How to Peel Garlic & Garlic Salsa Verde Recipe

If you don't know how to peel garlic you might end up doing it the long, hard way. You can use packaged peeled garlic, but personally, I prefer to buy my garlic fresh at Harter House Supermarket and peel them myself.

I think it's more economical and sustainable this way - the garlic comes direct from the market without any plastic packaging, and has less carbon footprint because the garlic wasn't processed by machines and then shipped to supermarkets.
Here is quick and easy technique for peeling garlic.
First, pick off your cloves from the bulb, and lay the flat side down - the side that was closest to the "heart" of the garlic - on your cutting board with the curved side up. Then, take your chef's knife and with one hand holding the knife handle, lay either flat side of the knife on top of the garlic clove. The garlic should be closer to the knife handle than the center of the blade.

With your free hand, slap the heel of your hand down and smash the side of the blade against the garlic clove. Voilà! The outer skin is magically detached from the clove, and you now have a perfectly peeled clove ready for chopping.

On their first try, most people don't hit the blade hard enough and end up hitting it two or three times. With enough practice, you'll get the hang of figuring out how much force you need so you only have to smash the knife blade once. In no time, you'll be a seasoned pro, pounding away at garlic and quickly getting enough peeled cloves to make Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic without breaking in a sweat. Oh, and don't forget to sweep the skins in your compost bin!

How To Mince Garlic
Some folks will tell you that the best way to mince garlic is with a garlic press!

A garlic press is certainly handy, but if you don't have one or just feeling like doing it the old-fashioned way, here's one method that works well!

After peeling your garlic clove, lay it on the cutting board on one of its flat sides so it's stable and doesn't roll. Trim off the tough roots from where the garlic clove was attached to the head.
Cut the garlic in thin strips along its length -- from root to tip.
Carefully turn the garlic 90-degrees and cut strips in the other direction. You'll be left with a little pile of thin sticks.







Sprinkle the pile with a pinch of salt. This is a little chef's trick that helps keep the garlic from sticking to your knife!

Run your knife back and forth over the pile of garlic until it's as finely minced as you like it. It's easiest to do this if you hold your knife in front of you parallel to your body. Set the tip of the knife on the cutting board just to the left of the pile of garlic (to the right if you're a leftie!).
Leaving the tip of the knife against the cutting board, use the heel of the knife to chop the garlic. Use a rocking motion and move the heel of the knife a bit when you lift up so you cut into the pile at a different place each time.
If you think cutting the garlic into sticks fussy, you can certainly start with a whole clove and just keep chopping until it's as finely minced as you like it!

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Now to use our new skill, lets make some Garlic Salsa Verde.
This is another personal favorite salsa. It's simple, easy, and punchy - cilantro, garlic, and lime. It's hot and spicy and sour all at once.

We like it straight up with chips, but it's also excellent with grilled chicken or black beans and rice. I think that proper salsa verde includes tomatillos, but this is another version that we like a lot.

Garlic Salsa Verde
makes about 1 cup

2 large bunches of cilantro
6 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno
Juice of 2 limes
Olive oil
Salt

Take the cilantro off the stems and chop fine. Mince the garlic and jalapeno. Whiz everything in the food processor or blender, adding a drizzle of olive oil if it is too thick. Season with salt.