How to Mince Garlic the Fast and Easy Way

While watching Nancy Silverton make pesto, I had one of those "why didn't I think of that" moments. To quickly season a batch of celery leaf pesto, Silverton grated in garlic; she explained, "I like to Microplane my garlic. It's so much easier than chopping it." The next time I made a recipe calling for the aromatic vegetable, I experimented with her technique and was delighted by the results. It's a quick and simple way to infuse a dish with lots of garlic flavor and it doesn't require the hand strength of a garlic press or the tediousness of a knife. In fact, if you're heating olive oil or butter in a pan, grated garlic will practically melt into it. Genius! Have you ever grated garlic with a Microplane?