Separate the cloves of garlic, removing any that are either much larger or much smaller than the rest and reserving them for another use. Remove the thick outer skin and the papery husk from each clove but leave the tight-fitting covering intact. Place the cloves in a deep saucepan.
Add the thyme, rosemary, peppercorns, and salt to the garlic in the pan. Add just enough oil to barely cover the garlic cloves and place the pan over very low heat. The oil should gently tremble at just under a simmer and certainly not boil. Leave the garlic to cook like this for 45 minutes to an hour, until the cloves are uniformly tender. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.
Transfer the contents of the pan—the garlic cloves, the aromatics, and the oil—to a clean jar. Screw on the lid and keep it tightly closed in the refrigerator. Take out the cloves with a small spoon as you need them, and close the lid tightly. The garlic confit will keep in the refrigerator for up to several weeks.
Russ:
Use in vinaigrettes, mashed potatoes, sandwiches, tossed with cooked vegetables
