Knife Skills

Cutting Boards A cutting board is used to cut food to prevent damage to the countertop and to prevent cross contamination.

Wooden Cutting Boards Keep knives sharp longer Are porous and cross contaminate more easily

Plastic Cutting Boards Can damage knifes Safer to use because it’s easier to sanitize Available in different colors Each color is designed for use with a specific food type. Adopting a color-coding system reduces cross contamination.

Stabilizing Cutting Boards Place a damp towel under the cutting board.

Sanitizing Wooden Cutting Boards Scrubbing in hot soapy water Use a diluted bleach solution Never put in the dishwasher Never soak in water

Sanitizing Plastic Cutting Boards Scrubbing in hot soapy water Use a diluted bleach solution Wash in the dishwasher

Use of Cutting Boards It is advised to cut raw meat on a separate cutting board from cooked meat, vegetables or ready to eat foods to prevent cross-contamination.

Chef’s Knife Among the most versatile knives Used for daily chopping, slicing, dicing and mincing. Demonstrate how to properly hold a chef knife. Shape: To rock back and forth Hold: Forefinger on one side of blade, thumb on other side, three other fingers gripping the handle. Used for: Most of your kitchen cutting needs The most commonly used knife in the kitchen

Paring Knife This indispensable knife is handy for smaller precision tasks Garnishing, peeling, trimming and slicing small fruits and vegetables. Paring knife uses: Peeling and garnishing

Serrated Knife A serrated bread knife cuts soft, fresh loaves without squashing or tearing. It’s also great for cutting tomatoes and citrus.

Care of Knives Should not be washed in the dishwasher or placed in the bottom of the sink. Hand wash knives immediately after the knife enters the dishwater with warm soapy water. Dry immediately

Storage of Knives Knife block Cover each blade with a protective sheath Knives should not be stored loose in a drawer with other knives or utensils. The knives will bang against each other and the blade will become dull.

Knife Cutting Techniques The following are descriptions of various knife cutting techniques. These can be incorporated into a soup or salad you prepare.

Batonnet Knife Cut French word for baton or stick. Size: 1/4” x 1/4” x 2.5 to 3”

Julienne Knife Cut Size: 1/8” x 1/8” x 2 ½”

Brunoise Knife Cut Begin with julienne cut and then cube. Size: 1/8” x 1/8” x 1/8” (1/8” cubed)

Small Dice Cut Size: 1/4” x 1/4” x 1/4” (1/4” cubed)

Medium Dice Cut Size: 1/2” x 1/2” x 1/2” (1/2” cubed)

Large Dice Cut Size: 3/4” x 3/4” x 3/4” (3/4” cubed)

Diagonal Knife Cut Cut on a 45 degree angle

Chiffonade Knife Cut Cutting leafy vegetables into long, thin strips. Stacking leaves, rolling them tightly then slicing the leaves perpendicular to the roll Size: Long, thin, curly strips

Knife Skills Lab Demonstrate 4 of the 6 different knife cuts: Batonnet Julienne Brunoise Dice Diagonal Chiffonade