Peeling and Cutting Ginger Root
Peel off the skin with a spoon. Hold a piece of ginger root and scrape a spoon against the skin. The papery skin should fall away as the spoon moves over it. Avoid using a vegetable peeler to peel the skin because it will remove too much of the ginger root. You may not be able to scrape away all of the peel. You can either leave the hard to reach spots of skin or trim it away using a paring knife.
Slice the ends off each ginger root. Place the peeled ginger root on a cutting board and slice the ends so the root becomes a neat block. This will make it easier to prepare and measure as much ginger as you need.
Slice the ginger into thin planks. Cut slices or planks off of the end of the ginger block. Slice them as thinly as you can (at least 1 centimeter thick). Use these planks or slices in your cooking or cut them even more. Thinly sliced ginger will hold its shape as it cooks which makes it great to use in curries or soups that also have chunks of other vegetables.
Cut the ginger planks or strips into matchsticks. If you want even smaller pieces of ginger for your recipes, stack together 4 or 5 planks or strips. Cut each of these stacks into thin strips so you get matchstick-sized pieces of ginger. Strips of ginger work well in dishes that have similarly sliced vegetables or noodles.
Grate the ginger to use it in baking recipes. If your recipe calls for grated ginger, take the peeled block of ginger root and rub it against a box grater or microplane. The grated ginger will be thick like a paste and won't have stringy fibers. You'll usually use grated ginger in baking recipes.
Cooking Main Dishes with Ginger Root
Use sliced ginger root in soups or curries. Place your peeled ginger root on a cutting board and cut the root into planks or slices that are about 1 centimeter (0.4 in) thick. Add these pieces of ginger root to your favorite soups, stews, or curries. For example, add the ginger to: Indian spiced carrot soup Sweet potato soup with miso Chicken pho Spicy vegan coconut soup
Steam ginger planks or grated ginger with fresh fish. Add flavor to delicate white fish by steaming it in the oven with fresh ginger. Combine planks or freshly grated ginger with any other seasonings you want to use and spread it over fish. Cover the pan and roast the fish in a hot oven at 475 °F (246 °C) until the fish is flaky and cooked. Ginger works well with tilapia, salmon, halibut, and cod.
Stir fry ginger strips with vegetables, noodles, and protein. Slice the ginger root into thin planks. Stack the planks and cut them into thin strips. Stir a handful of ginger root strips into any stir fry meal. For example, ginger can add a spicy heat to Szechuan dishes, lo mein, or stir-fried broccoli.
Use grated ginger to make a glaze for vegetables, fish, or roasts. To make a subtle glaze, whisk together 3 tablespoons (63 g) of honey, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of sherry vinegar, 1 tablespoon (3 g) of grated peeled fresh ginger, and 3/4 teaspoon (2 g) of ground black pepper. Brush this glaze over root vegetables, fish, pork chops, or roasts. If the food you're cooking has a long cook time, consider brushing more glaze over the food during the last 15 minutes of cooking time.
Roast planks or slices of ginger with root vegetables. Peel a 2 inches (5.1 cm) piece of fresh ginger and slice it into planks as thinly as you can. Slice these thin planks into thin slivers or strips and toss them with chopped root vegetables on a baking sheet. Roast the vegetables and ginger for up to 45 minutes in a 425 °F (218 °C) oven. Serve the roasted ginger and vegetables with steamed rice or a barley pilaf.
Making Baked Goods with Ginger Root
Bake gingerbread using grated ginger. While many gingerbread recipes call for using dried ginger and other spices, make gingerbread that uses grated peeled ginger. The ginger will add moisture to the cake and will give a spicier flavor to the classic bakery cake. The flavor of gingerbread will improve as it's stored. Try to make gingerbread at least 1 day before you plan to serve it.
Include grated ginger root in pumpkin pie. Cinnamon is often the main spice used in traditional pumpkin pie, but you can highlight the flavor of ginger. Stir 1 1/2 tablespoons (9 g) of grated ginger into your favorite pumpkin pie filling before baking it. To add an extra ginger flavor to the pie, sprinkle a little dried and ground ginger into sweetened whipped cream. Serve the whipped cream on the side.
Make spiced cookies using grated ginger. Bake crisp gingersnaps or soft spiced ginger cookies that use ginger root. Add about 3 tablespoons (18 g) of fresh grated ginger to your favorite spice or gingersnap cookie recipe for a bright ginger flavor. Many cookie recipes already call for dried ground ginger. To substitute fresh ginger, add half as much fresh ginger as the recipe calls for. For example, if the recipe calls for 2 teaspoons (4 g) of ground ginger, use 1 teaspoon (1 g) of grated fresh ginger.
Add ginger to pound or citrus cakes. Add the exciting flavor of ginger to simply flavored pound cakes. Ginger also works well with lemon, orange, lime, and other citrus flavors. Add about 2 teaspoons (2 g) of fresh grated ginger to your cake batter. Consider mixing some ginger syrup into enough powdered sugar to make a quick glaze. Pour the ginger glaze over the cake once it's cool.
Use minced fresh ginger in muffin batter. Take a 2 ounce (57 g) piece of ginger root and leave its peel on. Pulse the ginger in a food processor until it's finely ground. Combine the ginger with the sugar according to your muffin recipe. Stir together the rest of the recipe's ingredients and bake them in a muffin tin. The ginger works well with these muffin flavors: Blueberry Pear and walnut Lemon poppyseed
Using Ginger Root in Beverages
Steep sliced ginger in hot water to make herbal tea. Instead of buying ginger teas, just combine 1 ounce of freshly sliced ginger for every 1 cup (240 ml) of water to make as tea as you like. Heat the water and ginger in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer the tea for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain the tea before pouring it into serving cups or mugs. Add a squirt of lemon juice or a bit of honey, if you want to adjust the flavor. Ginger is both anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial—it's one of the best things to use when you're sick.
Create a ginger syrup for spritzers. Mix together 1 cup (240 ml) of water with 3/4 cup (150 g) of sugar in a saucepan. Heat the syrup over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves and then turn off the heat. Add 1 cup (50 g) of sliced ginger to the syrup and cover the pan. Let the ginger syrup infuse overnight at room temperature. Strain out the ginger slices and pour 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the ginger syrup into a serving glass. Fill up the glass with seltzer water and stir it gently to make a ginger spritzer. You can make up to 8 drinks with the ginger syrup. Store leftover ginger syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Brew peeled and chopped ginger into a hot toddy. Pour 1 cup (240 ml) of water into a saucepan with a 1 inch (2.5 cm) piece of ginger that you've peeled and chopped. Stir in the juice of half a lemon and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of honey. Heat the toddy over medium heat until it begins to steam. Pour the toddy into a serving mug and sip it while it's hot. For an alcoholic toddy, stir 1 ounce of whiskey or brandy into the serving mug.
Add ginger slices to golden milk. Pour 2 cups (475 ml) of plain coconut milk into a saucepan and stir in 1/2 tablespoon (3 g) of fresh grated ginger, 1 tablespoon (6 g) of fresh grated turmeric, and 3 to 4 whole black peppercorns. Turn the heat to medium and simmer the golden milk for 10 minutes. Strain the golden milk into 2 serving mugs. Sweeten the golden milk with honey, if desired.
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