lauren's garlic confit

4 heads garlic, divided & peeled
2 cups olive oil
freshly ground pepper
salt
red pepper flakes
4 sprigs fresh rosemary and/or sage, thyme, a bay leaf or two

Place garlic cloves in a 2-quart dutch oven or a loaf pan or whatever you have that is about the right size to hold the garlic and the olive oil. Add 2 cups olive oil, black and hot pepper and salt to taste. Add herbs. Bake garlic in oven at 325 degrees for about an hour, until golden brown and bubbling.

Let cool and store for up to a week, using as desired. Makes a delicious dip for bread or a welcome addition to a tomato tuna caper pasta sauce or in lieu of olive oil in almost any recipe, or, as friend Lauren from whom I stole this idea proclaimed, "I just eat it like candy!"