Preparing Garlic

This is one of the most useful cooking skills.  If you are doing it for the first time, get an adult to help you. 

The white round thing you buy from the shops is a BULB of garlic. Peel of the white papery skin and inside you will find about 12 segments. These are called CLOVES (there are three cloves in the picture).

Start by chopping off the top and bottom of the garlic clove with a sharp knife.   Peel off the papery skin and enjoy the aroma. 

Now for the fun bit – put a wooden spoon over the top of the garlic and press down very hard with your hand until you feel the garlic break.   You have CRUSHED the garlic clove!  This is all you have to do for some recipes, such as soups. 

Crushing the garlic first also makes it easier to chop into smaller pieces if the recipe asks you to do this. The smaller you chop garlic, the stronger its flavour will be!

Wash your hands with soap as soon as you have finished chopping  the garlic.  If you don’t,  you’ll have fingers will have the scent of garlic for the rest of the day!

Recipe

Homemade Garlic Bread