Is There An Alternative To Roasting Garlic For The Cauliflower Soup?

Our answer

Nigella's Cauliflower, Garlic And Turmeric Soup flavours cauliflower with turmeric and sweet roasted garlic to make a bolstering and satisfying dish. The whole head of garlic is roasted in a foil package in the oven. When cooked this way the cloves of garlic transform into sweet caramelized nuggets.

If you don't have an oven you can cook the garlic in a saucepan or frying pan, though it will not be quite the same as roasting them. You must keep a very close eye on the garlic at all times as it burns easily, quickly turning from sweet to bitter. We would suggest breaking the head of garlic into individual cloves and removing the papery skins on the cloves. Put the cloves in a medium-sized saucepan or frying pan that is big enough to hold the cloves of garlic in one layer without crowding them. Add about 6 tablespoons of olive oil (enough to come about halfway up the sides of the cloves of garlic) and put the pan over a medium heat. Cook until the oil is just starting to sizzle, then turn the heat down to low and cook until the garlic starts to turn golden, watching all the time and using tongs to carefully turn the cloves over during cooking so that they cook evenly. The time it takes will vary depending on pan and heat but is likely to be 20-30 minutes. Once the cloves are golden, transfer to a plate and let them cool completely before using. The oil can be refrigerated and used for salad dressings or for cooking.