Gordon Ramsay's Pro Tip For Perfectly Minced Garlic

Garlic is a staple of the culinary world, and we know that mincing fresh garlic yourself gives a much better taste than buying it from the store. However, getting that mince right can feel tricky. Luckily, chefs the world over have shared plenty of restaurant-style hacks for peeling and preparing garlic, including chef Gordon Ramsay.

Gordon Ramsay's top tip for mincing garlic boils down to one other simple seasoning: salt. To mince garlic, start by smashing it with the flat part of your knife, which releases the allicin and alliinase that give this allium its signature flavor. From there, you chop it up as finely as you can until you're satisfied with the results. To mince garlic Ramsay-style, add a pinch of salt after smashing and before chopping. The coarseness helps the oils within the garlic cloves to release, while the salt forms a paste with the minced garlic, helping it hold together.

If you mince garlic without salt, the results won't be disastrous. But, as Ramsay will likely mention, it won't be as good as if you had used salt, either. More of the allicin and alliinase can leak out onto the cutting board and get lost, depriving you of the flavor you could have had with salt. The garlic will also be looser and messier, making measuring more difficult. There's almost no harm in adding salt to your minced garlic and plenty of benefit, so don't hesitate to put Ramsay's wisdom to good use.

Of course, salt isn't the only thing to keep in mind when mincing garlic, though it's worth following Ramsay's advice. For best results, wait to mince your garlic until you're ready to cook, or about 10 to 15 minutes before it joins the dish. This helps to ensure your garlic will be as fresh as possible for maximum flavor. If you mince it ahead of time, its flavor can fade during storage. While you're at it, don't store fresh garlic in the fridge, as it can spoil quickly.

On that note, wait to add your garlic until the dish is just about done. Garlic cooks quickly, and if you add it near the beginning, it can overcook easily and taste bitter. To make a dish worthy of Gordon Ramsay's approval, wait until there's only about a minute or so left and use low or medium heat if possible.

While freshly minced garlic is better, we'll admit that pre-minced is far more convenient (though we implore you to avoid buying jarred garlic). If you must mince it ahead of time, store minced garlic in a plastic baggie and freeze it flat. This makes it easier to break off pieces and add them to a dish. You may have to cook the garlic a little longer, however, and the flavor may not be quite as deep.