Deeply mellow garlic with a hint of nutty caramelization around the edges and smoothed out with the richness of a tad of cream. Oh yeah... I'm talkin' about creamy Roasted Garlic Sauce!
Drizzle it over your sheet pan lemon chicken dinner like above or use it as a dip for French Fries, steamed veggies, roasted asparagus, steaks, hamburgers, sous vide pork chops, or whatever your heart desires.
How to make Roasted garlic cream sauce
I highly recommend roasting several heads of garlic. You'll only need 1 head for this sauce, but it's so good all on its own. Just slather it on a hunk of Italian or French bread with a pinch of kosher or Maldon salt... pure bliss!
Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic, cut cross-wise
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 bay leaf
- ยฝ onion
- ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt
- ยผ teaspoon white pepper or fresh ground black pepper
- ยผ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350F/175C
- Leave the garlic head intact as much as possible and rub the olive oil over the cut surfaces.
- Wrap loosely in tin foil but tightly seal the opening to prevent moisture from escaping.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the garlic is soft, pops out of its paper, and spreads like soft butter.
- While the garlic is roasting, make the bechamel sauce by melting butter in a saucepan.
- After the butter has melted, sprinkle flour over it and let it cook off the paste flavor for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.
- Pour in the milk and bring it to a boil to thicken the sauce, whisking constantly.
- As soon as it boils, immediately lower the heat to a simmer.
- Add the bay leaf, onion, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Simmer for 5 minutes then turn the heat off.
- Take the roasted garlic cloves out of its paper. Mash them into a paste and whisk it into the sauce.
- Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes. If it's too thick, add a little milk until you reach your desired consistency.
The sauce should be thick but easily pourable. If you want to make it a wee bit richer, stir in 2 tablespoons heavy cream at the very end. And if you love sauces as much as I do, be sure to check out Lakeside Table Sauce Cookbook for even more ways to elevate your meals with rich, flavorful creations!
Why roasted garlic?
Roasting garlic kills that overpowering pungency that strikes terror and revulsion in the hearts of vampires and first dinner dates. It mellows it out and makes eating several heads quite delectable.
How to roast garlic
Before you pop your garlic into the oven, cut it horizontally (or cross-wise). Then add a little olive oil to add a little moisture. Then you can roast garlic in one of those cute terracotta garlic roasting pots.
Or you can wrap the heads together or individually in tin foil. Bake them in a 375F/175C preheated oven for 45 minutes. Then check to make sure they are golden brown, the pods pop out of their paper, and spread like smooth jazz on a summer night.
If you're roasting one, you might as well roast several. If you don't eat them right away, they keep for at least a week in the fridge. They freeze well too in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
Try Roasted garlic cream sauce on...
This creamy sauce makes a wonderful pasta sauce and it's amazing on the dishes below. ๐๐ผ
Roasted Garlic Sauce
Deeply mellow garlic with a hint of nutty caramelization around the edges and smoothed out with the richness of a tad of cream. Oh yeah... I'm talkin' about creamy Roasted Garlic Sauce!
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 tablespons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 bay leaf
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยผ teaspoon white or black pepper
- ยผ teaspoon nutmeg
- ยฝ onion
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350F/175C.
-
Cut garlic cross-wise and wrap loosely in tin foil but seal tightly.
-
Bake for 45 minutes or until garlic cloves are soft and mushy.
While garlic is roasting, make bechamel sauce.
-
In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter.
-
After butter has melted, sprinkle flour over and let cook for 2 minutes.
-
Pour in the milk and whisk constantly as it comes up to a boil.
-
Immediately lower heat to a simmer after it starts to boil.
-
Add bay leaf, salt, pepper, onion, and nutmeg. Simmer for 5 minutes then turn off heat.
-
When garlic is done, remove cloves from paper and mash into a paste.
-
Stir the roasted garlic paste into the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
-
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen says
When I roast / grill garlic, I usually throw few heads because one is never enough - it disappears so fast in our house! ๐ Beautiful sauce that will go perfectly with so many tasty things!
Madalaine says
That's awesome, Ben! Thank you so much! ๐ฅฐ