Cooking with John - Garlic Spread

John McCollum's Garlic Spread - if you love garlic, this is the spread for you!

Mashed Garlic Spread

This month we have a very simple recipe. A lot of us have eaten a lot of rich food and those who cook have done enough work in the kitchen to see us through to the end of the month, so no need for anything too involved.

• Roast a load of garlic cloves in their skins, I usually use at least three bulbs. I find about 30 mins at 180 C in a fan oven is a good time to work around but you can roast it more if you like, just don’t let the cloves get too crunchy. The longer you roast the garlic the sweeter and less astringent your spread will be, as well as having a darker yellow colour. I roast them in their skins because I find them easier to peel after they’ve been cooked, but if you prefer you can peel them before roasting.

• Peel and put through a garlic crusher

• Mix with a teaspoon of vinegar, a tablespoon of olive oil (both good quality) and salt and pepper to taste. You can play around with the quantities to get it right for your own palate.

• Spread on a nice thick piece of toast.

—John McCollum, December 2025