I have a recipe for Japanese Chicken?!
Answers: It calls for 1 clove of garlic, peeled and bruised. How do you bruise a clove of garlic?
You have so many good answers that I have decided to present an alternative approach.
I haven't tried this so it 'might' not work. But try insulting the garlic to 'bruise' it's feelings. Call it a 'wannabe onion' perhaps, or suggest that you could use your husband's stinky socks instead for a better aroma..... and since it is a Japanese recipe you could suggest it is 'gaijin.' It's a Japanese insult, but rather vague.... means foreignor or 'non-Japanese.'
If the recipe doesn't turn out, you can always blame George Bush.
You slam it with a knife. Makes it easier to chop then.
I think it probably means smashed.
You take the clove on a cutting board w/a large knife and wack the knife w/ your hand.It brings out the oils in the garlic.
Other than that never heard of bruised garlic.
In cooking, to partially crush an ingredient in order to release its flavor. Bruising a garlic clove with the flat side of a knife crushes without cutting it.
Take a chef's knife. the wider knife, and smack it down onto the clove of garlic with the palm of your hand. This makes the peel easy to remove and bruises it at the same time.
Lay the side of your chef's knife on top of the garlic and give it a whack with your other hand to more or less smash it.
Bert
Crushing or bruising the garlic is essential, as it releases flavor allowing it to more strongly affect the meat.
How To Chop Garlic - Chinese Cooking Instructions
Many Chinese recipes call for finely chopped garlic. This is easy to do – all you need is a sharp knife.
Here's How:
Lay an unpeeled garlic clove on the cutting board in front of you.
Use the side of a cleaver or a chef’s knife to bang down hard and flatten the garlic clove.
Peel the skin off the garlic clove.
Chop the garlic into small pieces.
To finely mince, press down hard again on the garlic with the flat edge of the knife or cleaver. This will flatten it and make it easier to chop.
Keep pressing down on the garlic and chopping until it reaches the desired consistency.
Tips:
Finely cutting garlic increases its pungent flavor. Finely minced garlic will add a stronger flavor to the dish than more coarsely chopped garlic.
hope this helps. good luck.