The Steps
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1. How to grate nutmeg: Hold the whole nutmeg firmly between the index finger and thumb of your dominant hand. Holding the grater stationary with the other hand, move the nutmeg back and forth over the grater until the desired amount of ground spice is produced. 00:19
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2. How to grate a lemon: Hold the lemon firmly in your dominant hand. Move the lemon or other citrus fruit back and forth over the length of a microplane. Rotate the lemon so that only the yellow skin is exposed to the grater. The white pith is bitter and should not be avoided when grating. Continue to grate the outer layer of lemon until the desired amount of zest is produced. 00:34
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3. During any grating activity, be sure to remove the remnants stuck on the back or holes of the grater. This can usually be done by tapping the grater on a cutting board a few times. Be careful when touching the grater because the perforated holes are sharp. When grating, be careful to keep your fingers away from the grating surface to avoid injury. 01:12
What You'll Need
Equipment
- Spice or nutmeg grater
- Microplane
ingredients
- Nutmeg, whole (1)
- Lemon (1)
Chef Notes
A grater is a kitchen tool with sharpened, perforated holes used to
peel, shred, or grind. Graters come in various sizes, handle positions,
and grate sizes, depending on the application.
Box graters are common.
They have a handle at the top and four sides with grates of different shapes
and sizes. These are useful for grating large or dense ingredients.
Microplane graters are usually long, narrow
strips of metal with shallow grates and are used to shave off the
flavor-packed peels of citrus fruits without removing the bitter pith.
Other types of graters include those specially designed for nutmeg (tiny, pointed grates) and cheese (long, thin grates).
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