To cook well you need to learn good knife skills. The more comfortable you get, the more you will cook and the easier it will become to handle the knife. Certain recipes call for different types of cutting techniques, so grab your knives and get ready to start chopping!
How to Select a Good Knife
To start your cooking journey, you need to have a good set of knives. These knives don’t need to be expensive but they do need to be sharp. Out of all your knives, the chef’s knife is the one that will see the most action. You must pick a knife set that feels comfortable in your hand, this is the tool that will make you a better cook and improve your knife skills.
First, think of the size and weight of the knife. A small paring knife, for example, is perfect for delicate tasks such as peeling and trimming, while a larger chef’s knife offers the flexibility needed for chopping and mincing with ease. By understanding the specific tasks each knife is designed for, you can ensure a seamless experience in the kitchen.
Next, look at the shape of the blade. A straight edge blade is perfect for precise slicing, while a serrated blade is ideal for tasks that involve cutting through tough or crusty surfaces, like bread or tomatoes. Additionally, a santoku knife combines the benefits of both straight and serrated edges, making it perfect for a wide range of cuts.
Finally, handle comfort and grip are crucial factors to consider. Look for knives with ergonomic handles that feel comfortable in your hand. A good grip will not only reduce tiredness during prolonged use but also provide better control and precision when cutting.
When picking a knife set it should contain the following basic knives:
- Chefs knife
- Sharpening steel
- Paring knife
- Serrated bread knife
If you have all these knives, you are well on your way to becoming a better home cook.
How To Hold A Knife
Before you even start with cutting techniques, you need to learn how to hold the knife properly. This is one of the most important knife skills. There are two main ways of holding the knife.
- Wrapping your fingers around the handle
- Choke down on the blade and wrap three fingers around the handle so the blade is closer to your fingers
Experiment with different grips and find the one that feels most comfortable and gives you the best control. Keep in mind that everyone’s hand shape and size are different, so what works for one person may not work for another. Practice holding the knife and adjust your grip as needed until you find the most natural and secure position. How you hold the knife is a personal thing and whatever you feel comfortable with is best. I prefer to choke down on the handle as I feel more in control of the blade when cutting.
Keeping your knives sharp
It is important to keep your knives sharp as part of your knife skills as a dull knife is more dangerous in the kitchen. A sharp knife should glide through food with little pressure on the knife, which means less chance of cutting yourself. To keep your knife sharp, you can use a honing steel. Whilst this doesn’t sharpen the knife, it keeps the edge in good condition so that the knife can cut. Eventually this edge is worn down and a new edge needs to be made – this is when you would use a whetstone.
The rolling technique
Using this technique to cut food is probably the most used technique. It allows you to cut through the food easily, efficiently, and rhythmically. Once you get good you will be able to cut through and slice foods in no time. The motion of the knife is a rolling motion so that the blade moves through the food and the blade does the work of slicing the ingredient. You begin by pulling the tip of the knife back and then slicing it down with the knife whilst moving forward with the blade. The result is a rolling motion and the knife blade never leaves the chopping board.
Using your guide hand
Your guide hand is the hand that holds the ingredients you are going to be chopping. The way you position this hand is important to prevent you from cutting yourself. To do this, the knuckles are bent and the fingertips are tucked under in a claw-type fashion. It is important to keep the knife in contact with the middle knuckle of your guide hand. With your fingertips tucked underneath, this knuckle provides a guard against cutting yourself. As you cut, you move your guide hand backward, allowing you to keep cutting the ingredients.
The Knife Cuts Every Cook Should Know
Slicing – this is the main cutting technique from which all others are derived. To slice just means to cut your ingredients into sections. When you vary the size of the slice and the direction you cut in, then you end up with a different style of cut. This can then affect the texture of the final dish.
Batons – this technique is very similar to julienne but larger and thicker. The ingredient is squared off so it is uniform, then cut into thick ¼” inch-thick batons.
Dice – this is a cut that is uniform on all sides and the ingredient is cut into a cube shape. The ingredient is usually squared off around the edges, then cut into batons or matchsticks before turning the ingredient 90 degrees and cutting into small cubes. This type of cut is the most often used in the kitchen and is used to cut familiar ingredients such as potatoes, tomatoes or when dicing an onion.
Julienne – this is a matchstick type of cut and involves cutting the ingredients into thick batons, then cutting them even further into small thin matchsticks. This is also important as it forms the basis of creating a very small dice, called a brunoise.
Mince – mincing involves cutting an ingredient, like garlic, into very small fine pieces. To do this, you can cut the ingredient like an onion, then using the pivot technique of cutting, cut into a fine piece.
Brunoise – this is a very precise cut, similar to a minced cut but much more precise with the resulting ingredients being very small diced cubes. This is achieved by cutting the ingredient into a julienne cut, and then cutting the julienne ingredient into a very small dice.
Practice Makes Perfect
Just like any craft, mastering knife skills requires dedication and practice. Think of it as a continuous learning process that never really ends. Even professional chefs constantly refine their techniques to stay at the top of their game. So, don’t be discouraged if your first attempts don’t yield perfect results. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither were exceptional knife skills.
Start by practicing the basics. Focus on perfecting the fundamental cuts like slicing, dicing, and chopping. Use different vegetables and fruits as your canvas, experimenting with various textures and sizes. By repeating these techniques over and over, you’ll build muscle memory that enhances your precision and speed.
It’s essential to create a conducive practice environment. Set up a clean, organized workspace with all the necessary tools readily available. Ensure that your cutting board is stable and secure, and invest in a high-quality, well-maintained knife. A comfortable grip and a sharp blade are key to executing clean and precise cuts.
