.OAST GARLIC
When garlic is prepared this way, it is subtle, haunting, and lovely to look at tucked into a lamb stew orfestooned around a crisply roasted squab. You can roast as much-or as little-as your heart desires. Being a garlic lover, I roast a lot. Many of my recipes call for roast garlic. You don't have to use it; you can use raw garlic, but remember that raw garlic is two to four times stronger in flavor. I also find many uses for the garlic-infused oil that is a by-product of this recipe-/ use it to saute everything from lamb to green beans.
12 to 16 heads fresh garlic 2to3 tablespoons fresh thyme and rosemary
Good quality olive oil to cover 1 bay leaf
12 black peppercorns
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Cut off the tips of the garlic heads and peel off the papery outer skin.
2. Arrange the heads, root side down, in a pan just large enough to hold them, fitting them snugly side by side. Pour the oil over the garlic and scatter the herbs into the oil. Add bay leaf and peppercorns.
3. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Take the foil off, baste the heads and replace the foil. Lower the temperature to 275 degrees and bake 30 minutes more. Remove the pan from the oven and take off the foil.
4. With a pair of tongs, take the heads out of the oil and put in a bowl or pan to cool. Strain off the olive oil and reserve for other uses.
5. Gently squeeze out the cloves of garlic and reserve for intended use. They can be refrigerated for up to a week.
Note: The cooking time can vary so check on the garlic from time to time as it cooks. The consistency should be such that each clove is easily pierced with a thin knife and not falling apart or soft. But if any overcook and get mushy, you can use them for other things, like a roasted garlic butter.
RESERVED LEMONS
The preserved lemon is a startling taste experience to the uninitiated. There are interesting uses for them in Moroccan dishes (see Paula Wolfert's Mediterranean Cooking), but I've recently begun to use them my self for more Western styles of food such as my chicken with "salt and pepper."
6 lemons, scrubbed, patted dry, and each 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
cut lengthwise into 6 wedges 6 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 cup kosher salt
1. Toss the lemons and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Transfer them to a mason jar. Pour the lemon juice over the cut lemons and salt and add the olive oil. Cover tightly with the jar lid.
3. Let the jar stand in a warm place for at least a week, shaking it once every day. The lemons will keep at room temperature over a month.
Note: Before using the lemons, wash them to eliminate the excess salt. Remember, too, that you will be using only the rinds. ICKLED OKRA
I often use this to garnish gumbo.
2 pounds okra, in excellent shape, rinsed
and patted dry 12 dried chiles (cayenne, pequin, or the like)
6 garlic cloves, halved
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
2 tablespoons dill seeds
1 quart cider vinegar
1 quart rice wine vinegar
1 quart water
24 whole black peppercorns
1. Boil the canning jars and lids as described in canning manufacturer's directions.
2. Combine the okra, chiles, garlic cloves, and mustard seeds and divide evenly into the hot canning jars.
3. Boil the dill seeds, vinegars, water, and peppercorns in a saucepan and add to the jars.
4. Put the caps on and process according to approved canning procedures.