You're chopping your garlic wrong
One clove — four flavours
If you love your garlic, chances are you're the home chef who chops up cloves and cloves of nature's own tastemaker, just to get a hint of that sharp hit in whatever you're whipping up — diametrically opposite to how you see the chefs on your screens restricting themselves to an upper limit of 3, maybe 4 cloves per dish.
Right away, let us tell you, this has very little to do with the 'quality' of your garlic, and almost entirely everything to do with how your knife is meeting the cloves. 'F&B expert' Swapnil Desai, who goes by the handle @theflayvah on Instagram, breaks down the art of breaking down garlic.
The chemistry
Swapnil plainly explains that garlic contains alliin which stays inactive. When you cut or crush the cloves however, the cells obviously break which activates the alliinase, converting it to alliin and eventually allicin. And allicin is what holds the garlic’s heat, aroma, sharpness and complexity complexity. Put simply then, more cell damage in the cloves results in more allicin which in turn creates stronger taste in the garlic. Another thing to note is that heat stops the enzyme which is what makes cooked garlic taste mild, sweet and buttery. And that's all the science you need to know to maximise the impact of your garlic cloves while minimising your knife labour.
The options
Whole garlic
Cooked whole garlic comes off with a soft, sweet and nutty taste. Alliinase dies early leading to no allicin and hence a mellow flavour.
What it's perfect for: Confits, roasting, braises
Sliced garlic
Sliced garlic carries a gentle aroma and balanced heat. Due to the minimal cell damage there is less allicin.
What it's perfect for: Stir fries, garlic oil, Italian sauces
Minced garlic
Minced garlic on the other hand is significantly sharper and brighter. The allicin is minimum, owing to more surface area.
What it's perfect for: Garlic bread, dressings, pan sauces
Crushed garlic
Crushed garlic is always the strongest and hottest even if the quality of your cloves isn't. Maximum cell rupture ensures maximum allicin.
What it's perfect for: Chutneys, marinades, aioli
Bonus
If you really want that garlic to land with a punch in your mouth, let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes after mincing or crushing it. Giving the ruptured cells more time sans heat fortifies the allicin production process.
Do you like your garlic hot or mild?
