Ingredients
- 8 large garlic heads (elephant garlic, if possible)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 slices
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Torn or sliced baguette or sourdough bread, for serving
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Using a large sharp knife, cut the top ¼ inch of the garlic heads off to expose the cloves, leaving the whole heads intact.
- Place the garlic heads cut sides up, touching one another, in a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and top each with a slice of butter. Sprinkle the thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper on top.
- Cover the skillet tightly with foil to keep in the moisture. Transfer to the oven and roast until the garlic is very soft, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and carefully open the foil to avoid the steam. If using the Parmesan, sprinkle it over the garlic.
- Return to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the tops begin to brown, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. You can serve the heads of garlic in the skillet or transfer them to a warmed serving platter and pour any pan juices over them.
- Spread the warm garlic onto torn or sliced bread.
"Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering, Volume 2” by Joanna Gaines © William Morrow 2020. Provided courtesy of Joanna Gaines. All rights reserved.
