How to Chop Like a Chef

August seems to be turning into How to month! These tips will help you cook like a pro. One of the important things in cooking is to have items chopped into the same size pieces. So the chicken will be cubed, the carrots julienned, the onions sliced, and all the carrots will cook at the same rate, same with chicken and onions. Get it?

1. Use a sharp knife. A dull one is more likely to slip off the food and slice your hand. So use a very sharp knife, and go slowly at first.

2. A chef’s knife will do for most of your chopping. Get one that feels comfortable in your hand. It will be wedge-shaped, will be a little heavy, and will have a straight edge. It will be 8-10 inches long.

3.  Control- So Important! Pick up the knife firmly by the handle and hold it firmly at the base of the blade. Put your thumb on one side and keep your index finger, slightly bent, on the other.

4. Your other hand- the guiding hand- is important, too!  Hold the food down, keeping your fingers curled inward and your knuckles up.

5. Rest your middle knuckle against the knife as a guide.  Try slicing a few things first using this technique. next we will get into different types of slices and dices, different knife cuts!

Chef Joey- MagicKitchen.com blogger