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[Modernist Cuisine] Garlic Confit


Anonymous Modernist 339

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Thanks for the tip but I used a trivet the first time I tried the recipe and then a much taller steamer rack the second time so that's not the problem. The heat issue might just be the culprit. I pressurized at a medium heat and then lowered it a little bit for the duration of the cook time. Going with the smell and taste I got, it being overcooked would definitely be a possibility.

Can I ask what your final product looked/smelled/tasted like? Did you have any of the mysterious reddish brown gel at the bottom of the jar?

Thanks again!

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  • 3 weeks later...

I am sorry to hear that others have had problems with this recipe. I have made this once using an electric PC from Kitchen-Aid.

I did mine with some fresh rosemary, dried thyme, and dried oregano. If i remember correctly I used Rozzano Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I filled the water to the level of the trivet which seemed to me to be less than an inch but I did not measure it.

I set the cooker to high pressure and set the timer for 2 hours and that was that. When it finished I used the pressure release valve for quick release. When I removed the jars the oil was bubbling and the garlic was dancing around a bit.

I did not find the smell to be overpowering at all. The flavor was incredible for a garlic lover such as I am.The oil was slightly darker and infused with the garlic, rosemary, thyme, and oregano flavors. The garlic cloves were unctuous with a smokey quality and they spread like warm butter when I put them on a toasted piece of bread.

I can't wait to make more. We went through the three jars I made in less than a week.

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I tried this for the first time today. I'd say it turned out perfect although I've never had garlic confit before. I followed the directions. It's awesome spread over sourdough bread with a light sprinkle of salt. I would describe the results exactly as kettlerm does.

The thing is that, unless something unusual happened, the temp inside the pressure cooker should not have gotten high enough to burn anything. That's the part I don't understand.

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@benjamin. I used MCAH. The recipes are essentially the same, except the AH version explicitly states that the jars should be placed on a trivet inside the PC. If one were to put the jars directly on the bottom, then, yes I guess, one could burn the oil and garlic. I don't think this is possible on a trivet under normal conditions. The AH version also mentions that the lids should be tightened, and then loosened by 1/4 turn to prevent the jar from exploding. I forgot if the MC says so.

Edit: I just checked 3-354, and it does not seem to mention the loosening step. Maybe that's it? But otherwise I see no significant differences. And I do bring mine up to pressure on high heat and then lower. Keep trying; it is really good.

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I've done this recipe several times now, with great success. several pointers....

use the trivet so the jar does not touch the bottom of the cooker.

fill with enough water to get at least half the jar under water but up to 3/4's worked fine for me.

do not put too much garlic/oil into the jar or some of that will come out into the water. it's best to have the jar 3/4 or less full.

as both books say, don't tighten the lids.

I had good results by turning off the heat after 2 hours and allowing it to cool slowly, by itself, rather than using the fast cooling method, which seems to release some oil from the jar sometimes.

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  • 5 weeks later...

I just tried the recipe with excellent results. It seems to me that to be successful there must be water in the PC when you are done. If there isn‚’t, the bottom will have gotten much hotter than intended. At this point it is no longer a PC, but rather a stove top Dutch oven. All temperature control is lost, overheating anything that is inside, especially anything in contact with the bottom. When I open my PC the factory trivet is still under water, and I start with the recommended 2.5 cm. I don‚’t think that more water hurts anything except that it requires more energy to heat before it starts boiling.

I am amazed at how little heat is required to keep my PC at pressure. I start on a fast burner to get it to a boil, and then move it to the smallest burner in my stove. I find I have to turn that burner down almost to its smallest flame. For the first 10 or 20 minutes I tend the pot and make small adjustments to the flame so the pressure stabilized where I want it. From then on, I check it once and a while until the two hours is over at which time I turn the gas off. I return 10 or 15 minutes later and open it up after making sure the plunger on my PC is fully down.

The lower the flame, the less water is converted to steam. It seems to me that as long as the PC is at pressure, any additional energy is lost boiling water which has to escape to keep the pressure where it needs to be. The two hours this recipe requires is long, so the water used to make the steam that is lost to the outside needs to be anticipated. I could see some PCs needing more than the recommended 2.5 cm if they are not turned down enough.

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Not all pressure cookers offgas. The one I use for garlic confit is a closed system. If steam is coming out, it has reached over 30 psi! It also maintains pressure quite well, because the steam recondenses at the top and drips back down from the top.

However, you are right, once things get going, the temperature usually can be reduced to a lower stability point.

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I made 2 jars on the weekend in my Fagor Duo. Turned out great, used the trivet (which is about 1.5" high) and filled the water to the top side of the trivet. Put it on 1 bar for 2 hours and they came out great - except one problem. After putting them in the fridge 1 jar stayed liquid with the oil remaining semi-translucent, however the other jar the oil clouded and solidified.

Has this happened to anyone yet? I was going to reheat the oil in a water bath (i don't want to scoop it out) to see if it clarifies and doesn't solidify in the fridge. You think it's still okay to eat?

As a side note, the garlic and oil is isanely delicious. Had some fresh baked bread with that oil and the pressure cooked pizza sauce.. oh my.. bliss.

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I have the 8 quart model. It fits about 3 of the smaller jars that the recipe calls for. Not sure how the 6 would work as the height of the 8 with the trivet and basket wouldn't allow anything taller in it. I would try to get the smaller jars (8oz) and 1/2 the recipe, or leave the recipe and split between 2 jars. I don't see why that wouldn't work. It's very easy to go through this stuff quickly as it is delicious.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I also had a dark layer at the bottom of the jar when the confit emerged from the PC. The garlic I tasted seems fine however.

I'd be interested in figuring out what causes the dark oil, though next time I will try bringing the pressure up more gradually.

Anyone who has experienced this problem changed something and end up with a better result?

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The dark oil seems to be caused by the quality of the oil. I have done this twice now, with four jars each time. The first time I burnt everything, not horribly, but just enough it sucked. The second time I did four different oils: two different olive oils, grapeseed oil, and canola oil. One of the olive oils is about 1/4 black at the bottom, one has a skim of black but not much, the grapeseed is okay on the garlic but 1/2 blackened (too hot for it), the canola oil is clear.

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  • 1 month later...
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  • 2 weeks later...

I had the same problem as the OP. I used a steamer basket as a trivet, and cooked at high pressure for two hours. The water touched maybe 1/4" of the bottom of the jar. My result was extremely bitter and inedible garlic. No other way to describe it other than burned. I'm going to cut the cooking time in half today and see what happens. My PC is a Fagor Rapid Express 10.5L.

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  • 3 weeks later...

So happy to hear how other people did. First recipe i made out of MCAH and the oil/garlic was black/burned/inedible. I think i learned 2 things 1) my cheap PC has a little weight they say 1 bar is the weight "gently rocking" . It seems clear it was actually at way to high a pressure/temp since if there is water left and it was 1 bar it can't be above 244F or near that if i recall the tables. Plus I suspect the choice of oil may matter . I'm going to try canola oil and a new pressure cooker. Love these forums.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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