I am somewhat obsessed with sliced garlic. I know that’s a little odd, but there are worse things to be obsessed with, like roadkill, or intestinal parasites, or other people’s underpants (forgive me, but I do think underpants is a really funny word; you didn’t realize I’m actually 4 years old, did you?).
But I’m just obsessed with sliced garlic. I discovered it about a year ago, and fortuitously, about the time I read about the mellow elegance of gently sauteed slices of the stinking rose, I also realized that my garlic press has a SLICING FUNCTION. HelLO! I started slicing up a storm.
I have no idea why sliced garlic is so much better than pressed. I’ve been jamming garlic cloves through the little holes of one garlic press or another for nigh on twenty years now, and finding out that there IS A BETTER WAY has rocked my world just a little bit. I hate mincing garlic by hand, so that’s out of the question. It turns out that pressed garlic has a harshness to it that doesn’t come through in the sliced version, even if you use THE EXACT SAME TOOL to do the slicing.
Obviously, sometimes you don’t want big slices of garlic in your food–slice the cloves onto your cutting board, and chop them into matchsticks. Or just break them up a bit with a wooden spoon while they’re sauteeing.*
When you saute the slices, slowly, over low-ish heat, you get a sweet, smooth, slightly caramelized garlic flavor that perfumes a dish, rather than stinking it up.
But don’t worry–I’m still deeply lazy, or just slow to change, or something. I still mash cloves through the regular mince-ing part of the press half the time.
*Dinner idea coming tomorrow.
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Where can I purchase the world-rocking garlic press/slicer? Mine just minces.
Hi Emily–
Unfortunately, I can’t remember where I bought mine. It says (on the underside, in very tiny, difficult-to-read print) AMCO. That probably doesn’t help; sorry. If I come across one, I’ll let you know, but in the meantime, keep your eyes peeled.