Using a knife will always be an essential part of cooking.
So if you love to cook, you should know by now how to cut the ingredients properly.
Learning to handle a knife isn’t just about making your food taste great.
Of course, it’s for your own safety as well.
Using a knife correctly ensures you don’t accidentally hurt yourself while cooking.
A professional chef and culinary instructor namely, Frank Proto, used his platform to help other people learn the “essential knife skills.”
His video was posted on YouTube. Guess what?
He didn’t stop at just showing one or two skills in his video.
He went all out and shared numerous knife skills.
Who would have imagined there were so many cool things to learn about using a knife?
Are you ready to learn these amazing knife skills that Frank has in store for us? J
ust keep on reading.
1. Dicing
We all know that dicing is a super precise way of chopping, where you transform your food into tiny, perfect cubes.
During his demonstration, Frank used squash as an example. Next, he cut the squash into slabs.
To ensure consistency, he made sure that all the slabs had equal sides. If any slabs were uneven, he trimmed them accordingly.
When he created sticks out of the slabs, he aligned them side by side and started to cut them into uniform cubes.
2. Slicing
Slicing is a task many of us do every day. But if you want to slice ingredients perfectly, you’ll be amazed by Frank’s technique.
He demonstrates his slicing skills by slicing tomatoes, onions, and even a huge watermelon.
One thing he consistently did was to start by slicing off the top and bottom parts of the fruit or vegetable.
But that’s not all – Frank had a secret to his smooth slicing. He held the ingredients firmly and securely, ensuring they wouldn’t slip or slide while he worked his magic.
3. Baton
Now, let’s proceed to the fascinating technique of creating baton-shaped pieces.
These are often used as garnish on plates, as explained by Frank.
He began his demonstration by preparing the ingredient. He first removed the ends to obtain a rectangular slab, ensuring a uniform shape.
Then, with a precise 90-degree angle, he proceeded to cut them.
Once he had those perfect slabs, it was time to turn them into baton shapes.
Using his deft knife skills, Frank sliced the slabs into long, thin pieces resembling little sticks.
4. Julienne
Frank uses Julienne for finished plated items.
Similar to baton shapes, julienne cuts are also used as a garnish, but they are thinner and more delicate.
He then did this technique flawlessly, using pepper as an example.
He began by cutting out the center part of the pepper, creating flat pieces to work with.
After removing any excess pepper, Frank skillfully sliced the pieces into little, thin sticks.
5. Bias
A bias cut is essentially a long, shallow angle.
To illustrate this technique, Frank used green onions as the perfect example.
Frank began by cutting off the stem end of the green onion.
Then, he used the same high-cut technique he used for precision cuts.
When making bias cuts, you can adjust the thickness depending on how you’ll move your claw hand.
But one interesting observation is that Frank rested the knife on his knuckle while performing this technique.
6. Mince
This is surely very familiar to you.
Frank has a special way of achieving minced ingredients in a fast and efficient manner.
To start, he emphasized the importance of chopping ingredients within a quick amount of time.
In addition, he shared a valuable tip about the pivot point of his knife.
By lifting the back of the knife and swiftly chopping the ingredient down with the back, he can achieve his desired minced garlic.
7. Chiffonade
This is another cut that is used for garnishes.
The essential thing to remember with chiffonade is that everything should be sliced very thin.
Frank exhibited how he transformed basil leaves into beautiful chiffonade herbs.
First, he neatly stacked the leaves on top of each other, ensuring they were flat.
Then, he rolled them tightly, creating a bundle.
One important tip Frank shared was to slice through the herbs without bruising them.
This delicate technique requires a gentle touch to maintain the freshness and vibrant color of the herb.
Take note that using a sharp knife is crucial for achieving a perfectly thin chiffonade.
Instead of chopping downwards, employ a high cut and slice straight through the bundle.
This method ensures precise cuts.
8. Oblique
Frank also explained what is an oblique cut, also known as rondel or roll cut.
He used a carrot to demonstrate this method, which is perfect for slicing ingredients that are thick on one end and thin on the other into even slices.
Frank began by cutting off the tip of the carrot.
Then, he proceeded to explain the detailed process of creating oblique cuts.
Essentially, oblique cuts involve making rotating bias cuts.
It means slicing the ingredient at a slanted angle while rotating it as you go.
There’s no doubt that Frank’s demonstration of various knife cuts has opened an opportunity for many people to learn how to utilize their knives effectively and achieve perfectly cut ingredients.
He also highlighted the importance of handling a knife with finesse and precision.
Indeed, each cut serves a purpose, whether it’s making a dish look more appealing or ensuring that the food cooks evenly.
Watch the video below to see every method firsthand.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
