Food - Drink
You Can Stop Mincing Garlic For Stew. Here's Why
By SYLVIA TOMCZAK
Garlic is an essential ingredient in countless savory dishes, but it almost always requires a lot of mincing or other prep work when making marinades, stir-fries, pasta, and more. However, if you're making a hearty stew or soup, this is why you can actually ditch the chopping time and keep your garlic cloves whole.
Cutting a garlic clove damages the garlic's cell walls and triggers a reaction that releases punchy sulfuric compounds, resulting in that characteristic garlic bite. This is good for dishes that require that pungency, but in a stew, chopped garlic's intense flavor can overpower the other ingredients in the pot.
When garlic cloves are left whole, they don't give off too many fragrant compounds, resulting in a sweeter and more mellow flavor. Also, stews rely on a lengthy simmering process that breaks down whole cloves properly with no prep needed — just peel them, toss them into the pot, and fish them out before serving.