KNIFE SKILLS January 15, 2016 Warm-up: Explain the difference between a glaze and a reduction

Agenda Bread Bowl Video Bread Bowl Recipe Knife Skills

Daily Pun I bet the butcher $50 that he couldn’t reach the meat off the top shelf. He said, ‘no, the steaks are too high.’

Work Area Set Up: 1. Sanitize work area. 2. Stabilize cutting board by placing a damp dish cloth under it to prevent movement. 3. Set up bowls to use for waste and for useable product.

Holding a Chef’s knife: Hold knife with fingers around the handle, thumb and index finger on the metal of the blade. No fingers under the blade!

Why Different Knives are Needed Different foods need different knives Small vegetables and fruit = small blade Bread, ripe tomatoes, or crispy toast = wavy or serrated edged knife Long and straight edge for carving Chef’s knife is the most important tool in the kitchen because it is ideal for all food preparations

The Chef’s Knife The Chef's knife is one of the most used kitchen knives and can be used for everything from chopping to slicing fruits and vegetables. Most chef's knives have a broad blade that curves upward towards the tip to allow the knife to rock for fine mincing. The spine of the blade is thick to add weight and strength. Many chef's knives with have a bolster, or metal collar, between the blade and handle. The bolster helps prevent the knife from slipping. Chef's knives come in blade lengths of 6, 8, 10, and 12 inches. Longer blades can be more difficult to control, but make for faster cuts. Shorter blades allow for greater control, and are generally suited to chefs with small hands.

Knife Safety

Basic Knife Cuts -Julienne Step 1: Peel the carrots and cut into 8cm lengths. Trim 1 side and turn to lie flat. Repeat 3 more times to trim the remaining sides. Step 2: Carefully cut 1 trimmed carrot piece lengthways into 2-4mm thick slices. Arrange the carrot slices in a stack. Step 3: Carefully slice the carrot stack lengthways into matchsticks. Repeat with the remaining carrot pieces.

Brunoise

Small Dice

Medium Dice Medium dice is usually ½ inch by ½ inch cubes.

Diagonal Diagonal cutting is a simple Chinese cooking technique that can be used with many vegetables. Cutting vegetables on the diagonal exposes more of the vegetable's surface area to the heat. Besides making the vegetable cook more quickly, it allows it to absorb more of the sauces and seasonings it is cooked with.

Chiffonade Step 1: Wash and dry vegetables well. Step 2: Carefully remove any stalks. Step 3: Stack and roll the leaves into a cylinder. Step 4: Slice crosswise into 1/8 inch strips.