Regardless of what you are whipping up in the kitchen, mastering certain knife skills will help keep you safer and happier in the kitchen. While everyday cooking requires basic knife skills, the minute you want to step things up in the kitchen, it’s probably best to improve those skills!
Mastering knife skills takes time and ample practice, but there are a few tips and tricks you can use to help speed up the process.
Different Knife Skills
You’ve probably seen chefs on TV effortlessly slicing onions at lightning speed or julienning carrots into perfect matchsticks, and you’ve wondered, How do they make it look so easy? The answer is simple: they’ve mastered essential knife skills.
Follow these tips below to learn five knife skills that every home chef should have in their prep repertoire:
1. Julienne
If you’ve ever been impressed by those perfectly thin matchstick vegetables in a stir-fry or salad, you’ve admired a julienne cut. Julienne refers to a knife technique used to prepare vegetables by slicing them into matchstick-sized segments.
To julienne a vegetable, cut off the rounded ends to make it rectangular. Then, cut it into bite-sized thin, flat pieces around five centimeters long.
Next, cut each piece into strips lengthwise. Finally, stack those strips and cut them lengthwise again to make thin, long sticks.
Where to Use It: Julienne carrots, cucumbers, or bell peppers are perfect for salads, wraps, and garnishes.
2. Chiffonade
This may sound fancy, but you can achieve this next-level kitchen knife skill in a few minutes. In culinary terms, a chiffonade cut refers to thinly sliced strips of herbs or other leafy greens. In French, “chiffonade” means “made of rags”.
It is a similar cut to a julienne, but chiffonading is done for herbs and leafy greens only and makes for perfect side salads when entertaining over the holidays. Start by rolling up the long edge of the leaves and use a small, sharp knife to slice the roll into thin strips.
There you have it, that is all this cut requires.
3. Safety Skills
Some basic knife safety skills include proper handling and storage.
Point the blade away from your body when cutting, washing, or drying your knives. Always use a cutting board that has been secured with a damp paper towel or a non-slip mat.
Only ever use sharp knives, dull knives are the enemy of knife safety! Invest in a good quality knife sharpener and keep your knives sharp and ready for safe use.
Store your knives properly when not in use.
4. Slice and Dice
Knife skills in the kitchen start with a good slicing technique.
Learn to move your knife in a rocking, tip-to-base motion to cleanly slice your ingredients. This technique requires practice. Start slowly, slide the fingers of your claw hand back, and move the knife after each cut.
Once you have practiced this technique, you will gradually be able to slice faster and more accurately.
5. Boning
A boning knife is a specialized kitchen knife for removing bones from meat, fish, and poultry.
These knives typically have a narrow, flexible, pointed blade. They are designed to provide precision and control when maneuvering around joints and bones, making them ideal for trimming, deboning, and shaping meat.
The Proper Way to Hold a Knife
Before you even start slicing and dicing, it’s crucial to learn how to hold a knife correctly. Believe it or not, this simple skill sets the foundation for everything else. A good grip gives you control, reduces strain on your hand, and minimizes the risk of accidents.
How to Hold Your Knife Like a Pro:
- Grip the Handle Firmly: Hold the handle with your dominant hand, but don’t grip it like you’re about to arm wrestle. A relaxed yet secure hold is key.
- Pinch the Blade: Place your thumb and index finger on either side of the blade, just above the handle. This gives you more control over your cuts.
- Support With Your Other Hand: Use your non-dominant hand to guide the food, keeping your fingers curled inward like a claw to protect them.
Once you master this grip, you’ll feel more confident and in control, making cutting tasks much smoother.
Bonus Knife Skills
Because you’re serious about upping your kitchen game, here are a couple of bonus skills that will make you even more efficient:
How to Mince Garlic Like a Chef
- Smash a garlic clove with the flat side of your knife to loosen the skin.
- Peel and slice the clove.
- Rock your knife back and forth over the slices until they’re finely minced.
Pro Tip: Sprinkle a little salt on the garlic as you mince—it acts as an abrasive and helps break it down faster.
Peeling With a Knife
If you don’t have a vegetable peeler handy, you can use your knife to peel fruits and veggies. Hold the food in one hand and use a paring knife to carefully remove the skin in long, thin strips. This takes a bit of practice, but it’s a useful skill to have!
These five tips will have you cooking up a storm in your kitchen in no time! The most important thing to remember about handling kitchen knives is that safety comes first.
Never use a knife when you are distracted or tired. If you stick to these basic rules, you will become a knife master before you know it.
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