Recipe

Creamy Oil-Roasted Garlic Dressing

by Sasha Marx

Roasted garlic is a great way to deliver rich garlic flavor with a more chilled-out vibe than the hard-core raw stuff. See, the vampire-killing pungent aroma of raw garlic is the result of a compound called allicin, which is produced when garlic’s cell walls are damaged and an enzyme called alliinase gets together with a compound called alliin. Don’t worry if that’s allalittleconfusing. The important thing is that we can temper the harsh bite of garlic by heating whole cloves to above 140 degrees F/60 degrees C, which deactivates the alliinase (no enzyme means no sharp garlic bite). If we heat the whole cloves to even higher temperatures, we get rich-tasting Maillard browning.

For this dressing, I use a hybrid roasting-confit method for whole garlic heads. Slow-roasting garlic brings out nutty sweetness. Submerging the garlic in oil while it roasts achieves better browning and results in a flavorful garlic-infused oil. I cook the garlic in a blend of vegetable oil and extra-virgin olive oil in an oven set to 375 degrees F/191 degrees C, much higher than a traditional low-and-slow confit (which usually calls for a 250-degree F/121-degree C oven). Once roasted, the cloves and oil quickly come together into a rich, creamy dressing boosted by white wine vinegar and a touch of tahini and miso for nuttiness and umami. The result is a delicious (and unintentionally vegan!) alternative to Caesar dressing that is great on salad greens, roasted broccoli, and grilled chicken or steak. Or just mop it up with bread. It’s alli-yum. Learn more about the science of cooking oils in our feature story, Striking Oil.

Photography by Steve Klise
Food Styling by Marie Piraino

Yield
1¾ cups (375 grams)
Ingredients
112 g extra-virgin olive oil
112 g vegetable oil
3 g kosher salt
1 g pepper
100 g garlic (2 heads), outer papery skins removed and top third of head cut off and discarded
90 g water
30 g white wine vinegar
20 g white miso
18 g tahini
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 heads garlic, outer papery skins removed and top third of head cut off and discarded
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon white miso
1 tablespoon tahini
Essential Equipment
Instructions
    • 112 g extra-virgin olive oil
    • 112 g vegetable oil
    • 3 g kosher salt
    • 1 g pepper
    • 100 g garlic (2 heads), outer papery skins removed and top third of head cut off and discarded
    Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees F/191 degrees C. Combine olive oil, vegetable oil, salt, and pepper in small saucepan. Place garlic heads, cut side down, in saucepan; cover and transfer to oven. Cook until cut side of garlic is deep golden brown and cloves are soft and easily pierced with paring knife, about 45 minutes.
    • 90 g water
    • 30 g white wine vinegar
    • 20 g white miso
    • 18 g tahini
    Using tongs, transfer garlic heads to plate and set aside until cool enough to handle; reserve oil in saucepan. Squeeze root end of each head until cloves slip out of their skins; discard skins. Transfer roasted garlic cloves to blender along with water, vinegar, miso, and tahini. Process on high speed until well combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of blender jar with rubber spatula. With blender running on low speed, slowly drizzle in reserved oil until dressing is emulsified and thickened, about 45 seconds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer dressing to airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. (Dressing can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
Instructions
    • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • ½ cup vegetable oil
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • 2 heads garlic, outer papery skins removed and top third of head cut off and discarded
    Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees F/191 degrees C. Combine olive oil, vegetable oil, salt, and pepper in small saucepan. Place garlic heads, cut side down, in saucepan; cover and transfer to oven. Cook until cut side of garlic is deep golden brown and cloves are soft and easily pierced with paring knife, about 45 minutes.
    • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
    • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon white miso
    • 1 tablespoon tahini
    Using tongs, transfer garlic heads to plate and set aside until cool enough to handle; reserve oil in saucepan. Squeeze root end of each head until cloves slip out of their skins; discard skins. Transfer roasted garlic cloves to blender along with water, vinegar, miso, and tahini. Process on high speed until well combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of blender jar with rubber spatula. With blender running on low speed, slowly drizzle in reserved oil until dressing is emulsified and thickened, about 45 seconds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer dressing to airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. (Dressing can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
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