Kitchen Knife Skills Guide

Overview

Frank, a professional chef and culinary instructor, provides a comprehensive guide to essential kitchen knife skills for home cooks, covering proper techniques, safety, and common types of cuts used in restaurant-quality cooking.

Knife Handling and Safety

• Use the "handshake grip" to hold the chef's knife, wrapping fingers around the handle and gripping the spine for control.
• Avoid extending your index finger along the blade, as it leads to fatigue and increases injury risk.
• Keep your non-dominant hand in the claw position with fingers tucked and thumb under, guiding the food securely.
• Maintain good posture: stand square to the cutting board with shoulders aligned and knees slightly bent.
• Always use a sharp knife, honing it every 10 minutes of cutting to maintain safety and efficiency.

Common Knife Cuts

• Chop (high cut): Used for large or rough cuts, ideal for quickly cutting vegetables.
• Rock (low cut): Used for smaller, finer cuts using a rocking motion.
• Dice: Create uniform cubes by slicing slabs, aligning the knife at a 90° angle for precision, and saving trimmings for stock or soup.
• Slice: Thin, even slices for items like tomatoes or onions; use a gentle sawing motion without crushing the food.
• Baton: Cut food (like potatoes) into matchstick shapes, keeping edges square for consistency.
• Julienne: Make fine matchsticks, often used for garnishes or precise presentations.
• Bias Cut: Slice at a 20–45° angle to increase surface area, suitable for garnishes or even cooking.
• Mince: Finely chop ingredients quickly using a rocking motion, primarily for herbs or garlic.
• Chiffonade: Stack and roll herb leaves, then slice thinly for decorative threads without bruising.
• Oblique (rondelle/roll cut): Rotate food after each cut to ensure uniform pieces from items that vary in thickness.

Tips and Common Errors

• Always create a stable, flat surface before slicing round objects to prevent slips.
• Avoid feeding food into the knife; instead, move the knife down along the food.
• Save trimmings for stocks or soups to reduce waste.
• Never cut with your hand positioned over the item, which obstructs your view and increases risk.

Recommendations / Advice

• Use a visual cut kit for practicing various cuts and improving consistency.
• Regular practice is essential for improving speed, accuracy, and safety with knives.