Project Foodie - Knife Skills Illustrated

Knife Skills Illustrated

Although home cooks may not lament their knife skills to the same extent that the contestants on Top Chef do, most of us are quite aware how poorly we handle a knife in the kitchen. Yet, how do we go about improving those skills? Sure you can take a class but what happens after the class when the instructor isn't standing next to you showing you what to do? Peter Hertzmann, a culinary instructor who teaches knife skills courses, understands this challenge and has written "Knife Skills Illustrated" to help. He begins with an introductory section describing the anatomy of knives, proper holding techniques, knife sharpening and other fundamentals. With these basics in hand, Peter proceeds to explain the individual techniques for cutting a vast array of vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, and poultry. Each cutting technique is described in detail and includes wonderful drawings to illustrate the concepts for both right and left-handed cooks. As an example, see the instructions below for the right-handed version of cutting a pineapple beginning with peeling and proceeding through both slicing and wedge-cutting the pineapple. While this book alone may not allow you to win vegetable speed cutting contests it will give you the details needed to improve your knife cuttings skills through hands-on practice in your own kitchen.

Cutting Pineapple (right-hand version)

From "Knife Skills Illustrated" by Peter Hertzmann, W. W. Norton & Company 2007.

Peeling a Pineapple

Peeling (2)

Peeling (1)

Some chefs recommend twisting off the crown of the pineapple before cutting into the fruit, but this is an unnecessary extra step. Simply lay the pineapple on its side on a cutting board so the crown is to your right. Hold the pineapple steady with your left hand. Using a sharp chef 's knife held with a pinch grip, cut a thin slice from the top of the pineapple, just enough to remove the skin and crown (1). Then turn the pineapple around and cut off the base in a similar fashion (2).

Peeling (3)

To peel the pineapple, stand it on the cutting board on one of its cut ends. Hold the pineapple firmly in your left hand and hold a sharp chef 's knife with a pinch grip in your right. With a sawing motion, slice off a section of the pineapple skin from top to bottom. In removing the skin, you have the option of either cutting just enough skin off to reveal the round eyes or shaving off thin strips of flesh until the eyes are completely gone. After cutting off each strip of skin, rotate the pineapple toward you to expose a new section (3).

Peeling (4)

If you have left the eyes in place, there are several methods for removing them. One is to scoop out each eye with a small baller. Hold the pineapple with your left hand and hold the baller in your right hand, using it to encircle and remove each eye. Use a small baller that is only slightly larger than the eyes themselves (4).

Peeling (5)

A second method uses an Asian-style V-shaped gouge designed for vegetable carving to make spiral grooves around the entire pineapple. Lay the pineapple on its side. Hold the gouge in your right hand at a slightly left-pointing angle, and use your left hand to rotate the pineapple into the gouge. Start at the right end of the pineapple and continue making a single spiral groove until you reach the left end (5).Make as many additional grooves as necessary to remove all the eyes. This method results in more waste than the first but produces a more attractive result.

Slicing a Pineapple

Slicing (1)

Hold a peeled pineapple against the cutting board with your left hand. Hold a sharp chef 's knife with a pinch grip in your right hand. Because of the size of the pineapple, the cutting edge of the blade is held approximately parallel to the cutting board. Move the knife forward and backward in a sawing motion to make each slice (1).

Slicing (2)

The tough core can be removed from each slice with a small sharp knife, but a small biscuit or other round cutter about the size of the core will do the job much more neatly. Place the cutter over the core in each slice and press it through the slice with your right hand. It may be necessary to press down on the cutter with your palm instead of your fingers if the cutter is dull or the pineapple is a little tough. In either case, the resulting hole will be smooth and round (2).

Wedge-Cutting a Pineapple

Wedge Cutting (1)

Begin by cutting a pineapple into long wedges. This can be done with a peeled or an unpeeled pineapple, depending on how you plan to use the pieces. With unpeeled wedges, the skin can be used as a kind of serving tray. After the crown and base have been removed, stand the pineapple on one of its cut ends, supporting it with your left hand. Use the chef 's knife held with a pinch grip in your right hand to make the cuts. Using the tip of the knife, cut into the center of the core and then push down with the knife. Cut wedges the full length of the pineapple, as though you were cutting a pie. The wedges should be about an inch wide at the skin end. Lay each wedge flat on the cutting board with the core to your right. Hold the wedge firmly in place with the fingers of your left hand and, using the chef 's knife held with a pinch grip in your right hand, slice the core from the wedge using a slight sawing motion (1).

Wedge Cutting (3)

Wedge Cutting (2)

Place the wedge skin side down the cutting board. Hold the wedge with the thumb and forefinger of your left hand. Using the chef 's knife held in a pinch grip in your right hand, make a series of vertical cuts parallel to one another down the length of the wedge: if the skin is attached, cut only to the skin, not through it. If the wedge is peeled, cut all the way through it (2). Then, if the skin is still attached to the wedge, turn the blade so it is parallel to the cutting board and, cutting as close to the skin as possible, carefully separate the flesh from the skin using the tip of the blade. If done carefully, the pieces will remain almost in place. If necessary, they can be repositioned on the skin for serving (3).

About Knife Skills Illustrated: A User's Manual

Knives are the most common pieces of equipment in the kitchen, yet few cooks know the basic techniques that can allow them to carve, chop, slice, and mince effectively. Peter Hertzmann teaches you skills that encompass everything you need to do with a knife in the kitchen, whether you're a four-star chef or an at-home beginner. This comprehensive guide fills a gaping void in culinary literature.