Grating Ginger Just Got 10X Easier (And Cleaner) With A Genius Cling Wrap Trick - Tasting Table

"Peel your ginger, then slice it into thin rounds across the grain. Lay the slices on your cutting board, drape cling wrap over the top, and press down hard with the flat side of your knife. One firm push is usually all it takes - the ginger collapses into fine, grated-looking bits almost instantly. Cleanup is just tossing the wrap."

"There's a flavor upside here, too. Smashing ruptures the ginger's cell walls, pushing more of its natural oils out into the open, which means a sharper, more forward heat in the finished dish for the same amount of ginger. Zero extra effort required."

"Smashed ginger will slide right into any recipe that calls for grated ginger. That said, it shines brightest in recipes where ginger is doing real work rather than playing backup. A Thai ginger pork bowl is a good example - ground pork stir-fried with smashed ginger, lemongrass, and a handful of fresh herbs, served over white rice."

"Soups and curries are another strong match. A bowl of chicken noodle soup is already good medicine, but smashed ginger takes it further - the crushed pieces release enough heat and aroma to actually clear your head. Thai coconut soup and carrot-ginger purée are natural fits, too. And in something like a spiced dal, the ginger just melts into the broth the longer it cooks - all the flavor, none of the stringy texture."

Peel ginger and slice it into thin rounds across the grain. Lay the slices on a cutting board, cover with cling wrap, and press firmly with the flat side of a knife until the ginger collapses into fine, grated-looking bits. Cleanup is limited to discarding the wrap. Smashing ruptures ginger’s cell walls, releasing more natural oils and creating a sharper, more forward heat in finished dishes using the same amount of ginger. Smashed ginger works in any recipe calling for grated ginger, especially where ginger is a main flavor. It fits stir-fries, soups, curries, coconut soup, carrot-ginger purée, spiced dal, and marinades, where it blends into sauces without stringy texture.

Read at Tasting Table