Great French Knives: Basic Knife Cutting Techniques

Basic Knife Cutting Techniques

These rules are important for your safety, the proper care of your knives and for building good skills. Treat you knives with care and respect and they will serve you well for a long time.

* Watch both of your hands while you cut. Pay attention! If you are distracted in any way stop cutting, and put your knife down.
* Rinse or wash your knives after each task. Dry it with the sharp edge away from you. Replace it on the counter near you.
* Consider your knives as an extension of your arm. They should work together. Use an arm action rather than a wrist action. Do not place your forefinger on the top of the blade as you cut. This restricts your movement.
* Store your knives in a knife block, against a magnettic bar, in a special drawer with each blade covered or in a knife case.

How to Cut an Onion

1st step

1. Leaving the onion whole, peel from the top pulling the outer brown skin downward. You may remove a second layer if it is partially brown.

If you do not cut the onion before you peel it, it will not irritate your eyes.

2nd step

2. Trim the onion on the top. Leave the root end intact. It will help to keep the onion together while cutting.

Using your wide 6-inch knife, carefully cut the onion in half through the top and the root end. Once the knife partially penetrates the onion place your left hand on top of the knife so it is completely safe as you cut downward.

3rd step

3. Working with one half at time, place the flat side of the onion on the cutting board. Place your left hand on the onion. Keep all of your fingers completely flat and safe. Make a horizontal cut 1/4-inch wide with a firm zigzag motion . Stop before you reach the root end.

Carefully cut the onion at 1/4-inch intervals, always making sure your left hand keeps your work stable, but is always in a safe position.

4th step

4. With your 4-inch knife, cut down to the board at 1/4-inch intervals. Do not cut through the root end.

Move your left hand back as you continue to cut.

5th step

5. Using your wide 6-inch knife, cut across the onion at 1/4-inch intervals. Stop before you reach the root end. Secure the onion as you cut by holding your left hand in a gentle curved shape with your thumb and little finger holding the sides.

6th step

6. Voila! A perfectly chopped onion!

Great French Knives at Bon Vivant School of Cooking
4925 NE 86th Street, Seattle, WA 98115
206-525-7537
info@bon-vivant.com