Sous Vide Garlic Confit Recipe

Garlic confit (and the remaining garlic-infused oil) are culinary treasures that enhance dishes with their rich, nuanced flavors. Garlic cloves gently poached sous vide in oil become tender, mellow, and imbued with a subtle sweetness that elevates any dish they grace. Once the confit is made, the golden-hued oil retains the essence of garlic, offering a versatile ingredient for future culinary adventures. This aromatic oil can be drizzled over roasted vegetables, tossed with pasta, or used to sauté greens for an added depth of flavor. Moreover, the softened cloves of garlic are a delight on their own, perfect for spreading on crusty bread or mashing into a creamy aioli. Together, garlic confit and its accompanying oil are a testament to the transformative power of slow cooking and the art of extracting maximum flavor from a humble ingredient.

Note: Garlic in oil is an anaerobic environment and requires proper handling. It is important to add an acid like apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar to garlic confit to prevent microbe growth and refrigerate for storage.

It should be noted that, because submerging garlic in oil creates an anaerobic environment, it presents a risk for botulism. Clostridium botulinum is a bacteria found in soil, whose spores produce a dangerous toxin under airless (anaerobic) conditions. These spores cannot be destroyed at boiling temperature (this is equally true for sous vide and conventionally cooked confit), so once cooked, this confit should be chilled and either used immediately, or kept refrigerated for no more than 1 week.

Want more like this? Our comprehensive book Champions of Sous Vide is a great collection of more than 70 sous vide recipes from two dozen top sous vide cooks.