Q: Basic knife techniques are always needed: how to use, sharpen, which knives are essential…
A: One good knife is the best thing to have in your kitchen. Start with a good chef’s knife that’s sized to fit your body. I use an eight-inch Anolon chef’s knife almost exclusively. I like its weight and balance, and it was pretty inexpensive, too. I think I got mine for about $20 during a post-Christmas sale at Bed, Bath & Beyond. If you want to add a second, go with a good pairing knife for small-scale work. A third? I’d suggest a small, thin fillet knife, especially if you cook a lot of fish.
Spend a little money, too. I know you can probably get a whole knife set (including wooden holding block!) for not much more than the cost of a single chef’s knife, but please don’t do that. Just go with the chef’s knife. Seriously.
I wouldn’t suggest sharpening knives on your own. Some people probably get pleasure buying a whetstone and oil and going through the meticulous ritual of sharpening, but that’s jut not for me. I don’t have the time or interest to devote to that learning curve, and the guy down at the local hardware store has a much greater chance of getting a good edge on the knife than I do.
Alton Brown recommends sharpening your knives every year or so, and honing several times a month. I value his opinions when it comes to food and cooking gadgets.
And it is so important to use sharp knives! Imagine how your face or legs feel after using a dull razor. Not the best feeling is it? Now translate that feeling to your kitchen. Your whole body is involved when you’re really cutting, and life is easier if you have a sharp knife. Which reminds me, I really should get mine sharpened.
As for technique? I can think of no better resource than Jacques Pépin. It seems full runs of his series, More Fast Food My Way are available via KQED’s Web page. Just watching him work with a knife is amazing. If you search through the archives, you can probably find several where he talks specifically about various knife techniques.
Also, Saveur has an excellent section on techniques. Check out the various knife techniques on their site. They’re not the most comprehensive (no step-by-step illustrations, for example), but they seem to cover the basics at least.
Finally, practice. Carrots are cheap and plentiful and packed with beta-Carotene. Slice them, cook them up as carrots vichy, and enjoy.
2 Comments
I agree wholeheartedly. Although, sometimes I do like to use a smaller sized Santoku for small round vegetables such as herbs, scallions, garlic, etc.
I also have a santoku knife. It’s great for cutting vegetables, but often feels too light and flimsy in my hands (it’s currently my sharpest knife, though, so I use it more often than I’d like).