Garlic spread

Recipe sent by Mark Hamzy

Visit this link (link: garlic spread), he has beautiful picture of delicious garlic.

I copied the instructions but you HAVE TO see the pictures.

"I start with three heads of garlic (not cloves, but the whole plant :-). Now, the easiest way to roast garlic is to cut of the top parts of each clove, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil (EVOO for short), wrap it in aluminum foil, and bake it for 30 to 45 minutes. The problem is that you have to wait until the garlic is cool enough to squeeze and you have to deal with some of the paper skin when you are pushing out the now soft garlic. I use a different method. I seperate each clove from the head, cut off the root bit and peel off the skin. It may take a little longer to prepare but there are benefits. I get to inspect each clove for nasty spots and cut them off. I am assured of getting 100% of the garlic. And, I get to dump them into the food processor immediately. Once I have peeled each clove, I put them into a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle them with EVOO.

Then fold the sheet and crimp the ends. Next, poke many holes in the top to vent steam. You want to be able to fry the garlic in order to carmelize it but you also want so steam to help cook the garlic. Too much steam will result in water on the bottom which interferes with the frying. Place the pouch in the oven at 350 degrees Farenheit for 30 to 45 minutes. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the smell of roasting garlic.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on the cloves. I like a mix of pepper that has been corsely grated and that has been finely grated. Turn on the food processor and start to drizzle in the EVOO. You want the EVOO to emulisfy and dissapear into the mixture. This is the tricky part. Pour too much oil and it will seep out of the final product. Olive oil is not a good oil to create an emulsion with (and we arent using egg yolks to help either).

Next, pour in a mixture of Parmesan Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, and Asiago cheeses. I usually use the Kraft three cheese can, but since I went to Central Market, I bought the individual cheeses and shredded them myself.

Finally, scrape the spread and put it into a jar. I use a small ramekin. I store it by covering it with a small bit of plastic wrap and use a old newspaper rubber band to seal it to the jar.

Oh yeah, I made corn bread to go with it!"