30 years of peeling garlic wrong until a line cook showed me the trick

I always peeled garlic by pressing with the flat of a knife, then picking at the skin with my fingers. It was slow and my nails would get sticky. Last week I was helping a friend prep for a dinner party and a line cook grabbed a clove, gave it a quick shake in a metal bowl, and the skin practically fell off. Two seconds per clove instead of thirty. Made me wonder what other kitchen basics I've been doing backwards my whole life. Anybody else get shown up by someone half their age?

2 comments

2 Comments

abby_king2216d ago

Ugh seriously this one got me too. I used to fight with garlic skin like it was a personal enemy. Then my buddy's little sister came over and just smashed it with a pan and the skin slid right off. Felt like a total idiot for all those years of picking at it with my nails. Now I just give it a quick whack and a shake and I'm done in seconds. It's the small stuff that really messes with your mind when you realize how much time you wasted.

ninasanchez16d ago

Cutting a shortcut through the root nub first helps too. Just lop off the hard bit, then the skin practically falls off after the smash. Total game changer for meal prep, no more sticky fingers.