How to Prepare Garlic

You've seen the TV chefs do it: they peel a clove of garlic in seconds with just one slap of their hand. The Cooking Coach explains how

To peel: Take a whole, unpeeled clove of garlic and lay it on a cutting board. Take a broad-bladed knife or cleaver, lay it sideways on the clove and pound it once with your fist. The skin will easily pull away. Continue chopping or crushing as needed.

To crush: Garlic gives out more or less of its flavour depending on what you do to it. Crushing it releases most of its ‘garlicky effect’, chopping it slightly less; slicing it less still, and leaving it whole the least of all.

You can use a garlic press to crush the cloves, although some chefs feel that the chemical reaction between the garlic and the metal press produces a bitter taste. To avoid this, either crush the clove on a chopping board beneath the blade of a large knife, or pulverise it with a pestle and mortar.

Cook’s tip: Don't forget that garlic burns easily, producing a very bitter flavour that taints every other ingredient. Always cook it gently.