil into a bowl to cool. The flavored oil can be stored in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 1 month.
How to use this crispy garlic-studded oil? Licking it straight from the pan is pretty tempting, but here are some options for when that behavior isn't necessarily an option, i.e. company is present.
Make A Quick Dressing
Upgrade your oil-based salad dressing by swapping this in your DIY garlic oil for the regular stuff—it's a much milder way to get garlic flavor into your salad bowl. To customize the pairing even further, make a garlic-thyme oil for a French-style bean salad or spoon a spicy chili-garlic oil over a classic tomato and mozzarella salad.
Serve It for DIY Garlic Bread
For the easiest appetizer ever, set out a plate of toasted or grilled bread and a bowl of this oil. Stir in a handful of chopped fresh herbs to add in some bright color. Or drizzle the oil over hummus and serve with pita bread.
Drizzle It Over Meats And Vegetables
An oil this flavorful nearly begs to be drizzled over something meaty or smoky. Use it as the finishing touch, sort of like a dressing, for your roasted or grilled meats or vegetables, adding stellar flavor and a glistening final garnish.
Toss It With Grains/Rices/Lentils
Infusing flavor into starchy grains, rices, and lentils can be tough. This flavor-packed oil is a great way to do that. For her lentil salad, Rhoda particularly likes to use a cumin version of the oil.
Use It As a Simple Sauce
Take your basic spaghetti aglio e olio (spaghetti with garlic and oil) up a notch by adding the crunch of this garlic oil (it's especially good with chili flakes, too). You can also spoon it over soups, stir it into yogurt for a creamy sauce for grilled meats, or use it as a base for pizza or flatbread.
