Unit 8: Basic Knife Skills

1. Unit 8: Basic Knife Skills One sign of a professional is the ability to use personal tools accurately, with great skill and care, which only comes from deliberate practice and conscious application American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

2. American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

3. What Are Knife Skills? • Knowledge of knife construction, materials, and how to use them effectively • The purpose of each knife • The care and maintenance of each knife • Solid working knowledge of the various cuts, when to use and apply them to dishes American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

4. The Parts of a Knife • Chef’s knife • Constructed so each part plays a role in balance, longevity, utility • Most basic, all-purpose knife • Blades are forged or stamped • Full or partial tang • Handles are wood, composite, or metal • Bolster • Rivets American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

5. Types of Edges • Taper-ground edge • Hollow-ground edge • Serrated (sawtooth) • Scalloped • Granton • Single-sided edge • Each have slightly different cutting characteristics American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

6. Knife Care10 Rules for Etiquette and Safety • Always hold a knife by its handle • Never attempt to catch a falling knife • Use your own knife; do not borrow • Pass a knife handle first, or lay it down • Do not allow the edge to hang over the cutting board • Do not use a knife as an opener or for anything other then its intended purpose • Do not leave knifes in loose areas or where they are hidden (pot sink) • Carry the knife point down, edge out and away from you • Never store or use above waist level • Always cut away from your body American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

7. Maintaining • Hone frequently to remove burrs • Sharpen yourself or have it done professionally • Use proper sharpening equipment • Do not oversharpen on an electric sharpener • Follow safety precautions and wear safety glasses • Use only mineral oil on a stone, not salad oil or lubricating oil (toxic) • Use the stones as the manufacturer recommends • Periodically use mineral on wooden handles to prevent splinters, drying,and cracking American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

8. Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Storing • Never leave you knife on or in the pot sink • Do not clean in a dishwasher • Clean knives in hot soapy water, rinse, dry then sanitize • To store, use clean sleeves or knife case, or an in-wall or table-mounted rack American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

9. Never cut on steel, ceramic, or hard stonelike surfaces such as granite or marble Always use composite, or wooden boards Color-coded boards will help prevent cross-contamination Boards must be cleaned and sanitized much the same way as knives Mineral oil periodically on wooden boards Boards must be air-dried and stored separately with air circulation between them When stabilizing a board to cut on, always use a sanitized towel Wipe board frequently with sanitized towel Cutting Surfaces American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

10. American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

11. Wipe knives with sanitized towel Remove all trim as it accumulates Keep board free of waste Never place anything on the boards but the food you are cutting Wash and sanitize between jobs to prevent cross-contamination Cutting Surfaces (continued) American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

12. Using the Basic Chef’s Knife • Grip the handle comfortably • Four fingers and thumb against spine • Hold the guide hand correctly • This controls the size of the cuts • Tuck your fingertips • Hold the food with the thumb, back a little from the fingertips • Rest the wide part of the blade against your knuckles • Two methods: free pass for slicing and pivot point for chopping, dicing, and mincing American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

13. Basic Cuts • Chopping • Mincing • Julienne/batonnet • Dice • Rondelle/oblique/roll cuts • Chiffonade, grating, shredding • Ripple cuts or gaufrette • Each cut consistent in size and thickness to promote even cooking American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

14. Setting up Work Area • Correct height for you (may be difficult to find a table to fit each person) • Select proper board • Determine work flow • Set up sanitizing solution and waste and useable trim containers • Set up storage containers American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

15. Actual Operation • Wash, peel, and trim all items first • Remove all unusable trim to keep station neat and clean • Be sure to use the right tool for the right job • For shredding and grating, watch your knuckles American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

16. Precision Cuts • Used when perfect uniformity is required • Necessary for even cooking • Correct portion control • Examples of precision cuts: • Fine brunoise is 1/16 × 1/16 × 1/16 inches • Small dice is ¼ × ¼ × ¼ inch • Large dice is ¾ × ¾ × ¾ inch • Batonnet is ¼ × ¼ × 2 inches American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

17. Illustrations American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.