View Past
Cyber-Kitchen Articles
Knife Skills 101
Cyber-Kitchen
Knife Skills
Proper knife skills are one of the most valuable tools you can have in the kitchen. The first step to having good knife skills is having a good knife. Our chefs recommend purchasing a knife that has been forged out of one piece of steel, instead of being stamped out of a pattern. While it's all about personal preference, we use KitchenAid knives in the cooking school. |
|
The next step to good knife skills is learning the correct way to hold a knife. The photo below illustrates the proper grip to have. Make sure that your thumb grips the knife over the top of the blade, with the rest of your hand wrapping around the
bolster of the blade.
Now that your cutting hand knows what to do, it's important to use your other hand as a guide. This hand holds the food to make sure it doesn't slide over the cutting board. When using your "guiding hand," make sure that all your fingers are curls up underneath like a claw so that the knife in your other hand doesn't cut them. By using this technique, your knuckles will help keep your knife perpendicular to the cutting board. Another trick to keep you from getting cut is to place a damp paper towel
underneath your cutting board. This helps to insure that your board
won't slide around on the counter.
Basic Knife Cuts
Now that you know the proper way to hold a knife, it's time to get cutting! It might not seem to, but learning proper knife cuts can improve the quality of you cooking. For example, cutting everything to the same size and shape when making a stew can insure that all of your vegetables will cook at the same rate. Also, it increases the visual appeal of your dish! Below are some basic cuts that you can practice at home. Or, come to our next "Essentials of Cooking" class, and show us what you've learned!
Mince Mincing is a very fine chop. Garlic is a food that is frequently minced so that it will melt or blend into whatever dish it is being prepared for. To mince, first dice your food into small cubes. From there, take your knife and rest your guiding hand on top of the blade. Using a rocking motion, mince so that the tip of the knife stays on the board and the back of the knife moves up and down to do the work. |
|
Large Dice Measuring 3/4 in by 3/4 in by 3/4 in, this is the most basic of knife cuts Medium Dice Another basic knife cut, this one measures 1/2 in by 1/2 in by 1/2 in Small Dice Measuring 1/4 in by 1/4 in by 1/4 in, this is another basic knife cut
|
Left to right, large dice, medium dice, small dice |
Batonnet (pronounced bah-tow-NAY) This cut, which looks kind of like a large matchstick, should measure 1/2 in by 1/2 in by 3 in |
|
Julienne (pronounced joo-lee-ENN The Julienne can be one of the trickiest cuts to master. Measuring just 1/8 in by 1/8 in by 2 1/2 in, it is very time consuming. But, it looks absolutely beautiful in a dish. Check out our Julienne Vegetables in our Kitchen Fresh section of the deli and you'll see! Helpful Hint: When making this cut on peppers, first trim down the inside to get desired thickness (see adjacent photo) |
Remove extra membrane from the pepper to get desired thickness for this cut |
Finished Julienne cut |
|
Chiffonade (pronounced shif-o-NAWD) This cut is typically used to cut leafy green herbs and vegetables into long, thin strips. To do this, stack the leaves on top of each other from largest to smallest. Then, roll them tightly as if rolling a cigar. Cut across the roll with your knife, and you will produce fine ribbons that make beautiful garnishing for any dish. |
Roll leaves tightly |
Cut across the roll with knife |
Finished Chiffonade cut |
A Few More Tricks...
- Always use a sharp knife! You are more likely to cut yourself with a dull knife than a sharp one, because a dull knife requires you to use more force to get the job done.
- When cutting oddly-shaped foods, always reposition them on your cutting board so that you are cutting on a flat surface. This will help keep you from cutting yourself.
- Slice fruits and vegetables skin-side closest to the cutting board. By doing this, you will have an easier time guiding your knife, and again, you will be less likely to cut yourself.
Click here to return to Martin's School of Cooking Homepage
