Name: Creamy Oil-Roasted Garlic Dressing
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 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

Why This Recipe Works

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 (get it?). 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, we 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. We 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.

Before You Begin

If you don’t have an oven-safe saucepan, you can substitute a loaf pan tightly covered with aluminum foil. White miso has a shorter fermentation time than red or brown miso, which gives it a sweet and mild flavor that doesn’t overpower the roasted garlic in this recipe.

Instructions

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.

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.)