Separate bulb into cloves: To separate the head of garlic, place the whole garlic bulb onto a cutting board upside down, with the stem side down on the board. Place the heel of your hand on top of the bulb and press down to separate the cloves from the root end. (Tip: Wrap the entire head of garlic in a kitchen towel prior to separating the bulb – the towel will keep the papery skin from flying around your work area.)
Peel cloves of garlic using one of the methods below
Board and Knife (best for peeling a small number of cloves): Working with one clove of garlic at a time, lay it flat on your board. Use your knife to cut off and discard the tip (stem). Then place the flat side of your knife on top of the clove and lightly press down, barely crushing the clove and releasing it from its papery skin. Use your fingers to peel the skin away from the clove of garlic and discard the skin. Repeat the process with the remaining cloves of garlic until completely peeled.
Sealed Jar or Two Lipped Bowls (best for peeling larger number of cloves): Add all the cloves of garlic to a large jar or a metal lipped bowl. Cover the jar with a lid and seal or grab a second metal lipped bowl, flip it over and use it as a top, pinching the two lipped bowls together. If using bowls, make sure you keep the bowls clamped shut. Shake the jar or bowls vigorously for 20-30 seconds, or until the garlic peels loosen and fall away from the cloves. Discard all the loose papery skin and use your fingers remove any stuck-on garlic peels. (Note: I personally think the jar is a much more effective and easier method than the board and knife method.)
To crush garlic
Peel the garlic using one of the methods above. Working with one clove of garlic at a time, arrange it so that the clove is flat on your cutting board. Then place the flat side of your knife on top of the clove. Place the heel of your palm on the flat side of the knife and firmly press down to crush the clove of garlic. Repeat the process with the remaining cloves of garlic until completely crushed.
To grate garlic
Peel the garlic using one of the methods above. Working with either a microplane or rasp grater and one clove of garlic at time, firmly grip the clove by the root end. Press the stem end onto the microplane or grater and grate the clove just like you would a very small piece of cheese, using a firm, back-and-forth motion across the grater. Stop grating once you reach the root of the garlic clove, discarding the root. Repeat the process with the remaining cloves of garlic until completely crushed.
To slice garlic
Peel the garlic using one of the methods above. Working with one clove at a time, arrange the garlic so that the clove is flat on your cutting board with the root end closest to your non-dominant hand and the stem closest to your knife. Working left to right, use your sharp knife to make vertical cuts through the clove of garlic – slicing as thin or thick as you prefer. Continue to slice the clove, stopping once you get to the root, and discarding the root. Repeat the process with the remaining cloves until completely sliced. (Tip: Try to vertically cut the garlic as evenly as possible.)
To chop garlic
Peel the garlic using one of the methods above. Working with one clove at a time, arrange the garlic so that the flat side is down on the board. Then, arrange is so that the root is farthest away from you and the tip of your knife points towards the root. Working left to right and starting at the stem, use your sharp knife to make thin, vertical cuts through the clove of garlic, up to the root but not through it. Rotate the clove 90-degrees so that the root end is closest to your non-dominant hand and the stem closest to your knife hand. Use your knife to make thin cuts that run crosswise (or through) your first cuts. Once all the thin cuts are made, cut off and discard the root. Repeat the process with the remaining cloves of garlic until all are chopped. (Note: Chopped garlic is about the same size as short-grain rice. Minced garlic is cut so fine that it's unrecognizable – however, it’s not a paste.)
To mince garlic
Peel and chop the garlic according to the instructions above. Once you’ve chopped all the garlic and discarded all the roots, use the heel of your knife to gather the garlic into a small pile on your cutting board. Next, arrange the knife so that it fits comfortably in your hand. Place your free hand on top of the knife and then use a back and forth rocking motion to cut the garlic until its barely recognizable. Repeat the process with the remaining cloves until completely minced.
To make garlic paste
Peel and mince garlic according to the instructions above. Use the heel of your knife to gather the minced garlic into a small pile. Sprinkle a bit of kosher salt evenly over the garlic. Next, arrange the knife if your hand so that it fits comfortably and use your free hand to gently hold the blunt side of the blade. Then press and scrape the sharp side of the knife against the pile of garlic, working at a slight angle to help flatten and smash the pieces of garlic. Repeat pressing and scraping until you have a smooth garlic paste. (Note: During the process, stop occasionally and use the heel of your knife to gather the garlic back into a neat pile.)
Notes
Garlic: This garlic cutting tutorial works for any size, variety, and number of garlic bulbs.
Best Flavor: For the best flavor use prepared garlic immediately, or within an hour of cutting.
Storage: Store any leftover chopped garlic in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Kitchen Conversion: 1 bulb of garlic will yield roughly 10-2o cloves.
Kitchen Conversion: 1 medium clove of garlic = ½ to ¾ tsp minced garlic. 1 TBS minced garlic = 4-6 medium cloves.
Nutritional information is an estimate based upon 15 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.