Using a knife like a professional chef is like playing the violin. It takes time and practice, but the first step is getting the hand-positioning right. The best way to learn to wield a knife like a pro and cut your prep time in half is just by rolling up your sleeves and doing it.
So what does it take to get really skilled -- fast enough to join the ranks of top chefs like Tom Colicchio and Gordon Ramsey? I got a grip on my own knife skills somewhere around the 4,000-hour mark, the equivalent to chopping 3,000 pounds of carrots. Working in restaurant kitchens, I saw some serious stuff from chefs who wowed me with their fluidity, speed and perfect accuracy. However, you don't have to be a pro to improve your knife skills and avoid injury. Start today with these two easy tips that anyone can master.
Get Jennifer's safe, swift chopping secrets after the jump.
Nice and Steady
Make sure your knife is sharp because you have to apply more pressure with a dull knife to push it through the ingredients you're slicing. Holding the knife correctly gives you much more control and stability. It might feel a little awkward the first time you try a new hand position, but once you get used to it you'll not only be able to move faster, but you'll also be less likely to cut yourself. Tuck your middle finger under the hilt of the knife. Place your pointer finger on one side of the blade -- approximately in the center -- and the thumb on the other side in the same position.
Movement
If you're slicing herbs, carrots or celery, you'll use a back-and-forth sawing motion, cutting with the length of the knife blade without lifting it off the board. This will also allow you to move faster, and finely slice delicate herbs without bruising them. Eventually you'll pick up more speed as your skill increases. This will happen naturally, so there's no use in trying to rush it. Once you have total comfort and control, you'll be off to the races.
Learn more about Jennifer at skinnychef.com, and read her exclusive Slashfood blogs every Monday and Friday.
5-18-2009 @2:02PM Julie said... My father was always a bug about proper knife skills he started teaching me as soon as I was old enough and he was right.
http://www.noshtalgia.blogspot.com/
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5-18-2009 @3:05PM Pyrofish said... In trying to get my family to cook more at home, I've noticed two things prior to the knife skills that have greatly enhanced their cutting experience. A decent sized cutting board, and a stable cutting board. It seems to go without saying, until you see your sister-in-law cutting veg on a bar board meant for limes and lemons. I bought her one of those packets of thin plastic boards (I like to use them when I travel and cook).
The second big tip that they all seemed to need, was how to make their cutting boards stay put. Alton brown recommends those rubber shelf liners under a board, and they work great. But so does a damp paper towel placed under the board. Once they had a stable and decent sized surface, they were able to cut with a little more confidence. Now if I just get them away from Farberware knives :-) ...
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5-18-2009 @3:51PM Divine Bird Jenny said... I knew about step 2, but step 1 is new to me. I will definitely be trying this hand position next time I chop veg!!
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5-19-2009 @12:49AM BraH said... The trick is to concentrate on accuracy first, and speed second. Speed develops naturally as your precision improves.
Take it from a butcher.
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5-19-2009 @2:37PM mpayton54 said... And be sure to curl the fingers holding the herbs/carrots as in the photo above -- that way the knuckle, an inch or so off the board, stops the knife from getting too close. (If your fingers are extended, there's nothing -- other than your rapt attention or good luck -- to keep the knife from cutting off the tip of a finger.)
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