Baked Garlic Purée*

15 heads garlic
2 tsp olive oil

Peel the outside papery skin off the heads, but do not separate the head into cloves or peel the individual cloves. Create 3 or 4 packets of garlic by wrapping 4 or 5 heads together in aluminum foil. Bake the garlic in a 325° oven until the cloves are soft, about 1 hour. Extract the purée from the cloves with a food mill or by pushing the cloves through a strainer with the back of a ladle.

To store the purée in the refrigerator, smooth the top with the back of a spoon and dribble olive oil over it. Cover with plastic wrap or seal in Mason jars. The purée darkens when exposed to air. Makes about 1 C.

Suggestion:

• Spread the purée on roast chicken, game birds, grilled shrimp, or steamed vegetables.