Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

If you’re using fresh garlic, pound each clove beneath a wide knife blade to remove the skin and lightly crush the cloves. If you’re using bulk/peeled garlic, just lightly crush the cloves and proceed. In either case, make sure to trim the cloves. The root end of the clove is tough and won’t generally “melt away” in your dishes like the rest of the clove will.

In an 8x8” baking pan, combine the garlic, olive oil and salt, making sure all of the garlic cloves are covered with oil. Roast for 45 minutes or so until the garlic is soft and lightly browned.

Remove the pan from the oven and add the lime juice, lime zest, freshly ground black pepper, peppercorns and the (optional) second teaspoon of sea salt. Carefully blend all the ingredients with a heat resistant spatula and return the pan to the oven. Roast for another 20 minutes. In the end, the mixture will be a rich, golden brown.

When it’s done roasting, lightly mash the garlic in the pan with a slotted spoon or fork. The garlic cloves will break down considerably in the roasting process, but they’ll still have a fair amount of texture. Chef Bayless uses the term “course puree” to describe the final consistency, so feel free to smash as much or as little as you wish.

Allow the mixture to cool before transferring it to a glass or ceramic container. Store your fabulously fragrant gourmet oil in the refrigerator to keep it fresh. The crushed garlic cloves will settle with time – just spoon or ladle desired amounts of oil and/or garlic into dishes when needed. As long as the garlic is covered in oil, the “mojo” will last for up to 3 months. Enjoy!