The Simple Extra Step Gordon Ramsay Takes For Better Minced Garlic

Gordon Ramsay leads the pack when it comes to culinary expertise. From furiously operating a hectic kitchen and transforming restaurants to encouraging home chefs and traveling the world, the celebrity chef takes involvement to a whole new level. Throughout his career, the multiple Michelin Star-winning chef has shared plenty of tips with his followers, like his secret to better steak or his hard-boiled egg hack that makes peeling hassle free. He even has advice for chopping garlic: add a bit of salt to it as you mince. 

In a YouTube short, Ramsay shows a garlic clove being sliced into thin, round slices. Next, a pinch of coarse-looking salt is sprinkled on top of the garlic slices which are then chopped into tiny pieces. The coarseness of the salt, Ramsay says, "helps break the fibers of the garlic down for a much better result." In other words, the abrasive texture of the salt pulverizes the garlic, making it easier to chop finely. The salt also draws moisture out of the garlic, essentially providing better traction for your knife. 

In a separate Gordon Ramsay YouTube video posted by Wired, the chef uses salt to mince garlic in a slightly different way, creating more of a garlic paste. Responding to a question posted about finely chopping garlic without using a press, Ramsay demonstrates how to mince garlic with just a knife, cutting board, and salt. First, he crushes the garlic by placing the flat side of the knife on top of the clove and banging it with his fist. Next, he adds a touch of salt and vigorously chops the crushed garlic clove, turning it quickly into a paste-like mixture. "The salt keeps it together and it stops [the garlic] from oozing out onto the board," Ramsay reveals. 

Smashing garlic before you chop it isn't just for show or to make it easier to slice. Garlic cloves contain a pungent sulfur-based compound called allicin. This potent compound is released when the clove is smashed or crushed, giving the garlic a stronger garlicky flavor and aroma. The problem is, once smashed, the garlic becomes a tad too sticky, making it difficult to chop. Adding salt helps solve this difficulty by soaking up some of the sticky moisture. According to some chefs, the salt also works to tame some of the bitterness of the raw garlic.