1. Roast the head of garlic: I wrap it in foil but leave the top open, add some olive oil and sea salt to the foil package and roast on 200C for about 45 mins. Let it cool a bit.
2. Peel and chop the potatoes, heat in a saucepan over a medium heat in olive oil (or butter if you prefer) with a little salt for about 10 mins (don’t let them brown)
3. Squeeze out the contents of about 4 of the garlic cloves into the pan with the potato and stir through
4. Add the stock to the pan and bring to a simmer. Leave to simmer for about 25 mins or until the potatoes are starting to fall apart.
5. Blend the soup (in a blender or with a stick blender) until it’s as smooth as you like.
6. Add some milk to the mix (just a little if you like a thick soup, more if you prefer a thin soup)
7. Return the soup to the heat in the pan and heat through and season to taste
8. Serve with a few chopped chives sprinkled on the top.
For the garlic butter:
• Squeeze the contents of 2 roasted garlic cloves onto a plate with some butter that is at room temperature.
• Mash the garlic and butter together with a fork
• Return the butter to the fridge briefly to firm up
• Serve on chunks of the best Wooleys rolls or bread which could be warmed through or lightly toasted before serving if you like.
Elephant Garlic is closer related to the leek family than the garlic family so it is not as strong as normal garlic – you can be quite brave with the quantity of garlic that you add to the soup.
The quantities in this recipe are not an exact science – your soup may be thicker or thinner but it will still be delicious! If you like herbs you could add some thyme and/or rosemary to the soup when you add the garlic cloves, but I prefer to keep the ingredients very simple so that I can really taste the elephant garlic.
You can use any milk, but Arran milk is our preference as it is so creamy!