Roasted Garlic Vampire Butter
This butter will knock that vampires socks right off!
Well, if you’ve read the name of the recipe, that’s what it is. Garlic, butter and more garlic. If you are a vampire and have issues with this, please take it up with management.
In the realm of culinary alchemy, few concoctions rival the golden elixir that is your own homemade Garlic Butter. Vampires around the world hate it, but you can’t please everyone. This versatile compound takes the humblest of ingredients—butter and garlic—and transforms them into a flavor that elevates every dish it touches. Its rich, aromatic yumminess brings to bear every form of garlic from caramelized to toasted to raw. This is the garlic butter you’ve been dreaming of.
The Butter
At its core, this recipe celebrates two kitchen essentials. The butter, golden and velvety, provides a luxurious base, offering a creamy canvas for the robust flavors of garlic to shine. Not all butters are made for this recipe. The kind of butter you are looking for is one that will be labelled as European-style. This type is creamier, richer in flavor, and has a higher butterfat content. You might see this also labelled as cultured butter. Other butters are not going to meet the needs of this recipe. And steer clear of margarines as well.
The Garlic
When finely minced or pressed, garlic releases its aromatic oils. We need those oils. That’s where the flavor is, and that’s where a lot of the health benefits of garlic are as well.
When roasted until caramelized, garlic becomes a sweeter and less pungent version of itself. I also call it a drop of yummy heaven it’s that good.
When toasted, garlic takes on a nuttier flavor and much of the harshness in the flavor is cooked out.
We require all three of these for this recipe. Roasted, toasted and raw. Trust me.
Roasted Garlic Vampire Butter
Ingredients
- 2 heads garlic
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup salted butter European style, room temperature
- 1/2 cup fresh herbs (such as chives, dill, parsley) finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 360ºF/182ºC.
- Cut 1/2 cup (1 stick) of salted butter into 8 tablespoons. Add 6 of the tablespoons of butter to a small bowl and allow it to come to room temperature. Retain the other 2 tablespoons of butter for further use.
The Roasted Garlic
- Cut about a third of one of the garlic tops off, leaving the cloves exposed. Peel off some of the outer skin. Place the garlic head onto a sheet of tin foil. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and then wrap it up in the tin foil; don't wrap tight. Place onto a baking tray in the preheated oven.
- Roast for about 30 minutes or until soft inside. Use tongs to see if the garlic has any give to it. If not, check every 10 minutes until the garlic gives under the squeeze of the tongs. When ready, take it out from the oven and let it cool completely.
The Raw Garlic
- Separate the other head of garlic into the individual cloves, and flatten them with the side of a knife and peel. Mince or finely grate 1 garlic clove and add to the bowl of softened butter.
The Pan-Toasted Garlic
- Now finely chop the remaining garlic cloves. Add the remaining 2 tasblepoons of butter to a small pot or skillet, set over a medium-low heat and melt. When the butter is melted, add the finely chopped garlic and stir frequently until the garlic just starts to turn golden. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool completely (you can place it in the refrigerator to speed this up)
Putting it all Together
- Add the cooled roasted garlic, the cooled pan-toasted garlic to the bowl of butter and add all to a food processor. Add in a hefty dash of fresh ground pepper and your favorite herbs, and then pulse several times until smooth.
- Set down a large sheet of tin foil or plastic wrap, and pour out the butter onto it. Roll up tight, and then place in the refrigerator to chill and re-harden.