How do I properly mince garlic?

I often need to mince garlic to add to any number of dishes. If I don't want to use a garlic press or microplane, how do I mince it with a knife? What type of knife should I use and how should I cut it? I'm most interested in the techniques associated with efficiency and safety.

Best Answer

You can try to treat it as a really, really small dice if you have a sharp enough knife.

But it's easier to use a chefs knife to cut it in one direction, and then try to start cutting it into sticks .... but when it starts getting difficult, just rock your knife back and forth, slowly moving it through the pile.

After a while, turn your knife (or the board) 90 degrees, and rock it some more. As the pile starts spreading out, use your knife to pull it back into a tighter pile ... and keep rocking and turning until it's down to the size you want it.

...

If you're going to be using it right away, you can also give it a quick crush before mincing -- but this damages cell walls differently than cutting, and can cause some chemical reactions that change the flavor (the intensity fades quicker).

Pictures about "How do I properly mince garlic?"

How do I properly mince garlic? - Minced Meat in Ceramic Bowl

How do I properly mince garlic? - Minced Meat in a Ceramic Bowl

How do I properly mince garlic? - White and Green Round Fruits on Green Textile

Quick Answer about "How do I properly mince garlic?"

First, crush a clove of garlic. Then, give it a rough chop. Next, hold your knife and lay the other hand flat across the tip. Use a rocking motion to chop the garlic until finely minced.

What is the best way to mince garlic?

INSTRUCTIONS

Trim off root end of each clove, then crush each clove gently between the flat side of chef's knife and cutting board to loosen papery skin. ...

Run knife over garlic repeatedly to mince it rocking the blade back and forth across the ppile of garlic.

How do you mince garlic for beginners?

To mince peeled garlic, lay the flat side of a knife over the clove and smash it. Roughly chop the clove then move your free hand flat across the tip of the knife and use a rocking motion to chop the garlic until it's finely minced.

How do you do mincing?

The short answer: There is no significant difference between mincing and pressing fresh garlic cloves.

Cooking School: How To Mince Garlic... Fast

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