If you’ve ever tasted raw garlic, you know that it has a pungent aroma and slightly spicy flavor. But when garlic is roasted, it develops an intense sweetness because its natural sugars caramelize. Garlic also softens as it roasts to become creamy and spreadable. This recipe will show you how to roast garlic in a clay pot—also known as a terra-cotta garlic roaster. No matter how you use roasted garlic, its buttery texture, and sophisticated layers of flavor are sure to enhance the food on your table.
What Is a Garlic Roaster?
A garlic roaster or garlic baker is a lidded pot, usually made out of terra-cotta, that can roast multiple heads of garlic at the same time. The pot's porous texture and steam vents allow even cooking and maintain enough moisture to prevent the roasted garlic from drying out.
How to Use Roasted Garlic
Simply spread roasted garlic on toasted crusty bread slices or crackers. Roasted garlic can also be used as a recipe ingredient—whisk it into soups and pan sauces. Or combine it with melted butter or olive oil and toss with vegetables, such as asparagus or hot cooked new potatoes.
How to Roast Garlic in a Pan
If you don’t have a garlic roaster, you can still make roasted garlic. Try making roasted garlic in a muffin tin. In 45 minutes, you’ll have roasted garlic to use as a spread or to give a recipe an extra boost of flavor.
How Many Cloves in a Head of Garlic?
A garlic bulb is made up of 12 to 15 individual garlic cloves. You should get about 1 tablespoon garlic from each roasted bulb. 1 clove of garlic is equal to ½ teaspoon minced or ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder.
How to Properly Store Garlic
Store garlic in a cool, dry, dark place, such as a garlic keeper on the counter or a brown paper bag in the pantry. Store no longer than 4 months.
Ingredients
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Coarse kosher salt
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1 large garlic bulb (2 1/2- to 3-inches in diameter)
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Olive oil
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Add a layer of kosher salt to bottom of garlic roaster.
Test Kitchen Tip: A terra-cotta garlic roaster prevents overcooking. Soak the garlic roaster in water before using.
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Cut ½ inch off the top of the bulb to expose the ends of the cloves. Leaving bulb whole, remove any loose, papery outer layers.
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Place bulb, cut end up, in garlic roaster. Drizzle bulb with oil. Cover; roast for 1 hour. Cool.
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Remove garlic cloves from paper husks by squeezing bottom of bulb or each clove. Serve on toasted bread or toss with cooked pasta.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 14 | Calories |
| 1g | Fat |
| 1g | Carbs |
| 0g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 12 | |
| Calories 14.4 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 1.1g | 1% |
| Saturated Fat 0.2g | 1% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 26.7mg | 1% |
| Total Carbohydrate 1g | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber 0.1g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 0g | |
| Protein 0.2g | 0% |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin C 0.9mg | 1% |
| Calcium 5.5mg | 0% |
| Iron 0.1mg | 0% |
| Potassium 12mg | 0% |
| Fatty acids, total trans 0g | |
| Vitamin D 0IU | |
| Alanine 0g | |
| Arginine 0g | |
| Ash 0.1g | |
| Aspartic acid 0g | |
| Caffeine 0mg | |
| Carotene, alpha 0mcg | |
| Choline, total 0.7mg | |
| Copper, Cu 0mg | |
| Cystine 0g | |
| Energy 60.3kJ | |
| Fluoride, F 0mcg | |
| Folate, total 0.1mcg | |
| Glutamic acid 0g | |
| Glycine 0g | |
| Histidine 0g | |
| Isoleucine 0g | |
| Leucine 0g | |
| Lysine 0g | |
| Methionine 0g | |
| Magnesium, Mg 0.8mg | |
| Manganese, Mn 0.1mg | |
| Niacin 0mg | |
| Phosphorus, P 4.6mg | |
| Pantothenic acid 0mg | |
| Phenylalanine 0g | |
| Phytosterols 2.5mg | |
| Proline 0g | |
| Retinol 0mcg | |
| Selenium, Se 0.4mcg | |
| Serine 0g | |
| Theobromine 0mg | |
| Threonine 0g | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.2mg | |
| Tryptophan 0g | |
| Tyrosine 0g | |
| Valine 0g | |
| Vitamin A, IU 0.3IU | |
| Vitamin A, RAE 0mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 0mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 0mg | |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 0.7mcg | |
| Water 1.8g | |
| Zinc, Zn 0mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
