Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Me? Smash and chop with the best French knife freshly sharpened...never on wood..always
Corian or granite.
But for salad dressing? I just grate it on the small end of the grater.
Mortar and pestle. If the recipe has salt and pepper, add that a little at a time to help grind the garlic. You can smash and grind it as much or as little as you like and have it chunky or a pure smooth paste. It depends what I'm doing with it. OTOH, there's nothing wrong with my paring knife skills and I can do a pretty fine dice. My H does the smash and chop and I have occasionally used a ceramic ginger grater. Can you tell I use garlic in just about every dish I possibly can?
The stuff in the jar is no where near fresh garlic in terms of flavor and while ok for something where you cook for awhile and need the background notes, not good in my opinion for where you want true garlic flavor. I would also wonder how much of the health benefit is lost too.
One is this little wheeled handheld chopper. YOu stick the clove of garlic in and then roll the chopper down your countertop. The blades inside spin and chop the garlic up pretty finely. Only issue is that it's hard to clean.
The other is simply a little grate that you press down over the garlic clove, and then scrape it off to get the minced garlic - probably the easiest thing in the world.
These are the two I use also. I like the wheeled chopper, just a couple of back & forth rolls on the counter, and voila! I clean it by sticking in the dishwasher, so cleanup is no problem.
I still use a press at times too, not sure why I use both.
You don't have to use a knife on garlic if you have some other way that works but since the knife is always at hand it may be worth trying again for you.
If you decide to try this again please keep the edge of the knife away from your hand when its flat. This man is an expert who was first apprenticed to restaurant kitchens at age 13. He has many videos of cooking techniques where he patiently shows exactly what to do without skipping any steps.
I LOVE garlic, but if I don't roast it, I want it minced very finely. You get more even (and more overall) flavor that way without getting the giant chunks that can be so overwhelming.
Anyone come across anything better that doesn't involve risking my fingertips with a knife?
Excuse me, but once you're committed to cooking, isn't that also a commitment to face the perils of wielding a knife?
I would use the paste that comes in a refrigerated tube, but it's so expensive!
Then take about five heads of garlic, plus or minus, and chop them in the food processor. Keep them in EVOO in the fridge, and they'll last a lot longer than the two or three days needed to consume that amount of garlic. (They should last a couple/few weeks at least, probably longer).
You can also do this with equal amounts of garlic and ginger. It is a staple in many Asian kitchens. (I'm not Asian)
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
