Simple Fried Garlic    

I've discovered a quick way to get soft, creamy garlic cloves and a few crunchy ones while seasoning oil for future recipes.

A few weeks back I was exploring an old, French soup recipe.  One of the steps called for slowly cooking garlic cloves in duck fat.  I didn't have duck fat, but now I 'm curious to get my hands on some.  However, I did have chicken fat up in the freezer.  Yes, I render chicken fat from roasted whole chicken dinners.  It's absolutely the tastiest oil for quick frying vegetables or making a cream sauce when I'm out of chicken broth.  Don't knock it until you try it.

I need to say this next part out loud.  I would only consume rendered fat from a pasture-raised animal.  I buy pastured-raised chickens from a nearby farm, Windy Meadows Family Farm.  I quit buying commercially raised chickens about 2 years ago.  I've seen the way commercial chickens are kept, raised and fed; there's nothing natural about any of it.  I refuse to support those practices and expect better food for my family.  I, also, spent time comparing the quality of both products and found that without a doubt, pasture-raised poultry meats have more flavor, better color, and less fat.  Yes, a whole bird costs a heck of a lot more but it's worth every penny.  I've learned how to use every part of the bird and how to stretch one bird to different meals.  Just as our great-grandmothers would have done.

Now, back to these creamy garlic treats.  I've taken to smearing them over thick bread slices for garlic toast, mashing them in with mashed potatoes, and using them to top a Trisket with cream cheese.  Oh, and for adding to the French Garlic Soup.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1 garlic bulb, separated and peeled, cloves left whole
• 2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat

Heat the chicken fat over medium heat, add whole garlic cloves, cook slowly for up to 7 minutes, until tender.  Lower the heat if the garlic begins to brown too quickly.  Think Low and slow for tender creamy garlic.  The smaller cloves will undoubtedly become crispy.  Don't worry it; crunchy garlic is good, too.

SAVE the chicken fat for sure now!  It has a great garlic flavor; excellent for a cream sauce.  You can also use the garlicky chicken oil (that's sounds healthier) to brush over thick slices of bread before toasting them in the oven.  You may never want to use butter again.