Blew my mind when a prep cook pointed out my garlic habit

I've been at this new spot in Portland for about 6 months and always smashed garlic with the side of my knife. Then this kid Marcus, maybe 19, says "you're bruising it before it even hits the pan, chef." He showed me how he slices it paper thin instead and lets it sit for like 2 minutes before cooking. Tried it on a batch of aglio e olio last Thursday and the flavor was way cleaner and sharper. Anyone else have a junior cook teach them something that basic?

3 comments

3 Comments

joel_martinez1d ago

Wait, you've been smashing garlic with the side of your knife for six months and nobody told you to let it rest? That's wild, especially since Portland places are usually all about technique. Marcus might be 19 but he's already saving you from bitter garlic in your aglio e olio, so what other basic stuff are you glad he pointed out?

adamthompson17h ago

@black.jake nailed it with the acid tip, I started doing that after Marcus showed me and it's a game changer for sure. Another one he got me on was salting eggs the night before instead of right when they hit the pan.

black.jake1d ago

Joel's right about the bitterness thing, I never realized how much of that harsh flavor came from smashing before letting the enzymes do their thing. Marcus also clued me into timing the rest after slicing with a little acid like lemon juice to mellow it out even more. Tried that on a batch of mushrooms last night and the garlic came through way smoother without that raw bite. Little stuff like that makes me wonder what other shortcuts I've been accidentally taking.