A Cut Above The Rest: Different types of knife cuts.

Discover the essential knife cuts used in the kitchen both at home and professionally.

From functional to decorative, each of these different knife cuts plays a role in creating a delightful mouthfeel and enhancing the flavour of your dish. To protect your hands, work with a well-sharpened knife and on a chopping board which is secure and won’t move while cutting. You can use a non-slip mat or a damp cloth under your cutting board to help secure it.

Always peel and wash your fruit or vegetable before cutting unless it is really not necessary to peel them such as a tomato, cabbage or apple. Most root vegetables need to be peeled before cutting. Onions are often cut in a different way, more about that later.

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In recent years the santoku-style knife has gained in popularity with a more flat bottom blade and a rounded spine that tapers down to the tip. It was originally designed for preparing thin sliced vegetables but also makes for a great allrounder for any kitchen, home or professional.

The right knife can make a big difference to how well and safely you can cut. You don’t need the most fancy of knives to make great knife cuts. What is important is the knife is sharp and is the correct size for your hand. If you are using an average stainless steel knife one of those pull-through knife sharpeners will suffice. For a more expensive high-carbon steel knife it is best to keep the edge sharp with a sharpening steel and have the knife sharpened on a whetstone from time to time. Make sure you sharpen your knife each time you use it. Serrated knives have their place and can be a useful addition to a knife set both for slicing breads as well as for fruit and vegetable knife cuts - just don’t use one on meat.

There are a few different types of knives, the most popular is the classic chef knife which tapers from the top and bottom to a tip. In recent years the santoku-style knife has gained in popularity with a more flat bottom blade and a rounded spine that tapers down to the tip. It was originally designed for preparing thin sliced vegetables but also makes for a great allrounder for any kitchen, home or professional.

Thin Sliced Strips or Julienne

This is the most common knife cut as it is the first knife cut that is needed to do a fine dice or brunoise. Start by slicing even thin - 3-5mm thick - slices. Now take each “plank” or slice and cut lengthwise evenly and to the same thickness. You should be left with even thinly sliced “matchsticks”.

For onions, slice the onion in half cutting through the root and through the top. Place the half onion flat side down on a chopping board and slice off the top and bottom of the onion so that no dry parts are left. Now slicing from top to bottom, slice the onion into thin even cuts 3-5mm thick. When making the first and last few cuts, angle the knife outwards, slicing toward the middle, so that you don’t end up with a large flat piece of onion.

Diced or Brunoise

Diced or brunoise is the most common cut used for so many different cooking processes, from the starts of braised stews to salsas and salads. Following on from thin sliced strips or julienne. Take the “matchsticks” and bunch a few together, start with less if you are unsure with a knife and you can grow the amount you cut at a time with practice. Slice small cubes across the strips in the same thickness as the sticks have been cut. You should be left with an even dice of small cubes.

When making the first and last few cuts, angle the knife outwards, slicing toward the middle, so that you don’t end up with a large flat piece of onion.

For onions peel the onion making sure to keep the roots at the base of the bulb intact. Slice the onion in half cutting through the root and through the top. Place the half onion flat side down on a chopping board and slice off only the top of the onion so that no dry parts are left. Make 3 to 4 cuts horizontally into the onion from the top towards the roots, making sure not to cut all the way through. Now slicing from top to bottom, slice the onion vertically into thin even cuts 3-5mm thick. When making the first and last few cuts, angle the knife outwards, slicing toward the middle, so that you don’t end up with a large flat piece of onion. Lastly slice vertically and diagonally to the last cut in the same thickness. You should be left with diced cubes of onions perfect for salsa or to start a stew.

For a chunky or large dice follow the same process, slicing the first cut 10mm thick.

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Written for Clean Plate Co. at www.cleanplate.co.za Author © 2023:

Chef Alex Webber