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1.3: Knife Skills

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    21829

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    Knife skills are the single most important and the most fundamental skill a chef must acquire. Knife skills take repetition and practice to build speed and productivity. Good knife skills require an organized workstation, properly sharpened knives, and disciplined technique. The Chef Knife or French Knife is the single instrument with which you will spend the most time.

    Gripping the Knife

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    A good grip will give you better control increasing cutting accuracy and speed, while preventing slippage and lessening the chances of accidents.

    Handling the Knife

    The best way to hold a chef knife is to grip the heel of the blade with your thumb and forefinger and wrap the remaining three fingers around the handle.

    The Guide Hand

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    The purpose of the opposite hand is used for holding and guiding the food to be processed. Always curl the fingertips of the opposite hand into a ‘claw’ shape, never lay them flat. Use the second joint of the opposite fingers as a guide for the knife blade. This will help control the thickness of the cut. Slide the blade across the product. A sharp edge will allow the knife to glide through the object with minimal applied pressure.

    Uniformity & Consistency

    Consistency in shape and size is important for two reasons:

    1. A uniform size will give the dish a better appearance.
    2. Uniformity in size means the product will cook evenly.

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    Mise en Place

    Bouquet Garni, Sachet d'epice

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    Mirepoix & Matignon

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    Other mise en place cuts would include:

    • Minced garlic
    • Minced parsley
    • Tomato concassee
    • Diced bell pepper

    Standard U.S. Measurements (See Appendix for Additional Measures)

    Unit Equals Also equals
    1 teaspoon 1/3 tablespoon 1/6 fluid ounce
    1 tablespoon 3 teaspoons 1/2 fluid ounce
    1/8 cup 2 tablespoons 1 fluid ounce
    1/4 cup 4 tablespoons 2 fluid ounces
    1/3 cup 1/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons 2 3/4 fluid ounces
    1/2 cup 8 tablespoons 4 fluid ounces
    1 cup 1/2 pint 8 fluid ounces
    1 pint 2 cups 16 fluid ounces
    1 quart 4 cups 32 fluid ounces
    1 liter 1 quart plus 1/4 cup 4 1/4 cups
    1 gallon 4 quarts 16 cups/128 fl. oz.

    This page titled 1.3: Knife Skills is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by William R. Thibodeaux & Randy Cheramie via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.