Many recipes require garlic available, which is why knowing how to find the highest quality garlic and cook it correctly can help make your kitchen experience more enjoyable. Here are ten expert garlic tips to help you accurately prepare your garlic from the store to the plate.
Do not buy “whiffy” garlic
Garlic heads that smelt like garlic may have been handled rough and are starting to degrade. Allicin, the chemical responsible for the garlic’s fragrant aroma, is made when the cloves are damaged. So if the garlic head smells like garlic, it’s probably damaged already. Look for sturdy, pristine heads of garlic with a slight scent and no apparent damage or swollen cloves (an indicator of aging).
Garlic that is beginning to create green sprouts is not new
Garlic that has been sprayed is safe to consume; however, it will be a bit more sour and sharp than a fresher, plumper head of garlic.
Only buy what you’ll need next month, and keep it in the dark, cool area, not right next to your stove.
Use friction to peel a lot of garlic cloves at a time
To peel off a head more garlic cloves in one go, smack the head of garlic till the cloves fall off and remove the papery outer skins and the root end. Place the cloves individually in a small mixing bowl, then cover it with a mixing bowl that is the same size, and then hold the bowls in place as you give them about 30 to 40 shakes. You can use the bartender trick to peel garlic to speed things up.
Both methods employ friction to remove the skins tight around the cloves. If you’re peeling a handful of cloves, it’s simpler to simply smash them using the flat of an apron or the top of a jar on the cutting board.
Chop garlic to make long-immersion sauces
To chop the garlic to make braises and sauces, roll a sharp knife over the garlic that has been peeled; hold the knife by placing the palm of your hand that is not holding the knife over the blade. The garlic should be around the diameter of peppercorns. It releases flavor gradually when it is softened during prolonged cooking. If a recipe calls for “finely chopped garlic,” chop it slightly more.
Use minced garlic to make salad dressings and raw sauces, and dips
Minced garlic provides a quick flavor boost but will also boil when cooked. Therefore, using it in fresh bandages, salsa, salad dressings, and Aioli is best.
To mince, start by cutting, and you’ll continue until garlic is cut into tiny pieces about the size of fine couscous.
Slice garlic to make stir-fried sauces or quick sauces
Cut the garlic for sauteed vegetables or pan sauces that are quick to cook and spices in thin slices in half crosswise. This will give the dishes a distinct flavor and a few sweet, soft garlic bites. Remove the hard part of the garlic that was fixed to the root in the head. The taste of raw garlic will intensify and become more intense with time. Therefore, cook it swiftly after you’ve chopped it.
Make garlic paste for a quick, intense flavor
Garlic paste is essentially minced garlic mashed using the knife’s edge until it’s a sticky, wet paste. A small amount of Salt from Kosher is an excellent addition to aid in breaking it down more quickly.
It’s perfect as Caesar salad dressing and garlic butter for spreading on bread and easy dips such as Tzatziki, in which garlic is the star ingredient.
Make garlic paste in a mini-processor and then freeze it
If you cook many dishes requiring a lot of minced or chopped garlic, you can prepare ahead by chopping garlic using a small food processor. Add a teaspoon of water when the garlic doesn’t move through the blades. The garlic you’ve prepared can be frozen flat in a freezer bag with a zip-top bag. You can keep it in the freezer for up to two months. (You could also store garlic in an Ice cube tray.) Take what you need for cooking when you’re ready. It makes your curry evening much simpler!
Rub garlic cloves in whole on the exterior of the crusty bread
Peel one large clove of garlic. Rub the entire clove on a crispy loaf of bread to lightly spice it. Slice the bread into slices and serve it; drizzle it with olive oil before grilling them for bruschetta, or bake them to make the crostini. For garlicky croutons, cut the bread, fry them in olive oil and butter, and sprinkle them with Salt and pepper.
Roast and steam entire garlic heads to make the perfect roast garlic
Roasted garlic can be difficult to peel. To alleviate this, you can steam or soak it. Bake garlic like you usually do. I like to cut off the top third of a head of garlic, place it root-side down in a baking dish, and drizzle it with some spoons of olive oil. Then cover with foil and bake at 350°F for an hour or until it easily squishes when squeezed. Remove the foil from the dish, put three tablespoons of the water into the container to cover it, and allow it to stand at room temperature for about 15 mins. The garlic will soften during the steaming heat, making it easier to pull from papery skins. Bonus: The liquid is now flavored with roast garlic and can be utilized in anything, including pasta sauces to eggs scrambled.
