With Shallot & Garlic Confit
Courtesy of Avery Ruzicka & Photography by Coline LeConte
This is one of those dishes that’s all about texture and generosity—golden confit garlic you can smash into toast, earthy maitake that crisp up at the edges and thick-cut Manresa Bread levain that drinks in all the flavor. A glass of white wine while you cook wouldn’t hurt either.
Ingredients
For the confit
- 1/2 cup pealed garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup cup shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs thyme or rosemary (optional, but worth it)
- 2 cups extra virgin olive oil (enough to cover)
- pinch of sea salt
For the mushrooms
- 1 large maitake mushroom (about 8 ounces),cleaned and torn into 1- to 2-inch fronds
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp dry white wine or vegetable stock
- sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper
For the toast
- 4 thick slices Manresa Bread levain
- A few spoonfuls of the confit oil
To finish
- flaky salt
- chopped chives or flat-leaf parsley
- Optional: squeeze of lemon, drizzle of confit oil or a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Slow-cook your alliums.Heat the oven to 250°F (120°C).Tumble the garlic, shallots and herbs into a small ovenproof dish. Pour over olive oil until everything’s submerged.Slide into the oven for 11⁄2 to 2 hours—you want the garlic soft enough to spread and the shallots melting and golden.Let it cool. Keep it all (oil included) in a jar—it’ll last up to two weeks in the fridge. The oil is liquid gold.
- Get those mushrooms singing.Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the torn maitake in a single layer—don’t crowd the pieces; you want crisp edges, not steamed sadness.Leave them alone for a few minutes until they start to brown, then toss.Deglaze with the wine or stock, scraping up the tasty bits from the bottom. Let it reduce until almost dry.Season boldly—salt, pepper, maybe a cheeky drop of soy if you want more umami.
- Toast like you mean it.Brush both sides of the levain with the confit oil. Toast in a hot skillet or under a broiler until the outside is crisp and golden but the center still has chew.You want a deep, even toast—the kind that crunches, then gives way.
- Build the toast.While the bread’s still warm, take a few of those soft confit cloves and shallots and smash them straight onto the surface. Don’t be shy—you’re making the best spread you’ve ever had.Pile on the hot maitake, spooning over any buttery juices from the pan.Finish with flaky salt, a crack of black pepper, a scatter of herbs and a drizzle of that confit oil.
- Eat immediately.Ideally standing up, over the counter, with a napkin and a grin. That’s food you actually want to eat.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
