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Press#38 La Mia Cucina By Alberto
Vanoli Chef's Suggestions:
After preparing and peeling garlic, the next step is the
preparation of the clove ready for cooking.
I will talk about a few preparation techniques that we use
in the restaurant. For this preparation you need a cutting
board and a knife. The Right knife to use would be a "Chef's
Knife," not too big, about 7-8 inches (of course, every knife
will do the job, but this is the most appropriate; your job
will be faster, safer and more precise.)
Before you cut the clove you need to think about it, a small
bulb like the garlic can be used in many different preparations
and cuisine.
The first is not really chopping or slicing, but crushing
the clove with the flat part of the knife in one hand and
using the other hand to apply the downward pressure. This
technique can be used without peeling the garlic. Or you can
simply cut the clove in half or in quarters. At this point
the garlic is ready for use. You can use it to roast meat
or fish and in sauces or dressings. With this preparation
you can remove the garlic at the end of the cooking time and
the flavor won't be too strong.
Another technique is to slice the garlic. The knife should
be very sharp. Just cut the thin slices from the peeled clove.
I like to use this technique when I do pasta or fish sauces.
This technique can be used with a big garlic clove. Cook them
crispy and use as a garnish in your salad, vegetable or pasta.
This technique can be easily done with a mandolin. There are
different models available; one is a board made from wood
or plastic with an adjustable blade. [The mandolin is a kitchen
tool with a built-in stationary knife, and the vegetable moves
across the blade(s), the slices falling below. Our common
kraut cutter is a mandolin.]
From these slices of garlic (especially the big ones) you
can make more fancy cuts, like little sticks of diced. They
all need to be perfectly cut. At this pint the garlic is used
not only for flavor, but also for presentation.
The last technique is the chopping of the clove. When I use
this method, I make sure to use it in moderate quantity. When
garlic is chopped fine, it releases a lot of flavor that can
cover all the other ingredients. I use this technique for
cooking sauces and sautéing vegetables, or for dressings.
To chop the garlic, start smashing the clove with the flat
part of the knife. At this point, hold the tip of the knife
with the left hand, and with the right hand, the handle of
the knife (for right-handed cooks). Start chopping the garlic
moving the blade in a vertical and horizontal way.
You can alternate the chopping with dragging/pushing the
garlic with the fat part of the knife's blade and continuing
to chop, getting finer and finer pieces. You can also start
crushing the clove with the back of the knife. Just slice
the clove with the knife upside- down. At this point the clove
is partially chopped, proceed as explained above.
Another tool is the mortar pestle, an antique technique,
and it will do the perfect mashing. More modern is the food
processor. It will work well and fast on a large amount of
garlic, but will not work with one or two pieces.
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