Essential Knife Skills
Having a grasp on the Basics of Knife skills will elevate your cooking. It’s nut just about creating fancy twirls and spirals, its about maintaining the integrity of your ingredient. Take onions for example, if cut in a random fashion, i.e cross chopped, you break down the cell walls increasing the volitile compounds released, hence the irritated eyes. Cutting them properly, maintains as much of the cell wall as possible, making for a better end result, and happier eyes for you.
The same applies to delicate herbs. Bruised herbs will appear black and slimy, whereas chiffonade herbs impart their flavour and texture to your dish the way you want.
Follow these simple steps to get you on your way to beautiful, delicious dishes..
Basic Knife Skills:
1. HOLDING THE KNIFE. Before you begin, it is fundamental that you understand how to grip your knife safely so that it is robust in your grip. Wrap your fingers around the handle and use your forefinger and thumb at the heel of the blade to give you a firm grip for cutting.
2. THE CLAW. When you are cutting, its paramount that you keep your fingertips guarded to prevent injury. To achieve this, instead of laying your fingers flat on your ingredient, form a claw with your fingers and fingertips to act as a guard whilst you cut, but also to give you robust support.
3. THE ROCKING MOTION. When chopping vegetables or tough herbs, it’s important to use a rocking motion, where the knife always remains in contact with the chopping board. This ensures an even cut, protects you from potential injury and protects the knife blade from damage. Begin with the tip of the knife in contact with the board and the heel raised, gently lower the heel in a rocking motion to meet the board, lifting the tip. Lower the tip and repeat for the next successive cut.
4. SOFT HERBS. Chiffonade for herbs that bruise. Soft herbs like mint & basil are so delicate that they bruise when chopped, becoming soggy, blackened, and unsightly. To prevent this, take a bundle of 4 or so leaves and layer on top of each other. Roll into a tight cigar shape and make thin slices towards the central rib. Turn the cigar around and repeat towards the rib on the other side. Discard the rib and unravel the slices to give you small ribbons of herb.
5. MINCING GARLIC. To mince garlic without the wastage of a garlic mincer, remove the root and skin of the garlic clove and sprinkle a small amount of salt on your chopping board to give you traction. With the blade parallel to the garlic clove, crush it flat. Chop the garlic into small pieces then once again lay the blade flat and press down whilst pulling towards you, as if you are smearing it across the board. Gather the garlic paste up and repeat until you have formed a puree.