Cooking with garlic?

Here are a couple of easy ways to tackle garlic and improve your cooking.

Garlic is one of the most universal ingredients used in cooking; it has a fantastic ability to add background flavour to almost any dish. However, some people find large bits unpleasant. Here are a couple of easy ways to tackle garlic and improve your cooking.

Garlic crush:

The easiest way to crush garlic is of course by using a garlic crush. Usually made up of two metal grips which are joined by a hinge, garlic crushes feature a chamber into which cloves are loaded and then squashed through a set of small holes. More expensive crushes may not even require the removal of the clove’s outer skin, and so this can be a good option for those who wish to avoid the smell of garlic on the hands.

Medium-large knife:

This traditional way of crushing is the fastest and least wasteful way to crush garlic. All it takes is a little confidence! 

1. Start by taking the clove and slicing through near the root, once the knife reaches the board, maintain contact with board and then lift the clove to peel away one side of the outer skin. 

2. Next, place the clove flat side down, rest the flat of the knife over top of the clove with the blade facing away. Hold by the handle with one hand and then with reasonable force bring the other hand down upon the flat of the blade, ensuring you keep away from the edge and tip of the knife. Use the heel of your palm for maximum comfort.

3. The garlic clove will now have split along the the natural lines of its fibres, simply chop across the other way to finish the process.

The key with this technique is not to hesitate, one or two hard whacks should be enough.

Check out our video guide which will take you through each step of how to prepare garlic: