Bread Dipping Oil With Seasoned Sweet Pot Roasted Garlic and Oli

What I miss most about growing up in Boston’s Italian North End is the availability of a large variety of hot artisan breads. Crusty breads were always served with freshly made olive oil based dipping sauces. Extra virgin olive oil would be mixed with any combination of salt, pepper grinds, minced garlic, grated parmigiana, crushed anchovies, aromatic herbs, red pepper flakes and drizzles of balsamic vinegar. My favorite is made with a version of Pete’s Garlic oil using Tuscany season and red pepper flakes. Garlic cloves are slowly simmered in olive oil with Tuscany seasoning (sun dried sage, rosemary, garlic and salt) and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Olive oil becomes garlic and herb infused while cloves tan and have the smooth texture and taste of oven roasted garlic. Several pot roasted garlic cloves are mashed and placed in individual bread dipping bowls. They are flooded with a garlic and spice infused olive oil. Plates are finished with a pinch of additional Tuscany seasoning.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 10 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 1  cup olive oil
• 10  large garlic cloves, with skin
• 1  teaspoon  tuscany  seasoning, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1  pinch red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Remove rough end of garlic cloves and slice each in half lengthwise. Do not remove skin. Place them in a narrow stainless steel butter melting pot. Add the rest of the ingredients.
2. Place on medium heat until the olive oil begins to lightly sizzle. Reduce heat to a low simmer. It will take several hours before garlic richly tans and becomes soft and sweet. You can hasten the process with slightly higher heat but be careful not to burn the garlic.
3. Remove the garlic skins from the pot when they are released from the cloves.
4. Place 2 or 3 garlic cloves in each dipping plate; mash them with a folk. Spoon a generous puddle of Pete's Garlic Oil to the individual bowls. Add more Tuscany seasoning to taste and pepper flakes for added heat. Serve warm.
5. Options, add a pinch of sun dried tomatoes, parmigiana cheese or mashed anchovies.