Whether you're thinking of starting a career as a chef or you just want to get more comfortable with cooking at home, having the right knife skills can make a big difference in the quality and safety of your experience! Here are a few of the biggest skills you'll want to practice before you make your next meal.
First, you need a good grip on the knife you're using. A lot of people like a handshake grip, where they wrap their hand around the knife's handle like they're going to shake hands with it. That's far from the only option, though, and you need to choose the one that's right for your needs. You can also use a pinch grip, which is when you pinch the knife handle between your thumb and forefinger just before the bolster. Then you can wrap your other fingers around the handle.
The handshake grip will give you more stability than the pinch grip, but you'll be giving up some precision. If you're doing fine or delicate work, choosing the pinch grip in generally the better choice.
Along with the grip you're using on your knife, you also want to make sure whatever you're cutting isn't slipping around or trying to roll away from you. If it doesn't have a flat side already, make one. Then you won't have to worry about it getting away when you're trying to slice, dice, or chop it. That's a good way to reduce your risk of injury, and another way to protect yourself is by using the "claw." That's when you curve your fingers to keep the knife from nicking them as you chop.
Your fingernails should be touching the top of whatever you're cutting, and your knuckles should extend beyond them. Then you can allow the side of the knife blade to ride against your knuckles, and you won't cut your fingertips. At that point you can work on mastering the various ways to slice and chop, along with finer skills like dicing. Just like anything else you do, proper knife skills require practice. The goal is to be as safe as possible while you're learning.
If you are looking for effortless and dependable professional knife sharpening that never leaves you empty handed, contact us today!
Until next time,
Knifey Wifey