Makes about 2/3 cup
4 medium to large heads garlic
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted California butter, at room temperature
salt
freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 325OF.
Using a sharp knife, slice off the top 1/4- to 1/2-inch from each garlic head. Rub off some of the loose papery skin covering each head, taking care to keep the heads intact. Place the prepared heads of garlic in a small baking dish and top each one with 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 1-1/2 hours — the garlic cloves will feel very soft when squeezed gently with tongs or your fingers. Cool to room temperature.
To extract the whole cloves of garlic from their skins, squeeze them between your fingers — the cloves are smooth and soft and will slip right out — then remove any of the papery skin that sticks to the cloves. Place the garlic cloves in a food processor with the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper then process until smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Alternately, force the garlic through a fine-meshed sieve, then beat in the softened butter. Keep garlic paste refrigerated in a tightly covered jar for up to 2 weeks.
Suggested Uses
Dip or Spread: Use on thick slices of rustic, hearty bread.
Topping: Brush on grilled, broiled or sauteed chicken, fish or meat; particularly good with veal and lamb.
Pasta: Toss with hot, just-cooked pasta and chopped fresh herbs, especially thyme and sage; also try with hot, cooked rice.
Soups: Enrich hot soups, especially gutsy ones like minestrone, bean soups and winter squash soups; also for lamb, veal and beef stews.
Per tablespoon of garlic butter paste: 94.44 calories, 0 g protein, 20 mg cholesterol, 7.3 g carbohydrate, 0 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 7.33 g total fat.