Confit comes from the French word confire which literally means “to preserve”. A confit is any type of food that is cooked at a low temperature in fat, oil or syrup over a long period of time as method of preservation. You are probably more familiar with meats for confit but actually what is more applicable for daily use in recipes are pantry staples such as garlic confit, onion confit, or tomato confit. These are fantastic substitutes when recipes call for these raw ingredients; a confit is ready to use and will enhance whatever your cooking.
3 each whole garlic head
2 cups neutral cooking oil (I love to use grapeseed oil)
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
12 each whole black peppercorns
Pre-heat oven to 250˚F and peel garlic.
Combine all ingredients and place in cast iron skillet.
Heat over medium-low heat until just below simmering. Place in oven for 45 minutes or until garlic slightly caramelizes.
Transfer all ingredients to a mason jar and store in refrigerator until use.