Knife Skills That Impressed Chefs Worldwide

Whether you cook all your meals or just like to play around in the kitchen, one skill that everyone should have is knife handling. It's an essential part of the cooking process and one of the most important skills a chef learns in culinary school.

Knowing how to slice, dice, julienne, and mince will serve you well no matter what type of dish you're making. But let's be honest—it can be pretty intimidating for beginners. After all, knives are sharp!

Thankfully, there are basic knife techniques that every home cook can learn and practice to sharpen their skills and make their food prep faster and safer. In this article, we'll give you an overview of some of these techniques used by top chefs worldwide. You'll be impressing your friends (and yourself) with your new knife handling skills in no time!

Basic Knife Safety Rules

First and foremost, let's talk about a few basic rules to ensure your safety when handling a knife. The most important rule of all is to know that the blade is always sharp, so always keep your fingers away from the cutting edge.

When picking up a knife, it's best to hold it near the handle, with your thumb placed securely against the blade for better control. Moreover, it's critical to store knives properly in order to prevent accidents or injury. You should never leave knives in the sink, or any other area that young children might access them.

Always work on cutting boards that are stable and large enough to contain whatever you are cutting. Additionally, make sure the board is non-slip by placing it on a wet towel or rubber mat; this will help prevent slipping while you’re slicing and dicing. These simple precautions can protect all your hard work—and you—from harm!

Choosing the Right Knife for the Job

The number one rule when it comes to knife skills is to always choose the right knife for the job. That's because different knives are designed to perform different tasks, and using the wrong tool can result in poor cutting technique, messier food prep, and an increased risk of injury.

To make sure your cooking experience is safe and efficient as possible, here are some tips on choosing the right knife:

For larger fruits and vegetables, pick a chef’s knife—it has a longer blade so you can cut through thicker vegetables with ease.

For smaller vegetables such as garlic and shallots, a paring knife will help you chop them finely while giving you more control.

Serrated knives are ideal for cutting bread or tomatoes; their sharp edges are great for making even slices without squashing the bread or fruit.

A cleaver is best used for tough tasks like breaking down poultry or dicing up large chunks of meat and vegetables.

If you have the right knife for each specific job, not only will you move more quickly around the kitchen, but you’ll also achieve professional-level results even if you’re just starting out!

Learning How to Sharpen a Knife Properly

One of the most important knife skills you can learn is sharpening. Sure, they make knives that come with sharp edges, but you'll want to sharpen them from time to time. Sharp knives make cooking more enjoyable, because you don't have to work so hard to get through your veggies.

An angle guide

You'll need an angle guide and a honing rod for sharpening—the angle guide helps you keep the correct angle while sharpening. You want to maintain a consistent angle—holding your blade at a 15-degree angle is a safe bet.

Wet stone

Using a wet stone (a type of fine-grained sandstone) is one of the best ways to sharpen your knife. Move the blade along the stone in an arch-like stroke and repeat at least 4 or 5 times on each side of the blade, slowly increasing pressure each time you pass through until you get that perfect edge.

You'll also want to lubricate your wet stone with water or oil sometimes during the process for best results.

If all of this feels overwhelming, using electric knife sharpeners are another option that take much of the guesswork out of sharpening knives!

Different Uses for Serrated and Non-Serrated Knives

When it comes to knives, there are two main types of blades: serrated and non-serrated. Each knife has its own specific uses, so it’s important to know the difference between them.

Non-Serrated Knives

Non-serrated knives are those without teeth, jagged edges or indentations. Their blades tend to be curved or waved because they're made to make a smooth cutting motion. They're perfect for slicing through soft or thin items like tomatoes and hard boiled eggs. They can also help when you’re making intricate cuts like peeling potatoes or slicing cheese into thin pieces.

Serrated Knives

Conversely, serrated knives have curved, jagged edges that are specifically designed to saw through items like bread and meat. The sharp teeth make these types of knives ideal for cutting tough foods with a crunchy exterior like baguettes and crusty raw vegetables.

Overall, you should have both types of knifes in your kitchen arsenal in order to get the most out of your meals—you don't want to be stuck with one kind of blade when you need something else! With a combination of non-serrated and serrated knives, you can eat better, faster and simpler—all while looking like a pro chef in the kitchen!

Mastering the Julienne, Chiffonade, and Brunoise Techniques

You may have heard of the famous julienne, chiffonade, and brunoise techniques before, but do you actually know what they are? These classic knife skills are used by chefs all over the world to help give food more texture and flavor.

Julienne

Julienne is a cutting technique that creates thin strips of food, such as carrots or potatoes. A julienne cut is made by slicing the food into thin sticks that are the same size and shape. This technique requires precision, so make sure your knife is nice and sharp for perfect results.

Chiffonade

Chiffonade is a technique that cuts herbs or leafy vegetables like spinach into thin ribbons. Each piece should be about as thin as a piece of paper. Don’t forget to stack up your leaves first so they’re easy to slice!

Brunoise

The brunoise cut is one of the more complex chopping techniques out there, but it’s worth learning if you want to take your cooking to the next level. To do this type of cut, dice small cubes– each cube should be about 1/8-inch in size. This technique takes some practice but with patience (and a sharp knife) you can get even pieces every time!

Common Knife Skills Used in Professional Kitchens

Using a knife with precision and skill is essential for preparing food like a professional chef. There are several techniques commonly used in professional kitchens, that you can learn and practice to hone your skills. Here are some common knife skills everyone should know:

Mince

Mincing is the process of cutting small pieces of food into even smaller pieces, usually involving herbs and other aromatics. To mince properly, hold the knife with a claw-like grip and use it to chop the ingredient into tiny bits by rocking the blade. This technique is often used in recipes that have onions, garlic or other vegetables as primary ingredients.

Dice

This method is similar to mincing, but instead of cutting into small pieces, you cut into cubes about ½ inch or smaller in size. As for technique, use your dominant hand to hold the top of the knife's handle and move it from side to side while pressing downwards with your other hand.

Julienne

Like dicing, this technique involves cutting foods — like carrots — into thin strips about 2 inches long. Experts suggest using your dominant hand to guide the blade while slicing with your non-dominant hand on top of the ingredients. To ensure even cuts, move your free hand closer to your grip on the handle as you slice down.

Chiffonade

This method involves finely sliced herbs and vegetables like basil or cabbage into thin ribbons that can be used as garnishes or dressings in salads. To properly chiffonade an ingredient start by stacking several leaves flat on top of each other and rolling them up tightly together like a cigar shape; then slice across them as thinly as possible —making sure all

Conclusion

With practice, anyone can master the basics of knife skills. All you need is a sharp knife, some patience and a good teacher. With the basics under your belt, you can build on your skills and become a master of knife work.

Having basic knife skills can open up a world of possibilities in the kitchen. Whether you're a professional chef or a home cook, knowing how to use a knife correctly will take your cooking up a notch. And the more you practice, the more you'll be able to impress your family and friends with your impressive knife skills. So why not give it a try?