eShop
Every time you cook, you’ll be using a knife. That makes a lot of people, especially beginners, more than a little nervous, but the more you practice the better and safer you’ll be. With that in mind, Chef Lesli offers up some basic knife skills to help you improve your cooking. Remember, following a few guidelines when using knives to cook will help to ensure you a successful finished product.
Keep these ideas in mind when using knives:
Safety
- A sharp knife is safer than a dull knife.
- Hone a knife each time you use it. (A honing steel comes with most big knife sets, and corrects the edge by straightening it.)
- Place a wet towel under a cutting board to create a stable surface.
- If walking with a knife, keep the knife point down and close to thigh. Alert others aloud you have a knife.
- Have the knife sharpened (create a new edge) once a year.
Cutting Tips
- Always cut away from you.
- To avoid scraping off part of the cutting board, use your knife parallel to the cutting board when collecting cut product.
- Cut vegetables into like-size pieces to allow for uniform cooking.
Maintenance
- Rinse off knives after cutting acidic foods, such as citrus and tomatoes.
- Always hand-wash knives, and never put them in the dishwasher.
- Never place knives in a sink of soapy water.
- Use cutting boards made of wood, plastic, and bamboo.
This video lesson is part of our Home Schooled Cooking Class series. You can see all of our lessons here.