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Outrageous Garlic Bread

Source of Recipe

From "Modern Comfort Food" by Ina Garten


Recipe Introduction

"Garlic bread from the 1960s was usually soft, doughy Italian bread dripping with garlic butter. I've taken a fresh look at it and made the ultimate garlic bread by slathering a crusty baguette with lots of slow-cooked garlic, Parmesan, parsley, and lemon zest and baking it until it's beautifully browned on top. It's so good!"

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
â—¦ 1 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese
â—¦ 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
â—¦ 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 (20 to 24-inch-long) crusty French baguette
â—¦ Fleur de sel or sea salt


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. (Make sure your oven is clean or it will smoke!)

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic, stir to coat with the butter, and cook, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is very tender. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside until cool enough to handle. Mash the garlic in the butter with a fork. Stir in the Parmesan, parsley, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.

Slice the baguette in half lengthwise and place both halves, cut sides up, on a cutting board. Score each half diagonally (don't cut all the way through) in large serving-size pieces. Spoon all of the garlic mixture generously on the cut sides of the bread. Cut each half of the baguette in half crosswise along a score and place the 4 pieces on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the topping is bubbly and starting to brown and the bread is crisp. Transfer to a board, cut in serving pieces along the scores, sprinkle with fleur de sel, and serve warm.

Serves 8