Chef Marie
|
ARTICLES Knives And Cutting Techniques
Knives come in different materials, shapes, and sizes. High-carbon stainless steel knivesare the most popular because of their sharpness, non-corrosiveness, and non-discoloration with food. However, they are pricy but worth it, and they will last you a long time. Carbon steel knives are also a favorite, being cheaper than high-carbon stainless steel knives. However, they corrode and can discolor foods.
The best and durable knives are those that have the tang (the portion of the blade that is inside the handle) run the full length of the handle. The most useful knives are chef, utility, paring, boning, slicing knife, and a vegetable peeler. You need a sharpening stone, which allows you to maintain and true knife-edges. You will also need a honing steel to smooth out irregularities on the blades. How to hold and sharpen a knife using a stone: Hold the knife with one hand, placing your fingers close to the wider part of the blade but not over or under the blade. Only the index finger should sit on top of the blade for stronger grip. Place the blade at a 20° angle to the stone. Place the fingers of your other hand on the tip part of the knife for pressure. Make light even strokes in one direction on one side, starting from the tip part of the knife and finishing with the wider part of the knife. Repeat the same process on the other side of the knife. You need to make 4 to 5 strokes per sides. More strokes may dull the knife. After sharpening, clean the knife to avoid any small particles of the knife that could get in the food. How to use honing steel: Hold the honing steel with one hand and place the knife at 20° angle. Make light even strokes without much pressure starting from the wider part of the knife and finishing by the tip part of the knife. Repeat from the other side of the steel with the other side of the knife. Alternate both motions. You need to make 4 to 5 strokes on each side. Again, more strokes may dull the knife. When finished honing, clean the knife to avoid any small particles of the knife that could get in the food. Cutting techniques: Hold the knife with one hand and use the other hand to hold the product. Curl the knuckles under so the knife stays right next to your knuckles. That motion will protect you from cutting your fingertips. A chef knife blade has different areas for different application. The tip is used to cut smaller items such as mushrooms, the middle part is the most often used for general cutting, and the wider part of the knife is used for cutting thicker items. There are two possible motions when moving the knife. Starting with the tip sitting on the cutting board, move the knife down with the wider part finishing on the cutting board. Place the blade at 45° angle and, using the top middle part of the knife, push down and forward through the item. Both methods are good; use the one with which you are most comfortable. There are many different ways to prepare food. Here are the most common cuts used in my recipes: Slice: thin, medium, and large Dice: small, medium, and large Brunoise: very small dice Batonnet: small, medium, and large (similar to a French fries cut) Julienne: very thin rectangular slices cut into thin strips Half or quarter Buy some potatoes, carrots, onions, and practice your cuts. Then use those ingredients to make a soup. There is no need to waste. Have some fun! |
