9 Essential Knife Skills To Master | Epicurious 101

Introduction

In this tutorial, we'll explore nine essential knife skills to elevate your cooking abilities. Professional chef Frank Proto guides us through various cutting techniques that can help you achieve restaurant-quality results in your kitchen. Whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your skills, these techniques are fundamental for efficient and safe food preparation.

Step 1: Handling Your Knife

• Grip: Hold the knife with a firm grip, ensuring your thumb and index finger are on the blade while the other fingers wrap around the handle.
• Stance: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart for stability. Keep your non-dominant hand in a claw position to protect your fingers while cutting.
• Knife Safety: Always cut away from your body and keep your fingers clear of the blade.

Step 2: Rough Chop

• Technique: Use a rocking motion, moving the knife down and forward, then back.
• Application: Great for chopping vegetables like onions and bell peppers quickly.
• Tip: Keep the tip of the knife on the cutting board while using the rocking motion for better control.

Step 3: Dice

• Process:
  1. Start with a rough chop to create uniform pieces.
  2. Stack the pieces and cut them into strips.
  3. Rotate the strips and slice crosswise to create cubes.
• Application: Ideal for making ingredients uniform for even cooking.

Step 4: Slice

• Technique: Use long, smooth strokes, letting the knife do the work.
• Application: Perfect for slicing meats, fish, or delicate vegetables like tomatoes.
• Tip: Avoid pressing down too hard; a gentle touch will yield cleaner cuts.

Step 5: Baton

• Process:
  1. Cut vegetables into rectangular sticks (batons).
  2. Use these batons for further cutting into dice or julienne.
• Application: Useful for carrots and zucchini, creating uniform shapes for stir-fries or garnishes.

Step 6: Julienne

• Technique:
  1. Start with batons, then cut them into thin strips.
  2. Maintain uniform size for even cooking and presentation.
• Application: Commonly used for vegetables in salads or stir-fries.

Step 7: Bias

• Process:
  1. Slice ingredients at a 45-degree angle.
  2. This technique increases the surface area for better flavor absorption.
• Application: Perfect for enhancing the presentation of vegetables like green onions.

Step 8: Mince

• Technique:
  1. Use a rocking motion to chop ingredients finely.
  2. Keep your fingers tucked to avoid injury.
• Application: Ideal for garlic, herbs, and other ingredients needing fine chopping.

Step 9: Chiffonade

• Process:
  1. Stack leaves (like basil) and roll them tightly.
  2. Slice across the roll to create thin ribbons.
• Application: Adds a beautiful garnish to dishes and is perfect for salads.

Step 10: Oblique

• Technique: Cut the ingredient at an angle, turning it after each cut to create a series of angled pieces.
• Application: This method is great for root vegetables and adds visual interest to your dishes.

Conclusion

Mastering these nine knife skills will greatly enhance your cooking efficiency and presentation. Practice each technique regularly to improve your confidence and proficiency. Next steps include integrating these skills into your everyday cooking and exploring advanced techniques as you progress. Happy cooking!