I have never really cooked before. I am making a chicken and broccoli dish with garlic..How do you cut/cook garlic? The recipe calls for one clove. I just cut the galicin half peeled and then cut about 1/2 of the whole thing and tossed it in the pan...Is that wrong? ..
Garlic..Help!
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TheMetalChef
Senior Cook
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2009
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- 252
Bad idea.
You need to chop it up into small pieces so it can permeate the dish.
As it sits now, someone at the table is going to get a big old bite of garlic. While some folk (like me, for example) love that, most won't.
You need to chop it up into small pieces so it can permeate the dish.
As it sits now, someone at the table is going to get a big old bite of garlic. While some folk (like me, for example) love that, most won't.
garlic comes in a bulb, break it apart into cloves. the easiest way to peel a clove is to mash it once under the flat of a knife and take off the skin. then chop finely or use a garlic press or slice thinly.
If your garlic has been cooking awhile and is soft,you can take a fork and mash it so it will incorporate into the sauce it will be fine.If it is still firm put it on the cutting board and mash it with the back of a chef's knife the put it back into your sauce.
kadesma
larry_stewart
Master Chef
Just watch out. If u are frying the garlic first in oil before u add the other ingredients, you dont want the garlic to fry for too long, or else it gets bitter. Just toss it in the oil until it starts to change color, then add what ever else the recipe calls for. The garlic will go from a white to yellowish to light brown to dark brown to kinda black. Me personally, i wouldnt let it get an darker than the light brown, and even that is pushing it a little, because it changes so quickly.
apple*tart
Senior Cook
Once you get the hang of using fresh garlic, you'll never want to go back! I usually press my garlic using a garlic press. I tend to put cloves of garlic in already peeled, but you can put them in with the skin still on and the press separates the skin from the clove. Viva la fresh garlic! 
BH51
Cook
I love garlic...I grow them organically.........I garlic is made of many pods,
called cloves...useing your thumb, break off a clove or cloves as needed
trim the ends off and crush it with the knife handle or a hammer if ya
want and the skin will separate easily...discard the skin..then add the
crushed pulp & bits into you dish...careful not to cut yourself..luck..BH51..
called cloves...useing your thumb, break off a clove or cloves as needed
trim the ends off and crush it with the knife handle or a hammer if ya
want and the skin will separate easily...discard the skin..then add the
crushed pulp & bits into you dish...careful not to cut yourself..luck..BH51..
sparrowgrass
Head Chef
Are you sure you know the difference between a clove and a bulb of garlic? A clove is obtained by breaking the bulb up. A single clove is about the size of one of your finger joints, the bulb is about the size of half a tennis ball.
Sorry if I am underestimating your abilities. I once had a boyfriend who asked me how much garlic to put on a pizza, and I said a clove or two. Came home to find that he had chopped a whole bulb up (skin and all!) and sprinkled it over the 'za.
Sorry if I am underestimating your abilities. I once had a boyfriend who asked me how much garlic to put on a pizza, and I said a clove or two. Came home to find that he had chopped a whole bulb up (skin and all!) and sprinkled it over the 'za.
Mark Webster
Senior Cook
Always make sure that garlic is minced pretty finely if it has not been roasted. Most of the time your guests may not like biting into a whole clove.
Take the clove off the bulb, smash it to remove the skin and then mince it.
I am a big fan of garlic in many dishes.
Take the clove off the bulb, smash it to remove the skin and then mince it.
I am a big fan of garlic in many dishes.
apple*tart
Senior Cook
For easiest peeling, I use one of these: Shop Garlic Peeler at CHEFS.
Works like a charm!
PS - To illustrate a previous poster's explanation, above the peeler is a head of garlic, below the peeler are cloves of garlic.
Works like a charm!
PS - To illustrate a previous poster's explanation, above the peeler is a head of garlic, below the peeler are cloves of garlic.
freefallin1309
Senior Cook
I'm a garlic-holic, but large chunks of garlic can sometimes turn even me off Traditionally when used in something, it's diced to small 1/16" (or smaller if you can without turning it into mush) or so squares.
Sometimes on a homemade pizza, I will slice them very thinly (thin enough to almost read through) length wise and put on the pizza, making sure each slice gets 1 or 2 slices, but this is very strong.
I don't know of any garlic related ailments from eating too much though, but that's not to say they don't exist. Garlic is actually beneficial to your cardiovascular system, so much so they make tablets such as Garlique for heart health ... but your breath tends to be quite horrendous
Traditionally when used in something, it's diced to small 1/16" (or smaller if you can without turning it into mush) or so squares.Sometimes on a homemade pizza, I will slice them very thinly (thin enough to almost read through) length wise and put on the pizza, making sure each slice gets 1 or 2 slices, but this is very strong.
I don't know of any garlic related ailments from eating too much though, but that's not to say they don't exist. Garlic is actually beneficial to your cardiovascular system, so much so they make tablets such as Garlique for heart health ... but your breath tends to be quite horrendous
A garlic press is a total waste of time. To cut the garlic, it's best to first simply cut off the ends with a knife, then "squash out" the garlic from its peel with something broad, like a wide knife.
freefallin1309
Senior Cook
Only if you're doing one or two cloves, and you still have to dice it. Otherwise you get one mass of mashed garlic and not pieces. If you are doing more than 1 or 2 cloves, the press is faster, peel-->insert-->squish ... all done, can do 2-3 cloves at a time that way, much faster.
apple*tart
Senior Cook
I'm surprised to hear this opinion. I think a press is quicker than mincing. I also like the texture better - it's easier to get it thoroughly mixed in. You also retain any juices that you may otherwise leave on the cutting board. Also less contact with your hands so you don't have to get the garlic smell off later on.
Antiguadreams
Cook
garlic is an aromatic like onion. You want to chop it finely, press it finely, or mash it completely so that the oil can permeate it and release all the flavors for incorporation into the rest of the ingredients. I use the flat blade of my cooks knife like so many others to release the clove from the skin, then mince the mashed meat after picking out the skin.
A press works easiest after you do the knife technique, but makes an extra washable, so I just use my knife to mince since I'm using it for other ingredients anyway.
Especially lately when I bought a three pack of mega elephant garlics, almost vidalia onion sized. for their huge size, the flavor is still visibly garlicky, not watered down. still I was able to add a considerable amount more for body into my salsa without overpowering the flavor...it just was a humorous experinece me trying to blade mash a clove of garlic three inches long by one and a half thick.
also in my humble opinion, a garlic press is wasted only because its an extra washable to clean. It makes life a few seconds quicker, but I still like to prep all my veggies by hand with my quality sanktou or cooks blades.
A press works easiest after you do the knife technique, but makes an extra washable, so I just use my knife to mince since I'm using it for other ingredients anyway.
Especially lately when I bought a three pack of mega elephant garlics, almost vidalia onion sized. for their huge size, the flavor is still visibly garlicky, not watered down. still I was able to add a considerable amount more for body into my salsa without overpowering the flavor...it just was a humorous experinece me trying to blade mash a clove of garlic three inches long by one and a half thick.
also in my humble opinion, a garlic press is wasted only because its an extra washable to clean. It makes life a few seconds quicker, but I still like to prep all my veggies by hand with my quality sanktou or cooks blades.
RPCookin
Executive Chef
You don't have to totally mash the clove to peel it... just enough to split and loosen the dry skin. The clove itself can still be nearly whole, usable for either slicing or chopping.
It takes me less time to finely chop 3 or 4 cloves with a knife than it does just to clean the press after squeezing. I also prefer that I get more control over the size of the chop. The press is only good for crushed garlic, in my opinion.
larry_stewart
Master Chef
My friend from Brazil says that they refer to a clove of garlic as a " Tooth" of garlic.
A little off topic, but a fun and interesting fact.
larry
apple*tart
Senior Cook
Good design to the rescue! The garlic press I use (which is the one I linked to earlier) can flip back round on itself and use these little black teeth to push out whatever remains of the clove are left. After that it gets a quick rinse and I throw it in the dishwasher. Fast & easy. It's been several years but I remember my previous garlic press taking longer to clean.
