They are the secret weapon in the kitchen: flavoured oils add a new dimension of flavour to vegetables, grilled meat, poultry and fish.

Ingredients

1 litre extra virgin olive oil 12 - 15 whole garlic bulbs

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180° C. Cut off the top quarter of the garlic bulbs crosswise and place them in a heavy cast iron pan or roasting tin. Add the olive oil. The garlic bulbs should be just covered with olive oil. Cover with aluminium foil. Place the cast iron pan or roasting tin in the oven and roast for about 45 minutes until the cut surfaces of the garlic are caramelised brown (be careful not to let them blacken!). Remove and leave to cool. Strain the oil into a large preserving jar. Squeeze the garlic out of the skin into the jar and use as a puree as desired, for example over roasted vegetables. The oil will keep fresh for several months in the fridge.