Everyone wants to look and more importantly cook like a chef in the kitchen. Others have just been inspired after binge-watching whole seasons of cooking shows. Being a master in the kitchen is not about having the best devices or the latest equipment. Like most things, it’s the basic skills that separate beginners from professionals.
The most basic tool in the kitchen is the knife. And that’s what we will be concentrating on. In this article, we will be focusing on 5 basic knife skills that you should master. If you need more advice or any other knife recommendations, click on KnivesAdvice.com.
Gripping a knife
This is the most basic skill that you should have as a chef. A proper grip might be the difference between a trip to the emergency room and a beautiful meal.
As a beginner, you might want to emphasize power and control. This will make your grip the knife’s handle with all five fingers. But this is not recommended. Such a grip will significantly limit your control and extent of motion.
The recommended knife grip is with your finger and thumb holding the very back of the knife. The rest of your fingers should be wrapped around the handle.
How to cut
Most people use an aggressive motion when cutting ingredients. However, such a motion only seeks to wear out both your chopping board and knives before their time. In addition, there is always the possibility of cutting your finger.
The suggestion that the professionals at KnivesAdvice have is to use a back and forth motion. This will give you better control and also reduce the wearing out of your appliances.
In addition, your opposite hand should form a claw. Your fingertips should not be splayed out on the board. This significantly increases the possibility of you getting cut.
Dicing
To be a master in the kitchen, you must know how to dice. It is a common instruction that you will see in recipes, especially when it comes to onions. To properly dice, start with cutting the ingredient into halves, peel off the outer layers, and lay it on its flat side.
After making a few horizontal cuts horizontally and vertically, chop the onion at regular intervals to achieve an even dice.
How to mince
Mincing is another basic knife skill that you need like a kitchen master. Mincing will make your food flavorful as it easily releases the flavor of the ingredient into your food. When it comes to mincing, garlic is the most typical ingredient.
Chiffonade
This knife skill is common with herbs, for example, basil leaves. To Chiffonade, first, stack up against your herbs in a pile. Next roll them into a cigar shape from the top to down. Then make very thin slices across the leaves. The result should be ribbon-like.