If you have a tiny amount of space in the oven when cooking, garlic is certainly something to slide in. It takes up virtually no space yet for something so small, it can pack an enormous punch and gives oomph to raw dishes.

For purists, yes this is roasted, but I always argue that if a dish has a small amount of something cooked in it, and it helps someone to eat more raw then that’s all for the good.   

Garlic, when roasted, becomes wonderfully sweet and forms a robust umami packed dressing for a hearty salad of green salad leaves or try this dressing drizzled over sliced tomatoes or as a marinade for Portobello mushrooms.

Yes, you have read the recipe correctly, it does say two whole bulbs of garlic. But it takes on a whole new flavour when roasted and it loses its pungency.    

It needs to cook for about 40-45 minutes at 200C Fan or 200C regular (425F), and a little longer if a lower temperature.  It’s the type of thing to slide in if you are roasting veggies to make the most of the available heat so you can roast this to make a dressing later in the week.   

INGREDIENTS

2 whole bulbs garlic
1 sprig rosemary
a couple of pinches fine sea salt

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and extra for drizzling
2 tablespoons apple balsamic vinegar/balsamic vinegar/sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

METHOD

Keep the bulbs intact but chop off the whole top of each bulb.

Lay an 7-inch square piece of tin foil on the counter and a slightly smaller piece of baking parchment on top to act as a liner. Put the topped bulbs in the centre of baking parchment and rub the bulb with olive oil and the sprig of rosemary to release the aromats. Add a pinch of salt.  Wrap the garlic in the foil and baking parchment to form a parcel. Slide it into the oven.

When it is baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool. When cool, squeeze the roasted garlic from each of the cloves – it should squeeze out like toothpaste coming out of a tube.

Put the roasted garlic in a bowl and whisk it with the olive oil, vinegar and chopped thyme to create the dressing. Season to taste.

Store in a sealed glass jar for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.