Shallot and Garlic Confit Toast

When life gives you lots of shallots and garlic, make this! To ‘confit’ something is to cook something low and slow in fat—which is exactly what we’re doing here. The result is garlic so achingly tender and creamy it’s spreadable, and shallots so supple and softly velvety you’ll swear you’ve gone to allium heaven. They can be used a myriad of ways—tossed with pasta, served alongside meat, poultry or fish, added to sandwiches or wraps, or as I’ve done here, on crunch bread with a generous swirl of ricotta for the perfect quick lunch or snack. You can see below that there aren’t a ton of measurements, this is a very forgiving recipe and a lot will depend on the size of your baking dish and your shallots, and how much ricotta you want on your toasts!

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Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

Toasted slices of country bread
Ricotta
Lemon zest
Flaky sea salt

Shallot and Garlic Confit
1-2 large heads of garlic
1 lb. of shallots
1 lemon, cut in half
2 bay leaves
4-5 sprigs of thyme
Olive oil

METHOD

Preheat oven to 325F.

Peel the shallots and trim the root end just a bit, ensuring that they still hold together. Halve lengthwise any larger shallots (again, cutting through the root end so they stay intact). Peel and trim the ends of the garlic cloves. Arrange in a baking dish along with lemons—use a baking dish where they’ll fit snugly. Add bay leaves and thyme sprigs, then fill with enough oil to just cover the shallots. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 2 hours until garlic and shallots are very soft and tender.

To make the toasts, spread 2-3 garlic cloves onto toast, then swirl ricotta atop. Top with shallots, finish with lemon zest and flaky sea salt and serve.

To store the confit, let cool slightly, then transfer to a jar, along with the oil. Confit can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or can be placed in the freezer for up to 3 months.