Ina Garten’s Recipe: Slow-Cooked Garlic and Parmesan Transform the Standard Baguette

Ina Garten, the television host and cookbook author, published a recipe titled “Outrageous Garlic Bread” in her book “Modern Comfort Food.” The dish serves eight people and relies on a French baguette as its base. Garten describes the method as a departure from simple toasted bread, aiming for greater flavor complexity.

The preparation begins with 1.5 sticks of unsalted butter and one head of garlic. The garlic cloves are separated, peeled, and cooked in the melted butter over low heat. This step takes 20 minutes. The garlic must be very tender before it is mashed with a fork. The cook then stirs in one cup of freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, two tablespoons of minced fresh parsley, two teaspoons of grated lemon zest, and a quarter teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. Seasoning consists of 1.5 teaspoons of kosher salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper.

Garten notes that the garlic mixture can be prepared up to three days in advance. It can be stored in the refrigerator and warmed slightly in a microwave until spreadable. To finish the dish, the cook slices a 20 to 24-inch crusty French baguette in half lengthwise. The cut sides are scored diagonally to create serving-size pieces. The garlic mixture is spooned generously over the bread.

The four resulting baguette pieces are placed on a parchment-lined sheet pan. The oven is preheated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The bread bakes for five to seven minutes. The topping is done when it is bubbly and starting to brown. The bread should be crisp. After removal from the oven, the cook cuts along the scores and sprinkles the pieces with fleur de sel or sea salt.

Cathy Thomas, an award-winning food writer and author of three cookbooks, wrote the recipe column. Her work includes “Melissa’s 50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Readers can follow her online at CathyThomasCooks.com. The recipe emphasizes the use of fresh ingredients, specifically Italian Parmesan and fresh parsley, to build the flavor profile.

The method includes a technique for peeling garlic cloves. Each clove can be smashed lightly on a board with a chef’s knife. Alternatively, the cloves can be placed in a small pot of boiling water for 15 to 30 seconds. The peels then come off easily. This preparation step ensures the garlic is ready for the slow-cooking phase. The final product is served warm.