I don’t have a garlic press.  Now, I want one.  But this wasn’t always the case…

For the longest time I have been against the garlic press.  My purist attitude stood firmly in the belief that it’s fussy, excess gadgetry and frankly, it’s cheating…I will mince my own garlic, thank you very much.

Well, ahem, I’ve changed my mind.  One day in the kitchen of one of my personal chef clients I found myself short on time and needing to mince a large amount of garlic for an Indian dish.  Something registered in my mind that nudged me to open the gadget draw and use the garlic press that I’d seen lying there and ignored on many an occasion.  I broke down and used the device.

Speeding through my pile of garlic cloves producing just the right mince for the dish, I had an Ahah!  Not so bad, after all.  I began searching for the garlic presses in all my client’s houses when I found myself needing to mince garlic.

What I like about a garlic press vs. mincing with a knife: 1) speed and uniformity, 2) by pressing the garlic more of the juice and oils are released allowing the garlic flavor to be distributed evenly in a dish, and 3) less garlic goes a long way.

Example: Say you want a touch of garlic in your guacamole.  Press a small clove or even 1/2 clove of garlic into your guac and you’ve got that subtle hint of garlic without biting into a chunk.  Delish!

You might say, “but they’re hard to clean”.  Not really, pick out the garlic fibers by scraping with a fork or a chop stick.  Some of the new fangled ones have cleaners attached.

Here’s a quick recipe to use your garlic press…and have great meal:

Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken

1 whole chicken cut up, rinsed and dried

5 large cloves garlic

zest of 2 organic lemons + juice

1 tsp or to taste of sea salt (I prefer closer to 2 tsp–but it’s your taste)

extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp smoked paprika or just paprika

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Have chicken pieces ready in a bowl.

Joyfully mince your garlic with your garlic press and mix with the lemon zest in a small bowl.  Add the juice of the lemons, a glug of olive oil, and sea salt to the bowl and mix well with a fork or whisk.  Pour over chicken and toss with hands.  Don’t be afraid to use your hands!

Drizzle a little olive in a 13×9 in. casserole or similar style baking dish.  Distribute chicken and sprinkle with smoked paprika.

Bake for about 30-45 minutes or until cooked through and skin is crisp.

Enjoy with mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes and favorite green vegetable.

Happy Cooking!

Chelsea