Herby Olive Oil Dip with Crusty Bread
If you're hosting and feel like giving the cheese board a little break (no shade to cheese boards — love them, truly), this recipe is a great way to mix things up.
Since moving to Melbourne, I’ve been a little obsessed with two things:
Living a short walk away from a farmers market, and
The fact that fresh herbs and produce are not only amazing but also way more affordable than what we were paying in Auckland.
With that in mind, I’ve fully fallen for dill. What a herb. It’s got this creamy, lush flavour — maybe I’m just late to the party, or maybe I’m in my dill honeymoon phase, but I’m loving it. It’s made its way into nearly every savoury dish lately, and I highly recommend you include it in this one if you can.
This recipe also stars a whole roasted garlic bulb. Roasting garlic completely transforms it — you still get all the flavour, but it’s mellow, rich, and a little sweet. I usually roast a few bulbs at once and keep them in the fridge to throw into meals during the week. Total game changer.
And let’s not forget the bread. Got some crusty bread sitting around? Perfect. Drizzle it with olive oil, add some flaky sea salt, toast it up, and you’ve got something golden.
Herby Olive Oil Dip with Crusty Bread
serves: 8
time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 bulb of garlic
1/3 cup light olive oil
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Granan Padano cheese, grated finely with a zester (or alternatively parmesan) - you can add more to taste!
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped finely
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped finely
1 tsp honey, or to taste
a generous pinch of sea salt flakes (if using table salt, salt to taste)
optional: chilli flakes
1 sourdough baguette
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180 degree C, fan bake.
Drizzle a small dot of olive oil on an oven tray (this is where you will place your garlic bulb). Cut the top of the garlic bulb off, as least as possible, you just want to reveal the raw top of the garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Place the raw, cut side of the garlic down onto the tray. Roast for 20-25 minutes until it is golden when you lift it up. Keep roasting until it’s caramelised. Once roasted, remove from tray and set aside for later. Leave the oven on to toast your bread.
While the garlic is cooling down, prep the rest of your ingredients.
Slice baguette on an angle at about 1cm thick slices. Place on the same oven tray as before and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and turn over and drizzle and salt the other side. Bake for 10-15 minutes, check on the bread regularly to make sure they aren’t burning. Toast until slightly golden, flip them over to ensure they are toasty on the other side too. Remove from the oven and set side aside for later. They should be super crusty!
Finely chop the herbs - dill and parsley.
In a medium to large flat bowl, add in the chopped herbs, cheese, salt, pepper, honey, chilli flakes (if using).
Once the roast garlic has cooled down, squeeze with hands to release the soft and caramelised garlic cloves into the bowl.
Pour over olive oils. Use a fork to mix and mash up the soft garlic cloves, leaving some larger garlic bits.
Add more olive oil if needed.
I also think a zest of lemon would be super lovely in this recipe too.
Serve with the crusty baguette pieces on the side.
Enjoy!
