Knowing how to prepare garlic and shallots is an essential cooking skill you need to bring out the full aromatic potential of your recipes. Whether you’re mincing, slicing, or dicing, these ingredients are important in dishes.
Here, you’ll discover the best ways to prepare these flavorful bulbs, absorb expert tips and tricks to enhance your meals, and learn the ideal ways to store them for longer freshness. So read on!
Why Should You Prepare Garlic and Shallots Correctly?
Here are 4 reasons why it’s important to know the correct methods for preparing garlic and shallots:
Recommended Tools for Preparing Garlic and Shallots
The essential tools for preparing garlic and shallots are:
Ingredients to Prepare Garlic and Shallots
Let’s delve straight into the fundamental ingredients necessary to prepare garlic and shallots.
How To Prepare Garlic and Shallots?
It’s really easy to get garlic and shallots ready for your dishes by following these steps to prepare them properly!
How To Prepare Garlic?
To prepare garlic effectively and safely, you will need to follow 3 main steps. These include removing the garlic skin, chopping the garlic, and finally mincing the garlic.
Step 1: Remove The Garlic Skin
Use your hands to peel each clove separately from the bulb, according to the quantity you need for your recipe.
Next, you cut off the base (the hard part) of the garlic with a knife. Use the flat side of the knife to crush the garlic clove. By doing so, you can easily remove the garlic skin.
Step 2: Chop The Garlic
After removing the skin, you hold the garlic with your fingertips, specifically extending your middle finger a bit further out to feel the blade of the knife during the slicing process.
Then you move the knife blade downwards, ensuring that the knife’s motion is gentle and steady to avoid cutting your finger!
Step 3: Mince The Garlic
After you’ve chopped your garlic, proceed to mince it for your recipe. Use the index and middle fingers of your non-dominant hand to lightly hold the tip of the knife, then use your knife-holding hand to move in a downward direction with a steady force.
Repeat this process until the garlic is minced to your desired consistency.
How To Prepare Shallots?
To prepare shallots properly, you will need to undertake 3 primary steps below:
Step 1: Peel The Shallots Skin
The skin of the shallots adheres tightly to the inside, so you won’t be able to use the crushing method like with garlic. Therefore, you will use a knife to gently peel off the outer skin!
Use and combine your index finger to skillfully peel from top to bottom, and don’t rush to cut off the root. Because the spicy and pungent flavor from the root can quickly make your eyes sting. So you need to remove all the skin first, then cut off the end of the onion root.
Step 2: Chop The Shallots
After you have removed the skin, use your fingertips to hold the shallot bulb, similar to the procedure for cutting garlic.
Next, you cut a few slits lengthwise from top to bottom. After that, place your hand down and use your fingertips to hold the onion bulb tightly. Use a knife to make a few horizontal cuts in the shallots. Remember, you will not cut it off completely, as this can make your cutting more slippery.
Step 3: Mince The Shallots
At this point, you will chop and mince the shallots with a similar procedure to garlic, and you can chop or mince it until it is done according to your preference!
Tips for Prepping Garlic and Shallots
This section provides comprehensive advice on the best tips for preparing garlic and shallots. Additionally, it extends to tips on storing minced garlic and shallots.
How To Store Minced Garlic and Shallots?
Here’s a quick guide on how to store minced garlic and shallots:
To freeze chopped shallots. Put them in a tight container or strong bag. After freezing, they become soft and are good for cooking. They stay fresh for one year in the freezer, but you can use them even after that.
Remember always to keep the storage container clean and dry to avoid contamination.
Simplify Your Cooking Experience with Garlic and Shallots
You’ve now unlocked the secrets of working with garlic and shallots, the unsung heroes of many dishes. Armed with these tips, you can add depth and flavor to your dishes in ways you never thought possible.
Lastly, if this post has added value to your cooking experience, please like, share, and drop a comment about your cooking experience.
How To Prepare Garlic and Shallots
Equipment
- Knife
- Chopping Board
Ingredients
- A garlic bulb
- 10 shallots
Instructions
Prepare the Garlic
- First, break off the cloves you need from the garlic bulb. Then, use a knife to slice off the hard bottom of each clove. Use the flat side of the knife to give the clove a gentle smash to make the skin slip off easily.
- Once you've got the skin off, hold the garlic with your fingertips, sticking out your middle finger a little more so it can feel the knife's edge as you cut. Bring the knife down carefully, keeping your movements soft and steady so you don't nick your finger!
- Now, it's time to mince the garlic. Hold the knife's tip lightly with the index and middle fingers of your non-knife hand. With your knife-wielding hand, move the blade down in a controlled motion. Keep repeating this until your garlic is as finely chopped as you need it to be for your recipe.
Prepare the Shallots
- Use a knife to peel off the outer layer.
- Using your finger, gently work your way from top to bottom to peel off the skin. Don’t cut off the root at this stage. If you do, it will release a strong aroma that might make your eyes water. So, get rid of all the skin first, then snip off the root end.With the skin gone, it's time to chop the shallots. Hold the bulb like you would when slicing garlic, using your fingertips for a firm grip. Start by making a few vertical cuts from top to bottom, but don't slice all the way through. Next, lay your hand flat on the onion, still holding it tightly with your fingertips, and make a few horizontal cuts.
- Remember not to cut it completely, as it might slip while you're chopping.
- For the last step, mince the shallots until it reaches your preferred texture.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to prepare garlic and shallots on a nice, smooth cutting board. You wouldn’t want any tiny bits of wood mixing with your onions and garlic.
- If your board keeps sliding or giving you trouble, try tucking a towel under it. It’ll stay still, then, making your chopping much easier.
- When dealing with purple onions, hold off on chopping off the root. It’s got a strong kick that can easily make your eyes water.
Nutrition
Richie
Content Writer
Expertise
Home Cooking, Meal Planning, Food Styling, Food Photography, Cooking-video Maker, Beverage Evaluation Expert
Education
Saigon Culinary Arts Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Vietnam Australia Vocational School (VAAC), Hanoi, Vietnam
Richie, based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is a dynamic Content Writer with a talent for capturing the essence of culinary art.
Richie specializes in creating visually appealing and tasty content, offering a new angle on Vietnamese and other culinary traditions. With a background in graphic design and a love for food styling and photography, he expertly combines beauty with food narratives, encouraging his audience to discover the culinary world through his imaginative perspective.