Mincing speeds up cooking time by exposing more surface area to heat, especially for aromatics.
1 Answer
Mincing aromatics generally reduces cooking time compared to slicing because the smaller pieces release their flavors more quickly and cook faster. Slicing, on the other hand, requires a longer cooking time to fully soften and release its flavor.
Detailed Explanation:
The size of aromatic ingredients like garlic, onions, and ginger significantly impacts their cooking time and flavor release. When you mince an aromatic, you're creating many more exposed surfaces. This increased surface area allows the aromatic compounds to be released more rapidly when heated. The smaller pieces also cook through much faster, preventing them from burning before their flavor is fully extracted.
Slicing, conversely, results in larger pieces with less surface area exposed. This means it takes longer for the heat to penetrate the aromatic and release its flavor. Sliced aromatics require a longer cooking time to soften and become translucent, allowing their flavor to fully infuse into the dish. If you try to rush the process, the aromatics may remain crunchy and their flavor will be less pronounced.
Consider a recipe where you want a subtle onion flavor. Slicing the onion and cooking it slowly over low heat will allow it to caramelize and impart a gentle sweetness. If you were to mince the same onion and cook it in the same way, it would likely burn before it had a chance to caramelize properly, resulting in a bitter flavor.
Pro Tip:
When using minced garlic, add it towards the end of the cooking process to prevent it from burning, which can impart a bitter taste to your dish. Sliced garlic can be added earlier as it takes longer to release its flavor and is less prone to burning.