Fried Garlic Oil (Toi phi dau)

Toi phi dau, fried garlic oil, is especially complementary to seafood soups such as canh ca nau dua, pineapple and fish soup, and hu tieu do bien, noodle with seafood soup. Reminiscent of roasted garlic in flavor and aroma, it should be used sparingly, as a little will go a long way.

3-4 cup vegetable oil
8 peeled and minced large cloves of garlic

Heat vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add cloves of garlic and fry until light golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Allow to cool briefly and transfer the fried garlic and oil to a heat-resistant jar. Allow to cool completely before sealing with a lid. Fried garlic oil will keep about a week refrigerated.