Prepreparation Part 5

Begin by holding the knife correctly. Hold the base of the blade with your thumb and forefinger. Relax the remaining fingers loosely around the handle. This gives you good control. Many beginners hold the knife far back on the handle and push down with a forefinger along the top of the blade. The right grip takes far less effort and gives far more control. The knife is in balance. A simple wrist motion makes the weight of the knife itself do a good bit of the work.

Work very slowly until you have established a comfortable rhythm. Be sure the food is positioned for the knife, not the other way around.

Next, concentrate on making even cuts pieces all the same thickness. Keep your knife straight. Do not try to get up speed until you have mastered the motions and the evenness. It takes weeks and months of concentrated practice for real proficiency.

Using the French knife to mince foods takes a slightly different technique. Minced parsley is often referred to in recipes as "chopped parsley."

A few foods don't lend themselves to straightforward cutting techniques. The onion is a special case because it is layered and the layers will separate. If you work with the layers rather than against them, you can cut the onion quickly and uniformly. Minced shallots and garlic are also cut this way rather than using the mincing technique.

Pureeing is still another knife technique. To puree (pew-ray) is to mash a food to a fine pulp. Forcing it through a sieve or putting it into blenders usually does it but a small amount can be done with the blade of the French knife.

Sharpening the knife

Two tools will keep your knives sharp: the stone (short for whetstone) and the steel. The stone is for sharpening the knife initially; the steel is for keeping it sharp. The steel should accompany your knife at all times. If you use the steel frequently as you work, you will seldom have to use the stone.

Watch a demonstration before you try this yourself; then try it under supervision. To sharpen a dull knife you must use a whetstone. The stone is often moistened with a special cutting oil before use.

When your knife is sharp, finish with several strokes on the steel. This is called trueing the blade: it removes burrs from the knife-edge. Then wipe the blade to remove any steel dust. You will not need the whetstone again if you use your steel often enough.

Do not use an electric sharpener or a sharpening wheel on a good knife. It will not do an even job, and it wears away the blade. Do not over sharpen your knife. It does not need to do the work of a razor. But don't be afraid to use a sharp knife. It is much safer than a dull one because it will do a good job and is less likely to slip out of position.

Mizer, Porter, Sonnier, Food Preparation for the Professional, 1978, Page 43

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