Keep This Light Roasted Garlic Always on Hand.
Garlic is an important ingredient in various cuisines around the world. Maneul jangjji is a popular pickled garlic side dish on the Korean table, Egyptian kushari is a garlic favorite, and French-style confit garlic goes great with just about anything. The most common way to show your love for garlic is to sprinkle on Thai gratiam thod (fried garlic cloves) – it makes every savory dish even tastier.
I call gratiam tod “garlic chips” because they are usually cut into flat slices , but this seems to confuse people and they expect me to dump a handful of potato chips on my omelet. So let’s just call it roasted garlic. If you already love garlic, I don’t need to convince you to do so. For people who aren’t sure if they want to make it ahead of time, it’s super easy and even a small batch will help you keep it on the counter. You can then infuse your prepared meals with a light, distilled garlic flavor when the mood strikes. Plus, it’s two for the price of one deal. You get fried garlic chips and garlic infused olive oil.
While you can certainly buy a container of roasted garlic (I usually do), you may not be ready to take on a large jar, and even if you are, there will be times when you will be in between containers. As disturbing as it is, it shouldn’t stop you from enjoying pure roasted garlic at every meal. Making gratiam tod is so easy that the hardest part is peeling the garlic. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet over the lowest possible heat. If you have a “warm” setting, use a warm setting just above that. The pan should be small because you only want the oil to cover the bottom, but it shouldn’t be very deep.
Peel eight to twelve garlic cloves any way you like. If you break and clean it’s ok, just be aware that you may have broken pieces or bits. Slice the cloves thinly and evenly. The thinner the slices, the faster they will fry, but this is not something worth breaking the mandolin for. Add the garlic cloves to the hot oil in an even layer. Try not to overlap the pieces so they can all access the hot oil. Let the garlic sauté slowly for 25 minutes. Shake the pan every 10 minutes or so and stir to turn over a few pieces of garlic. The first time you do this, the garlic will still look white. Next time they will start to take on color. Since we’re aiming for an equal amount of garlic toasting, you may need two forks to separate the garlic pieces that have stuck together. Do this and it pays off in the end with evenly browned garlic. As you near the end of the cooking time, keep an eye on the color. You don’t want to burn the garlic, so anything that has turned black or very brown should be discarded.
Once the garlic is toasted to a uniform golden brown, remove the pan from the heat and pour it (oil and everything) into a clean, dry container or jar that you can seal tightly. Leave it on the counter and easily get a spoon whenever you want.
These fragrant pieces have an almost caramel-garlic flavor, powerful, roasted and slightly bitter. Before you panic at the B word, remember that bitter is not a bad thing. It’s one of the five tastes (sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami), and great dishes find a way to balance all five. Aside from the bitter note, these garlic cloves also add a textural surprise. Enjoy gratiam tod as a topping for eggs, soups, pasta dishes, sauces, and anything sweet (but I wouldn’t be surprised if it also has a sweet feature). Serve it in a bowl on your Thanksgiving table for guests to sprinkle as desired. Homemade fried garlic in oil will keep in an airtight container for about a month at room temperature.
Gratiam Tod (Thai fried garlic)
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 8-12 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Heat oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add chopped garlic and spread the pieces in an even layer so they don’t overlap.
Roast for 25-30 minutes, turning pieces every 10 minutes. Be especially careful when turning and separating the pieces during the last 10 minutes when they are browned. The garlic is ready when all the pieces are evenly golden brown. Store the garlic and oil in an airtight container on your countertop for up to one month.