Garlic paste is useful anytime you want to add a pungent garlic flavor and smooth texture to any dish. Most chefs and home cooks make it with a technique that involves dragging the edge of a chef's knife across a cutting board, but Food & Wine demonstrates a new way of making the stuff that changes everything.
Justin Chapple shows off the method in the video above. It's amenable to small or large quantities, and—best of all—doesn't leave you with a garlicky mess to clean up. Simply place peeled garlic cloves and salt into a seal-tight freezer bag, seal the the bag, and pound it lightly with a mallet. Using a rolling pin, roll the crushed garlic into a paste. Behold! You have garlic paste for building braises, dipping sauces, salad dressings, and more.
If you use this stuff frequently, you can make a lot of it and freeze it in pre-portioned amounts for easy use. Or you can make it fresh every time. Either way, there's no need to ever spend money on jarred garlic paste.
How to Make Garlic Paste in a Baggie | Food & Wine
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