How to Slice Garlic

Crushing or Mincing Garlic releases more essential oils than just slicing the Garlic. The more oil released, the stronger the flavor. Cooked Garlic has a much softer and sweeter flavor than raw Garlic, which can have a bit of a bite if too much is used.

Step1
Step 1: Peel the Garlic cloves. (See Here)

Step2

 Step 2: Trim off the end of the Garlic clove, being careful to cut off as little as possible using the tip of a Paring Knife. (These green shoots often have a bitter, unpleasant flavor.) 

Step 3:  Cut the Garlic cloves base lengthwise, one or two slices, this will give some stability to the Garlic Clove  if necessary.  

Step4 (Coming Soon)

Step 4: You can Use a chef’s or a paring knife, with the Claw Method. (See Here)

 Put the peeled clove on its flattest, most stable side, and slice away.

We usually start slicing our Garlic from the root end, working our way toward the tip, but this is really a matter of personal preference. When you've sliced about Three quater through the clove (or Near the end), it's a good idea to roll the clove over to the flat side for a more secure grip as well as stability, and then finish it off.  

Step5

 Step 5: As you slice, hold the Garlic clove carefully with your fingers, to keep it from moving around.

Take your time and cut slices as thick or thin as you want them to be. 

Tips:

1. If slicing multiple Garlic cloves, peel them all (and remove all the green shoots as per above) before you start slicing.

2. You can use a Garlic Mandolin or any Mandolin, or even a Grater Type Ribbon (either Medium or Large) if your knife skills aren't that great.

 Some People even uses Razor Blade (as seen in the movie Goodfellas), I will not argue on any methods that’s not the purpose of this blog.

3. If you usually crush the clove keep in mind that it's difficult to slice afterwards, so resist the temptation to smash here.  

Personal NOTE:

There is other method for Slicing Garlic, i do not mentioned them in this post as they damage Garlic Clove hence defeat the purpose of Slicing it, better Chopping or Crushing it then.

The question today is: Why would I troubles Myself slicing the Garlic?

How to Chop Garlic

Chopping Garlic should be a quick process to ensure it doesn't oxidize and take on bitter flavors. The quicker you chop, the more likely you'll be to avoid the strong smell of Garlic that fingers and cutting boards often take on after Garlic has been chopped

You could chop all the Garlic and store it in a sealed container with olive oil. This way it is always ready for any recipe immediately. Also, the infused oil can be brushed on your bread for amazing Garlic Bread. This method is simple, quicker, and developed to work well with all sizes of Garlic Cloves, the down side to it, is simply the quantity You could do at a time.

 

 

• Once you have a peeled Garlic Clove, (Please see Here) cut it into two lengthwise, then remove, discard any green shoots. (These green shoots often have a bitter, unpleasant flavor).

 

 

• Place an individual Garlic Clove with the flattest side down on the cutting board. hold Your Chef knife Upside down as shown above.

 

 

• With Your blade slightly inclined just slice into the clove while holding it firmly with your other hand.

 

 

• Holding firmly with your other hand will help with big clove as they may split. (See Here under The Claw)

 

 

• Continue to finish the mincing, (Please see Here).
Put the knife on the side of the Garlic furthest from yourself. Position the top of the blade so that it sits under your hand with the blade lining up to the middle of your fingers. Keep your hand firm and steady; your thumb should be out and away from the blade. With quick chopping movements, raise the handle of the blade up, and then down into the Garlic.

 

 

• Repeat this step over and over again; chopping different areas of the Garlic, until the Garlic has reached a size you are happy with.

 

A little Garlic makes everything better!

 

Personal NOTE:

 

There is other way to chop the garlic, that i did not mentioned in this post as they either damage Garlic Clove or are to time consuming to my liking.

 

The question today is: Do I need a Food Processor?

 

Sharpening Steel:

Depending on the amount and type of use, I recommend having your blades professionally sharpened every 12 – 18 months.  Mostly in US & Europe local kitchen supply stores offer this services to restore the original edge with a nice shiny finish.  Of course, you can always invest in an electronic sharpener to keep at home.

 Honing steel, sometimes referred to as sharpening steel, sharpening stick, sharpening rod, butcher's steel, and chef's steel. It is a rod of steel, ceramic or diamond coated steel used to hone blade edges. They are flat, oval, or round in cross-section and up to one foot long (30 cm). The steel and ceramic honing steels may have longitudinal ridges, whereas the diamond coated steels are smooth but will be embedded with abrasive diamond particles

 The naming is often a misnomer, because the traditional "honing steel" is not a hone at all, i.e. its function is to displace (and not to remove metal along the edge as Sharpening does).

 The term "hone" is associated with light maintenance performed on a blade without the effort and precision unlike sharpening, so the name "hone" was loaned.
 Ceramic abrasives became increasingly popular, and proved an equal, if not superior, method for accomplishing the same daily maintenance tasks; manufacturers replaced steels with ceramic (and later, manufactured diamond abrasive) sharpening "steels" that were, in fact, hones.

Sharpening Steel:


Important Note:

Serrated Knifes do not need Honing at all, if Sharpening is needed a special sharpener is required.

The length is somehow important, i.e. It should be suited to the knife’s size, as this is for home use mostly I do recommend You to know the longest knife You posses and buy the size accordingly. If money and space are not an issue then indulge yourself.

 Honing steels are usually used by placing the near edge of the blade against the base of the steel, then sliding the blade away from yourself along the steel while moving it down
 The blade moves diagonally, while the steel remains stationary. This should be done with the blade held at an angle to the steel, usually about 20°(Some other knifes like Japanese require different angles), and repeating on the opposite side at the same angle. This is repeated five to ten times.

To my knowledge there is three ways how to perform Honing. You should choose one and always stick with it as changing the method You hone may damage the steel or the knife, (According to my old Chef, I never try to argue on that, but please).

Upside down Method: (Not the best but the safest)

Step 1: Hold the steel and knife in opposing hands, firmly gripping the knife and holding the steel down on a Chopping Board, away from the body.

Step 2: Place the heel edge of the knife at a 20° degree angle from the steel (make sure Your Knife Maker do not request Like some Japanese Knifes a 10° degree to 15° degree angle).

Step 3: Pull the knife down the steel, from heel to tip, maintaining the angle all during the process.

Step 4: Repeat this procedure 4 – 6 times, alternating between the left and right side of the blade.

Tips: Wet the Steel with water (make sure to dry it afterward), could help, as well as using a round Steel will be best suited for this procedure.

Classic Method: (The most unsafe but give good results)

Step 1: Hold the steel and knife in opposing hands, firmly gripping the steel horizontally slightly tilted inwards and down, holding the knife both near from the body, actually the hand gripping the steel should not move (best way to achieve this is to lock your elbow just above the hip), unlike the knife hand or should I say (wrist) as it is the only on who needs to do the job.

Step 2: Place the heel edge of the knife at a 20° degree angle from the steel (make sure Your Knife Maker do not request Like some Japanese Knifes a 10° degree to 15° degree angle).

Step 3: Pull the knife down the steel, from heel to tip, maintaining the angle all during the process, be careful with People and objects surrounding, as this is surely the most unsecure technique.

Step 4: Repeat this procedure 4 – 6 times, alternating between the left and right side of the blade.

Tips: Wet the Steel with water (make sure to dry it afterward), could help, as well as using an Oval Steel will be best suited for this procedure.

Butcher Method: (The fastest but hard as it is unnatural like)

Step 1: Hold the steel and knife in opposing hands, firmly gripping the steel upwards (aligning the guard to protect Your thumb and forefinger), holding the knife both near from the body, actually the hand gripping the steel should not move (best way to achieve this is to lock your elbow just above the hip), unlike the knife hand or should I say (wrist) as it is the only on who needs to do the job.

Step 2: Place the heel edge of the knife at a 20° degree angle from the steel (make sure Your Knife Maker do not request Like some Japanese Knifes a 10° degree to 15° degree angle).

Step 3: Pull the knife down the steel, from tip to heel, maintaining the angle all during the process.

Step 4: Repeat this procedure 4 – 6 times, alternating between the left and right side of the blade.

Tips: Wet the Steel with water (make sure to dry it afterward), could help, as well as using an Oval Steel will be best suited for this procedure.

Honing is often recommended to be performed immediately before or after using a knife, and can be done daily, (By contrast, knives are generally Sharpened much less frequently).

 A traditional Sharpening Steel fixes deformation along the edge of blade. There has long been speculation about the efficacy of honing (re-aligning the edge) VS. Sharpening (removing minor deformation with abrasives).

Personal NOTE:

 Now You understand that to cover the minimum as per above the length as to be, due to the overwhelming amount of information needed to explain.

The question today is: Do I need to clean My knife after?

How Many Kitchen Knives Do We Really Need at Home?

I’ll try to cut through the junk here (pun intended & easy)! Seriously i'll do that in two parts.

The short version one You will find it hereunder, and for the in depth version that i will be adding later.

Basically all You need is 3 Knifes, to my understanding of Home cooking that is.

1) Chef’s Knife (or Santoku, Vegetable knife, anything comparable).

 
2) Paring Knife (non serrated, preferably around 10Cm Blade).

 
3) Bread Knife (or any comparable serrated blade, preferably around 20Cm Blade).

That’s all will You ask?

Well, here we are speaking about knife only, but one thing You will need absolutely is a Pair of scissors. Also a rode, to Hone Your Precious Knifes, and there You see this is different from sharpening them.

Now You are confused are You? Not to worry ill discuss both methods later on.

 Well then Honing is simply put, to adjust/ realign the edge of the blade using a rode. Now this is where misunderstanding start, as the rode is commonly called a Sharpening Steel among other names. 

 
While all the above is true, do note that in Asia, as far as I know they Use only one knife to do all their preparation. This isn’t me trying to confuse You but it is a fact that the Chinese Chopper is the only thing they need. Knowing that the budget, the cooking as well as the presentation is different from other Westerners, it makes sense to me.

That is all for the short version!

Personal NOTE:

You may find the in depth a bit lengthy as the amount of information's is overwhelming. do not be discouraged as I won't us all.

The question today is: Why so many?