Easy "Roasted" Garlic

This is one of the greatest recipes ever. It is so ridiculously easy, I almost feel badly about calling it a recipe.

Everybody has had roasted garlic. It's pretty easy to make, but requires heating the oven, and it's kind of messy. Try this method instead:

Take a large amount of cleaned garlic. By cleaned, I mean out of the husk or whatever you call that stuff covering the cloves. Because I am incredibly lazy, I buy garlic in bulk at Costco or BJ's in a container of ready to use garlic cloves. Dump them in a pot (I usually use about a 1 qt. or so pot) and them cover them with olive oil. Use good oil, preferably extra virgin (trust me on this.)

Then turn up the heat to what could be considered a simmer, I guess. Be careful, oil can "spit" or splatter early on. Anyway, let it go until it starts to turn light golden. Better to turn it off a bit early than too late, as it will keep cooking for a few minutes after the heat source is removed. And if garlic is over done it gets bitter. One can always simmer it a little more, if needed. After trying it a few times, you'll get better at timing it just right so the carryover heat "roasts" the garlic to perfection. Sometimes, I cool it, remove the small pieces, and cook the big ones a bit longer.

Let it cool down, and remove all the garlic and put it into a container.

Here's the good part. This will taste just like roasted garlic, and can be spread on toasted French or Italian bread, and will be terrific in recipes that call for roasted garlic (like in pasta.) We like to add a few cloves to a salad. Roasted garlic is almost buttery in texture, and moderately sweet tasting.

Now, here's the bonus that really makes this a super recipe: after the oil cools, put it back in the oil bottle, and you will now have the most wonderful garlic infused oil for salads and pastas. One easy cooking method, two high-priced gourmet products, for one low price.