Knife Skills

KNIFE
SKILLS
IN THE KITCHEN
CHARLIE TROTTER
MARCUS WAREING SHAUN HILL
LYN HALL
KNIFE
SKILLS
IN THE KITCHEN
KNIFE
SKILLS
IN THE KITCHEN
CHARLIE TROTTER MARCUS WAREING
SHAUN HILL LYN HALL
CONTENTS
Project Editor Annelise Evans
Project Art Editor Phil Gamble
Senior Editor Jennifer Latham
US Editor Christy Lusiak
Senior Art Editor Isabel de Cordova
Managing Editor Dawn Henderson
Managing Art Editor Susan Downing
Production Editor Jenny Woodcock
Production Controller Sarah Sherlock
Creative Technical Support Sonia Charbonnier
Jacket Designer Nicola Powling
PART 1
KNIFE SKILLS: the basics
First American Edition, 2008

Published in the United States by
DK Publishing, 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
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Copyright 2008 Dorling Kindersley Limited
Text copyright 2008 Lyn Hall, Shaun Hill, Charlie Trotter,
Marcus Wareing. For further details see page 224.
Some material in this publication was previously published
by Dorling Kindersley in The Cooks Book, 2005
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CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY 8
Learning to cut; anatomy of a knife;
history of knife-making; modern
knives; choosing a knife; types of
knives; sharp-bladed cutting tools;
other cutting accessories; garnishing
tools; knife safety; storing knives;
caring for knives
PART 2
KNIFE SKILLS: the application
VEGETABLES 50
FISH & SHELLFISH 98
MEAT, POULTRY & GAME 138
Peeling, slicing, dicing, coring, pitting,

shredding; cleaning vegetables;
making ribbons, crisps, cups, French
fries; preparing stir-fry; tomato
concass; chili owers; chopping
herbs; preparing spices
Round sh & atshgutting,

boning, trimming, skinning, lleting,
serving; slicing raw round sh;
shellshoysters, clams, scallops,
shrimp, langoustines, crab, lobster,
squid, octopus
Beef, lamb, pork & hamboning,

slicing, butterying, carving; offal;
chickenjointing, spatchcocking,
boning, cutting up cooked birds,
carving; other birdsturkey, duck,
goose; jointing a rabbit
GLOSSARY 214
RESOURCES 216
SAFETY & FIRST AID 217
INDEX 218
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 224
DOUGHS & DESSERTS 182
FRUIT 194
Raw doughscutting & stamping

doughs and pastries; nishing doughs;
baked doughslling pastries &
cakes, making Melba toast, slicing
sandwiches, pastry & cakes; chopping
& working with chocolate
Applespeeling, slicing, uting; sliced

pear; lemon-zest julienne; orange
sections; pineappleslices, chunks,
uted; peeling peaches & nectarines;
preparing mango; melon boats &
balls; macdoine salad; chestnuts
PART 1
KNIFE SKILLS: the basics
CUTTING-EDGE
TECHNOLOGY
Learning to use a knife properly will not only
improve the presentation of your food to make it
more appetizing, but in many cases the food will
taste better. For example, take a butter sauce,
Beurre Nantaise many homemade versions
become sour and acidic because the shallots are
not cut nely enough to release their sugars.
You will also nd that choosing the bestquality knives that you can afford will turn out
to be a blue-chip investment: you cannot lose,
because you will nd preparing and cooking
foods of all kinds much easier and quicker.
choosing and using knives

As you will see in the following pages, there are
considerable differences in kitchen knives, for
example in the types and grades of steelfrom
corrosive and rigid to stainless and elastic. Over
the centuries, knife blades and other tools have
been developed so that modern chefs have a
variety of cutting edges at their disposal to suit
different foods and preparation methods, as well
as to provide for the needs of different cuisines.
Once you have acquired a suitable collection
of knives and blades, this book will show you
how to use them correctly and skillfully. The
professional chefs spend years perfecting their
knife skills and pride themselves on mastering
the exactness and precision that can come only

with practice. By following the advice and
illustrated steps in this book, you too can learn
how to choose a knife so that its handle ts your
hand, how to hold it intimately so that it
becomes an extension of your arm and hand,
and how to control its action.
For example, you will learn how to use blades
with round-edged points to rock, slide, and
chop vegetables effortlessly or to select a more
aggressive, long, scalloped knife to bite evenly
through a crusty sourdough loaf.
While using knives, remember that you are
responsible for your own safety and that of
everyone else in the kitchen, but do not let this
deter you from the thrill of wielding a precision
tool with skill and efciency.
maintaining knives
Do not misuse a knife: it is not a can opener or
a screwdriver. You will irreparably damage your
knife and could easily injure yourself. There is
little more dreary in life than struggling with a
blunt knife, so keep it sharpened and honed
this cannot be done too frequently. A ceramic or
Japanese knife, when sharpened and honed daily
by professionals, can drop through an onion,
without any juice escaping.
CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY
LEARNING TO CUT
Many people are hesitant about using knives
with dexterity or assume that such skills are
unattainable. Nothing is further from the truth.
Learn how to wield three sharp knives and you

will halve the time it takes to prepare a meal and
make time in the kitchen much more satisfying.
Three common faults prevent people from cutting properly. The rst
is trying to carve a cold cut by pressing the knife through the meat.
Unless used on butter, knives only cut when in motion and sliding
backward and forward like a saw. The second mistake is to make a
pert, rocking movement of the blade, as if the food needed help falling
off the blade. The third error is choosing too small a knife for the task.
Before you start, make sure that the work surface is the correct
height for what you are going to do. Straightforward cutting and
carving usually is done on a 3ft (90cm) tall work top, butchery and
work with a cleaver on a lower surface. Check that the cutting board
does not make the work surface too high up in relation to your body.
Your cutting board is a place of action, not a storage area for peelings
or cut items. Before you begin, set out a couple of small baking trays
and a bowl for waste, so you can clear and clean your board constantly.
Begin with the messiest tasks rst, such as plucking pheasants and
snipping pinions, gutting sh, or simply peeling vegetables. As you
progress to ner cutting and decorative tasks, you will be able to
concentrate on and enjoy them, knowing that the big stuff is done.
correct ways of cutting

First, adopt a well-balanced and relaxed stance: place your feet hipwidth apart so your weight is on the center of your feet. Relax your
shoulders and your arms for optimum exibility in your wrists. A long
knife is best for slicing and carving tender ingredientssome chefs peel
an orange with a 14in (36cm) scalloped slicing knife. A long blade and
exible wrist gives more precision than trying to remove the peel with
a tightly gripped paring knife. Most pastries are cut with long knives for
this reason. Think of violinists and the control they have over their
bows on the strings: their wrists are raised above their ngers, and
their forearms driven by the elbows and shoulders. The more you slice
a knife to and fro, with minimum pressure, the better you will cut.
Try carving one breast of a well-cooked chicken with a long knife,
while exing your wrist as fast as you can. Then try forcing the same
knife through the other breast. The rst chicken breast will yield
10
KNIFE SKILLS: THE BASICS
chopping vegetables Cut vegetables according to how

they are cooked: from large chunks for slow cooking and
sauces to ne dice for releasing avor into oils.
moist, juicy, and elegant slices. The second, although just as tender,
will appear dry, ragged, fragmented and overcooked.
The rocking-chopping action is a comfortable way of chopping and
renders consistently thin slices. Place the ingredient at on the board
and parallel to the edge of the work surface, and use a large chefs or
santoku knife. The blade tip never leaves the board, helping to bring
the cutting edge closer to the last slice. Drop your wrist so the heel
of the knife slides down on the item, cutting it, and push the knife tip
away from you, through the ingredient, toward the other side of the
board. Raise your wrist and the knife, point still on the board, and
bring the heel just a hair away from the previous cut, to produce the
thinnest possible slice. Once you have mastered this technique, it will
be a real pleasure to reduce mounds of ingredients to thin slices.
For soft vegetables and fruits, like apples and mushrooms, resort to
the mandolin for fast and precise results with no practice whatsoever.
LEARNING TO CUT
11
ANATOMY OF A KNIFE
A good knife is a highly effective tool, perfected
through centuries. Each part of the knife has
properties designed to deal with the wide range
of textures and tasks found in the kitchen.
Understanding the role that each part plays
is crucial to using a knife correctly. One knife
cannot efciently cut every ingredient. For

example, the most important parts of a large
knife are the bolster and the heel (which is ideal
for heavy chopping and cleaving), while a small
knife with a ne point and tip to the blade
is the best tool for more intricate work.
point
the
is used to make ne
incisions, and to pierce
foods, papers, and lms
(e.g., plastic wrap before
microwaving)
tip
spine
the
is the top of the
blade, is wider in large knives, and
may be grasped by the ngers for
better stability; in some knives, it
is also useful for crushing garlic
the
(the rst third of the blade) is used
for cutting soft vegetables, small ingredients,
through ligaments, and for ne slicing
12
cutting edge
the
,
between heel and tip, works
hard during chopping and slicing
Knives differ signicantly in shape and size,

even within the Western worldthe exibility of
a long blade in a sh lleting knife and the curve
of the short blade in a turning knife enables both
to perform specic tasks in the kitchen.
However, the basic structure remains the same.
At rst glance it might be difcult to

distinguish a high-quality knife from an inferior
one, but if you look at the knife shown below,
you cannot help but admire its lean lines. From
its incisive point to the well-nished head of the
handle, you can see that it is t for its purpose.
tang
bolster
the
is the
junction between the
blade and the handle,
and protects the hand
in large knives
the
is not
always visible, but is the
part of the steel that
extends into the handle
rivets
the hollow
hold the tang to the
blade; they should be
ush and tight with the
handle, with no crevices
for bacterial growth
handle
the
may be made from a
variety of materials
and is important to
comfort in cutting
heel
the
is the heaviest
part of a large knife and closest
to the hand; it is used with
maximum strength to cleave
through hard, tough foods
a classic forged chefs knife

All knives, irrespective of size,
have a similar anatomy.
ANATOMY OF A KNIFE
13
types of kitchen-knife blades

Your knife collection should feature a variety of blades. This helps to
keep them all sharp: if you use scalloped blades when appropriate, those
with tapered ground blades will get less wear. You will also enjoy cutting
all ingredients, precisely and without bruising, in many different recipes.
tapered ground edge

Seen in cross-section, this
blade has a thin, long, taper
from spine to cutting edge.
Most knives have this blade:
it is good for chopping and
general-purpose slicing.
scalloped edge Often on

a long knife, the teeth of this
edge are similar to those in
a serrated blade. The teeth
protect the cutting edge and
the blade stays sharp for
longer. Ideal for cutting
fragile sponge cakes (p189).
serrated edge The saw-toothed edge easily

bites through tough skins and tender centers, as in
eggplant. If only one edge of the blade is serrated, e.g.,
some tomato knives, you can sharpen it at home (p44).
granton edge The oval depressions hold tiny

pockets of air, which stop slices that are being
cut from sticking to the blade. This blade is good
for moist foods such as large joints of cold meats,
smoked salmon, ham, and turkey.
single ground edge Japanese knives

were traditionally beveled on the
right-hand side only. They were
thought to produce cleaner slices.
14
types of kitchen-knife handles

Handles vary a great deal and have a big impact on your enjoyment
of using a knife. When buying a knife, think of the tasks you need it
for and assess the handle accordingly. A large knife should have a big
handle and all knives should feel comfortable in your hand.
wooden handle Formerly, these
were made of hardwood, rosewood or
walnut, with a tight grain that needed
occasional oiling. Today, wooden
handles are composite and
impregnated with plastic.
plastic handle Plastic handles are

smooth, crevice-free, and now most
popular. Polypropylene (shown here)
handles are cheaper, can be slippery,
and may melt near hot pans. Handles
(see below) of polyoxymethylene (POM)
give a better grip and last longer.
ergonomic handle The owing

lines are designed to t the
contours of your hand and to be
extremely comfortable. Many
chefs use a knife for up to 16 hours
a day, so a good grip is essential.
rat tail tang
the tang
Cheap knives have a rat tail tang,
which is mean and thina millimeter
wide, running just 1in (3cm) into the
handleor have no tang at all. A full
tang, found in the best knives, indicates
that the blade runs the entire length
and width of the knife, giving excellent
balance, stability, and endurance. Sealed
plastic handles hide the tang, otherwise
it is visible on both edges of the handle
and is fastened in place by rivets.
full tang
ANATOMY OF A KNIFE
15
HISTORY OF KNIFE-MAKING
Mans ingenuity has produced cutting tools for
millions of yearsrst for use with stone and
then with food. Today, knives and scissors have
been designed and developed for every purpose
in the kitchen. Magnicent professional knives,

made from stainless steel with a high carbon
content and used by the worlds leading chefs,
are readily available for everyone.
early cutting implements

Early cutting implements were made from stone, ivory, horns, and
antlers, but by 6500BCE humans had discovered how to mine and extract
the metals copper, lead, and gold. These were too soft for hunting and
cooking implementseven blending them with other metals and
minerals to produce alloys, such as bronze, did not solve the problem.
By 4000BCE , the Egyptians were using knives made from obsidian
(a polished, volcanic glass) and int, which gives a good cutting edge.
The real boost to knife-making was the discovery of iron, around
1000 BCE . Iron bestowed strength and durability for cutting and
chopping. It was also cheap and available for common use,
but was prone to rusting and also too malleable.
With the mastery of smelting around 700 BCE ,
metalsmiths added carbon to iron to make steel,
reducing the danger and difculty that had marred
earlier attempts. Improvement of the furnaces allowed
more control to produce a metal that was durable,
exible, and able to take and hold a sharp edge.
knife-making in the West

Kitchen knives developed in small forges out of the
production of side weaponry such as daggers, sabres,
and swords. In the fourteenth century, Chaucer
mentions a cutler in Shefeld (cutler was the name
then given to a maker of knives and weaponry) and the
town is still a British center for knife-making.
m o d e r n We s te r n k n i v e s A knife begins as a steel blank
(far left), a long strip of metalhigh-quality steel is used for the
best knives. The blank is hammered out on a forge to delineate
the rough shape of the blade and tang on the blank (center left).
The shape is cut out of the blank and holes are drilled in the
tang to take the rivets that will attach the handle (near left).
16
modern knife manufacture
m a c h i n e g r i n d i n g During manufacture, both

sides of the blade are ground repeatedly to a fine
edge; water is used to cool the blade and prevent any
deterioration. The blade is then hardened in an oven.
c h e c k i n g by h a n d The blade is hammered and

straightened by hand and checked repeatedly during
and after the process. Then the tang is straightened
in a vice before a handle is attached.
By the sixteenth century, the French were making the nest knives
in the world; Ren Antoine Ferchault de Raumur wrote a treatise on
metallurgy in 1722. Table knives, spoons, and forks had become part of
European culture. However, carbon steel proved to be too soft, was
easily pitted, and discolored by acidic foods, and the cutlery required
careful and immediate drying. By 1912, however, greater control of the
furnaces became possible and stainless steel was produced by adding
chrome to carbon steel. This new steel didnt rust or discolor and
produced a tough blade with a sharp edge, which was hard to attain,
but once produced held in wet conditions.
By now the Germans were the master cutlers of the Western world.
In 1731, in Solingen, the powerhouse of knife-making, Peter Henckels
had registered the TWIN trademark with the Solingens Cutlers Guild.
His company mixed carbon steel, iron, chrome, and other metals to
make high-carbon stainless-steel knives, with a superb cutting edge.
knife-making in East Asia

Among all the exciting, distinctive cuisines of Asia, the Chinese and
the Japanese deserve especial recognition. Eating small morsels with
chopsticks demands expert cutting and chopping to have taken place
beforehand. The standard knife in a Chinese kitchen is a large, carbonsteel, square-ended cleaver, and it has been so for centuries, although
now they are available in polished stainless steel. In contrast, the range
HISTORY OF KNIFE-MAKING
17
of Japanese kniveshand-sharpened to honbatsuki (true edge)

standardis legendary. There are two types of traditional Japanese
knives: kasumi and honyaki.
kasumi & honyaki knives

These knives derive from traditional Samurai sword manufacture.
Making a kasumi knife involves a complex process of heating highcarbon steel and soft iron together, hammering the alloy at, folding
it, then hammering it at and folding it again. This hand-working of the
two metals is repeated, in many layers, and often at various angles.
When the blade is polished, a shimmering but subtle pattern is
createdcalled kasuminagashi, the oating mist. It is also known as
the Damascene effect after the laminating process, which evolved in
Damascus, Syria, after 400BCE. From 1300CE, Sakai became the capital
of small weaponry manufacture in Japan. Knife production started in
the sixteenth century, when the Portuguese introduced tobacco to
Japan, and knives were needed for cutting it.
Honyaki knives are of higher quality, being made entirely of highcarbon steel, but they are more difcult to use and to maintain their
kirenaga, or duration of sharpness.
the knife-making craft in Japan

During the Genroku period (16881704), the very rst deba hocho
knives for cutting vegetables were produced: knives with curved spines
and lethal points, with the arched grace of a ballet dancers pointed
toe. The knives extreme sharpness allows food to be cut into the
thinnest of slices without ragging.
This was followed by a wide range of kitchen-knife styles, all with
traditional handles of honoki wood, from a species of magnolia that
was also used by sword makers. Blades varied from extremely long
and thin, used to cut tuna, to blunt-ended cleavers. The Tokugawa
shogunate (16031868) granted a special seal of approval to the Sakai
knife industry, which virtually gave it a monopoly.
Miki City is a center for traditional blacksmiths and silversmiths.
Most knife manufacturers are still small family businesses, where
craftsmanship exceeds volume and they produce only a few knives
a day. Seki City is considered the home of Japanese kitchen cutlery.
Technology has updated ancient forging skills to produce world-class
stainless- and laminated-steel knives. In the san mai (a three-layered,
laminated blade), metal layers are laid evenly, like a baker making puff
pastry, which results in a blade that resists corrosion and maintains
strength and durability. Handles are often made of hardwood.
18
Japanese knives The blades are

much longer and the tips more
pointed than Western knives.
Japanese knives are used with
great precision.
MODERN KNIVES
Thanks to rapid advances in technology, both
Western and Japanese knife manufacturers
produce a huge range of knives to a very high
quality. It is up to individuals to choose knives

of different properties that suit the food and
recipes prepared in their own kitchens.
Japanese knives
In Japanese culture, the preparation and presentation of food are
raised from routine, daily tasks to an art form. Japanese knives are
central to this tradition and their evolution has been driven solely by
functional requirements. The blade, with a hard, brittle core that takes
and holds a supreme edge, is supported and contained by ductile metal
cheeks that protect the core, leaving just the cutting edge exposed.
This gives the knife great strength and durability.
These knives require more care than Western kitchen knives:
they should be washed by hand, sharpened frequently using Japanese
waterstones, and occasionally wiped over with a light mineral oil.
Japanese chefs will do this every night after servicea task that is
more a religion than a duty. In return, they have knives with superb
balance and sharpness that make food preparation a true pleasure.
Traditionally Japanese knives are beveled on one side only, for
use with the right hand. Although requiring more skill to use, it was
thought that this would give a cleaner cut, and would be easier to
maintain the sharpness against a stone.
fusion knives
Recently, traditional Japanese knives have been transformed to meet
the demands of the Western kitchen. The new knives are made with
Japanese knife
handle
traditional
of magnolia (honoki) wood
20
tip
rounded
allows for
rocking, slicing, and chopping
bevel
single right
stops sticking
and allows food to slide up and out
double-beveled blades from very pure, stain-resistant, high-carbon

steel that is alloyed, like Western knives, with molybdenum. This is
a transition metal, used in high-strength steel alloys, that does not
react with oxygen or water at room temperature. The result is an
extremely sharp and hard edge, but it is still cushioned and protected
in the traditional way by softer, outer layers of chrome stainless steel,
so that only the cutting edge of the core is exposed. The santoku knife
(p27), similar to a large chefs knife, was designed for the West and
adopted with gusto in the Western home kitchen.
Ceramic blades are also becoming more popular, in spite of their
higher cost. The key ingredient of this type of blade is zirconium oxide,
which produces a blade of incredible sharpness that lasts for years if
cared for correctly. The ceramic blades can be sharpened only by
professionals, on a diamond wheel, and may snap if handled carelessly.
Western knives
The best of the Western knives, although forged, are not laminated or
worked in the same way as in Japan. There is only one way of making
Western knives: high-quality steel is hammered out on a forge and
then the blades are sharpened to a ne cutting edge by grinding on
both sides (p17).
Recent renements include freezing blades to below 94F (70C)
for better protection against rusteven stainless steel is prone to
rust. They are also heated twice to just below 572F (300C), to
harmonize the molecular structure of the metal.
Western knives are sharpened from time to time on a stone, but
honed throughout the day on a steel. Annually, each knife should be
treated professionally on a grinding wheel, to keep the blade straight
and trim, otherwise it will wear in a curve. Blades with serrated and
granton edges provide extra scope for cutting but, again, will need
professional sharpening.
heft
greater
copes with
larger amounts of food efciently
handle
shaped
for comfort and safety
Western knife
blade
large
used as a
cleaver and for heavy chopping
MODERN KNIVES
21
CHOOSING A KNIFE
Take plenty of time in choosing a new kitchen
knife. A good-quality knife is expensive, and
should last a lifetime, so give this moment the
consideration it deserves. Buying a knife at a
demonstration provides an ideal opportunity for

asking pertinent questions of an expert, gaining
specialist advice, andmost importantlygiving
the knife a test run.
how many cheap knives do you have?

As with many tools, cheap knives are not cost-effective and it is always
worth investing in as good a set of knives as you can afford. Quality
knives are either Swiss, German, or Japanese. These countries have
long been leaders in the manufacture of precision instruments, having
access to steel foundries, and a history of uncompromising perfection.
If this is your rst knife, choose a chefs knife (p24), which will suit
most tasks. When loosely grasped, the handle should ll your hand
you wont want to put it down. Run your thumb around the curve of
the bolster; look for a substantial blade of forged steel, with a pleasing
satin nish. If you hook your index nger around the bolster, the knife
should swing gently into a horizontal orientation. If choosing a slicing
or lleting knife, press the tip against the counter: it should ex in an
good-quality knife
This has a full-length
tang, smooth and
substantial bolster,
and spine tapering
to a ne point.
rivets in heavy,
shaped handle
blade
sharp
with subdued glint
handle
is small
and lightweight
blade
poor-quality knife
A short tang, lack of
bolster, and thin spine
of uniform thickness
are bad signs.
22
pressed
is shiny
and cutting edge coarse
well-balanced knife The

full tang gives greater heft
to the handle, distributing
the weight evenly through
the knife, to the point of
the blade, giving excellent
balance and making the
knife easier to use.
arc, with buoyant resistance. Big knives should be strong and heavy
near the bolster and heel of the blade, to help you when you chop by
cleaving powerfully through large and tough ingredients.
The blade should feel cool and contain a good proportion of carbon,
with enough chrome to keep it bright. The higher the amount of
carbon, the easier it is to keep sharp. Razor-sharp blades cut easily,
without pressing or mashing the ingredients. If you nick a tomato, the
esh should spring back instantly.
A new blade should bite and cling to a wooden surface and be wide
enough to scoop up nely chopped ingredients, such as parsley. The
spine should be distinct, full, and strong near the handle, and taper to
a ne wafer at the sharp point. If possible, test its performance and
how it feels in your hand by trying it out at cutting and chopping.
a knife for life

There is no doubt that using properly sharp knives involves an
element of danger, and they should be handled with care and respect.
Remember that you will use a good-quality knife every day. It will
enhance your experience of cooking by making the preparation of the
ingredients much easier and a real pleasure. So if you dont get a thrill
from handling a particular knife, the knife is not for you.
CHOOSING A KNIFE
23
using the correct

knife is the rst
step
ut
to cutting like an
expert chef
bo
ni
ng
le
t in
g
kn
ife
kn
ife
electric knife
An electric knife is not essential, and
should never be used to carve a roast,
but comes into its own with dealing
with delicate, nished items that have
taken a lot of work, such as a terrine
(p158), puff pastry tart, or cake
(p192) with a nut and caramel
topping. It cuts superbly clean slices.
24
ili
ty
kn
ife
TYPES OF KNIVES
pa
rin
g
la
rg
Although knives with plastic or stainless-steel handles can be

cleaned in a dishwasher, it is best to clean them by hand. In
a dishwasher, stainless steel can rust, wooden handles swell, and
it is extremely dangerous to stack knives in a dishwasher pullout.
kn
ife
ch
ef
s
k
ni
fe
1 boning knife This is ideal for taking the esh off bones and
silver skin off meat, such as silverside and llet. A slightly exible
blade works best. The blade is short, to give full control of the tip
as it works at 180 angles, delving deep into joints and snipping
ligaments. Slide it parallel and along the curve of the
bone; never cut on to the bone, which would blunt it.
2 lleting knife Essential if you cook sh, this is
the most exible blade of all. When pressed hard
against the backbones of at sh and employed in at,
sweeping or wiping movements, this knife takes llets
off the bones. It deftly cuts around sh like mackeral or trout in
half lengthwise. 3 utility knife Usually under 6in (15cm), this
has a ner blade than the chefs knife, and may not have a full
tang. It is good for carving and slicing ne, white meats such
as chicken breasts or calves liver, and soft vegetables like
zucchini. 4 paring knife With its sharp point and
virtually no bolster, this is essential for all the small
jobs with fruits and vegetables, such as coring out
seeds of chilies. It is also good for peeling or slicing
items held in the hand, like carrots and apples. 5 chefs knife
or cooks knife This general, all-purpose kitchen knife gains
its versatility from the size of its blade, which ranges between
6in (15cm) and 14in (36cm). The largest chefs knives can crack
open crab claws and coconuts, kill lobsters, and chop huge
bunches of parsley, as well as cut hard, tight cabbages.
The long blade is useful for cutting raw doughs and
pastry. The shorter blade is best for smaller
vegetables, for slicing and trimming fruit and
vegetables, e.g., oranges, and working with
meat and sh. Both sizes can be used for
cutting meat, mincing and dicing herbs and
vegetables, and for julienne.
TYPES OF KNIVES
25
slicing knife The long, elegant blade of this knife

ranges from 710in (1826cm) in length and is easy to
manipulate precisely. It is perfect for slicing boned meat
and slides over the breastbones of game and poultry,
carving the tender llets. The point lifts out the juiciest bits
of meat from next to the bone. 7 15cm (6in)
serrated knife Sometimes called the gin-and-tonic
knife, this handy knife will save wearing out your other
knives. The teeth bite easily through tough skins and safely
cut through round ingredients that tend to roll. Use it
for saucisson, tomatoes, and lemons. 8 scalloped
slicer At 11in (28cm), this is ideal for crusty French
and Italian breads and large fruits, such as melons. It is
also excellent for slicing fancy, iced cakes; dip it in hot
water between each slice to clean the blade. 9 granton
knife The 12in (30cm) blade is designed to carve and
cut even thin slices. Held horizontally or vertically,
its length gives great control and precision. The
indentations hold air, ensuring that slices do not
stick together, so is ideal for cheese, cured
salmon, cold cuts, and pts. 10 bread
knife Essential in every kitchen, a bread
knife cuts through crusts and enables you
to keep knives with tapered ground
blades perfectly sharp. Avoid bread
knives with pressed blades. A good
bread knife will cut precisely
through mounds of sandwiches
with chunky llings, breads
for crotes, and pain bagnas.
6i
(1
5c
m
)s
er
ra
te
kn
ife
sli
cin
g
kn
ife
26
al
lo
pe
sli
ce
santoku knife
Inspired by Japanese knives,

the stir-fry knife has a blade that is good for
scooping up nely sliced vegetables and herbs. It is easy
to learn to chop with and the rounded end is safe in the
hand of a beginner. The knife makes fast work of making
uniform vegetable dice, so they cook quickly but stay
crunchy, and is a good stand-in for a cleaver.
12 turning knife This knife is for cutting
large, often misshapen vegetables, like potatoes
or cucumbers, into useful, perfectly neat, little
balls. It is also good for showing off!
sc
11
TYPES OF KNIVES
27
tu
rn
in
g
kn
ife
gr
an
to
n
kn
ife
sa
nt
ok
kn
ife
br
ea
kn
ife
do
tr
pa
hi
sc
al
cl
kn
ife
at
u
cu
la
tt
er
ea
ve
r
er
er
am
kn
ife
oy
st
cl
tt
sp
ug
h
kn
ife
ne
s
le
ow
el
al
pe
Pa
r
m
es
an
kn
ife
sc
13 clam knife The rounded blade is slightly sharp on one side

and designed, like the oyster knife, for easing the mollusk off the
shell. Recent models have a plump, round handle for a better grip,
and are made of nonslip plastic, so can be used dry or wet. There
is no guard on this knife, since smooth clam shells pose little threat.
14 sh scaler This tool has teeth to rip off the scales. The
handle must feel comfortable when gripped tightly, for exerting
pressure. The scaler is always used under running water to rinse
off the scales and should not rust. 15 Chinese cleaver
A traditional, weighty blade of razor-sharp carbon steel and
wooden handle helps with chopping and slicing all foods. Cooks
in the West use it for heavy work; deft Chinese chefs employ it
for everything, even jobs like deveining prawns, and the exigent
demands of wok cooking. 16 palette knife At about 12in
(30cm) long and beautifully balanced, this knife has many uses. It
lifts and turns long, delicate llets of cooked sh without breaking
them, acts as a guide for cutting dough or pastry, and is vital for
lifting rolled-out pastry that has stuck to the work surface.
17 trowel spatula The dogs leg on this ultra-efcient
version of a palette knife lets you slip the blade easily under food.
It is ideal for sweeping melted chocolate evenly over a cake,
pressing crumbs and a melted butter crust into a cheesecake tin,
and smoothing a roulade into a shallow oven sheet. 18 dough
cutter The blade is uniformly at and efcient, but not sharp,
and may be straight or rounded, with a wooden or stainless-steel
handle. It is used for chopping risen dough to make rolls or buns.
Straight-bladed cutters serve also as a valuable scoop for
chopped nuts, herbs, and spices, and for clearing a work surface
of ne debris. 19 scalpel The surface of a fully risen
dough is as fragile as a butterys wing. To score it
attractively, as in the loaves of French baguettes,
without dragging and irretrievably spoiling it, you
need a scalpel. 20 oyster knife A traditional
handle is thick, solid, and made of hardwood, and is
large enough to allow a good grip when thrusting, then
twisting the small, sturdy blade to open a shell. A large
guard protects your ngers from the rugged shells as you
force the blade between them. The blade is also fairly blunt, to
ease the live oyster off the shell. 21 Parmesan knife Not so
much a sharp-edged cutting knife, this short-bladed knife will dig
into a large round of matured Parmesan cheese. Since the cheese
has a granular nature (it is not a pressed cheese), it will break
into large, appetizing slivers or nuggets, for eating or grating.
TYPES OF KNIVES
29
SHARP-BLADED
CUTTING TOOLS
po
ul
tr
ys
he
a
rs
kit
che
ns
cis s
or s
na
30
a lu
1 kitchen scissors Use cheaper scissors for paper, owers,

wire, and cardboard, to keep your kitchen scissors sharp. They
should have nonslip handles (for dry or wet use), pointed tips to
snip ligaments in the centers of tight joints, and sharp blades to
cut herbs or soft bones, e.g., of trout or quail. Teeth on the blade
are used in loosening bottle tops. 2 poultry shears The long
curved blades and longer handles cut powerfully through ribcages
and backbones of game birds, and trim leg bones of game. Use
to cut through, rather than carving, joints and for destemming
large bunches of parsley. 3 mezzaluna The curved blade
rocks fast, safely, and efciently to chop soft and hard
ingredients, such as herbs, chocolate, and nuts. Large handles
give a comfortable grip. Double-bladed versions are harder
to clean safely, but deal with more ingredients at a time.
4 mandolin This gives a shortcut to enviable slicing,
including julienne, grating, and ribbons. It stands on
rm legs at a perfect, ski-slope angle for sliding
ingredients over the adjustable blades. Using
the carriage is advisable for beginners. Stand
with feet shoulder-width apart, weight
in the center of your body, and hold
its legs rmly against your
middle with one arm and hand.
Slide each vegetable or fruit
over the blade carefully; as
slices fall away, ex your
ngertips upward. The
faster you cut, the better
the cutting action, and the
ner the slices.
zz
me
There are dozens of tasks that a professional chef does easily

with a knife, but that we nd difcultreach instead for a pair
of kitchen scissors or shears. The mandolin and mezzaluna, too,
will enable you to perform like a professional chen the kitchen.
n
oli
nd
ma
blade changer
slicing blade
chipping teeth
uted blade for julienne
mandolin carriage
All mandolins of this type have a
separate carriage. This clamps oval
and round items, like potatoes, rmly
on to the cutting blade and slides up
and down the face of the mandolin,
removing all danger to your ngers.
SHARP-BLADED CUTTING TOOLS
31
these make life much easier in the
kitchen, give a
professional look
to use
rat
xg
bo
mi
cro
pla
ne
g
nu
set of cutters
er
tm
eg
g
r at
er
to your cooking, and are easy
ra
te
sh
rim
p
in
ve
de
me
at
for
k
er
OTHER CUTTING
ACCESSORIES
set of cutters The smallest cutters punch holes in pastry,
e.g., in tops of pts en crote or steak and kidney pies. Small
ones stamp out centers of pineapple slices and large ones are used
to shape potatoes into cylinders for lattice potatoes (p71).
Medium cutters are useful for mincemeat pie bases and mediumsmall ones for cutting out mincemeat pie tops. 2 box
grater This traditional grater is always useful; the handle on top
enables you to apply pressure to make it stand securely on a plate.
The various shredders on the sides are good for grating all types
of cheese, citrus zest, and slicing potatoes. Take care of your
ngertips and nails. 3 nutmeg grater Nutmeg is a volatile
spice, so it has to be freshly grated. Too much nutmeg gives a
bitter avor, but the sharp teeth on this little grater quickly
supply the right amount. 4 microplane grater This ne
shredder copes with almost every food. The curved blade is made
from surgical-grade steel with chemically etched, razor-sharp
perforations, creating a grating surface that needs a minimum
amount of pressure during use. Models come with coarse or ne
holes. A similar, stainless-steel citrus grater (not shown) shreds
the skins of citrus fruits nely and evenly, without zest clogging
the blade, enabling you to stop when you reach the bitter white
pith. Both graters are dishwasher-proof. Take care of ngertips
and nails. 5 shrimp deveiner The point helps to cut through
the esh on the outside of the shrimp and lift out the dark,
intestinal thread. The tool is used widely where shrimp are the
size of large prawns. 6 meat fork Essential to good carving,
the fork pins meat or a bird to the board, while your other hand
wields the slicing knife. Also use it to lift and turn roasting birds,
as well as hold a roast chicken vertically to tip juices onto a
plateif they are clear, the chicken is cooked. 7 Parmesan
grater A simple box made from plastic or fruitwood, it catches
and stores the grated cheese as well as supports the grater, so you
can use plenty of pressure. It is topped with a stainless-steel, easily
cleaned blade, with sharp teeth for biting into the Parmesan.
1
Parmesan grater
OTHER CUTTING ACCESSORIES
33
e se
che
GARNISHING TOOLS
e st
us z
er
ca n
elle
kni
fe
lon
ba l
ler
citr
34
me
1 melon baller As well as for melons, this is mostly used for

other tasks such as coring apples and pears, so choose a goodsized one, with a nonslip handle. 2 canelle knife The point in
the circular blade carves channels in fruits and vegetables, and
takes strips of zest from citrus fruit. 3 citrus zester If you
tend to shred the ends of your ngers on other graters, this
gives a neat and quick way of removing zest from citrus
fruitsusually as a rst step before chopping. 4 cheese
slicer Pull the slicer over a hard cheese to take
off thin wafers for crostini, open sandwiches,
or cheese on toast. 5 peelers In a kitchen,
nothing is more personal than your favorite
peeler. Keep at least one of each type, so
that others can help you with the peeling
chores. The classic rigid peeler is easier to
use than a paring knife for some. A swivel
peeler works smoothly at peeling, as well as
enhancing the curves of fruits and vegetables,
especially pears, apples, and kiwi fruits. The
horseshoe peeler is ideal for tough items like
squash and celeriac, and suited to the light touch
needed for peeling asparagus. 6 corer If used with a
powerful Brutus grip (p36) and vertical plunge, this
removes apple cores entirely. It must be strong, with a
nonslip handle. 7 butter curler Draw the uted
blade over a slab of butter that is not too cold or hard, and
denitely not too soft, to create impressive curls for formal
meals. 8 egg slicers A wire slicer is perfect for hardboiled eggs, outdoor sandwiches, and boxed salads. Use
scissor slicers for the ultimate party trick: slice off the egg tops,
scramble the eggs, and spoon back into the shells with caviar
or chives.
er
slic
It is easy to collect lots of cutting gadgets. When piled into kitchen

drawers, they get tangled up, can be unhygienic, and hardly ever
see the light of day. However, the tools shown here will be used
time and time again. Dont put them in the dishwasher.
scis
sor
egg
s li c
er
wir
ee
gg
slic
er
cor
er
but
t er
eel
le r
vel
p
cur
swi
er
rig
id p
eel
esh
oe
er
hor
s
pee
ler
KNIFE SAFETY
A safe knife is a sharp knife that demands
minimum force if used correctly. The various
cutting tasks require different grips, so once you
have chosen the knife blade for a task, you need
to hold the knife in the most appropriate way.

Where possible, cut away from your body. Hold
the food with the other hand, so it feeds food
into the cutting blade without nicking any ngers.
hand grips
Hold the blade farther away for more dangerous tasks. When cutting
delicate items precisely, keep it closer to you. If peeling and trimming
small items, hold it closest of all, steadying it with your other hand.
B r u t u s g r i p By holding
the knife vertically, as if
about to stab, you gain the
strength to strip the meat
from the bone. The grip
also allows you to ex your
wrist as you cut and follow
the intricate curves of meat
bones and joints. Such tasks
may also enhance your
appreciation of anatomy!
This powerful grip is the
one most used in butchery,
where entire carcasses
are rendered into joints
with little more than a
boning knife.
36
g e n e ra l - p u r p o s e g r i p Hold the handle rmly

in your palm with four ngers. The thumb may rest,
when necessary, on the spine. The handle must ll
your hand for comfort. This grip is good for cleaving
tough foods and for general slicing and chopping.
t h u m b g r i p For precision work, the knife must be

an extension of your hand. Squeeze forenger and
thumb on opposite sides of the blade, hold the bolster
rmly, and wrap the other ngers around the handle.
h o r i zo nta l c u t t i n g g r i p Press your thumb on the

blade, and wrap your ngers round the handle. Hold
the blade at a right angle to the work surface and use
an even, sawing action, for horizontal and crosscutting, e.g., smoked salmon and cakes, and ne slicing.
d o u b l e - h a n d e d g r i p Ideal for a bunch of herbs:

anchor the tip to the board with the ngertips of one
hand; hold the handle with your your thumb facing
you. Chop rapidly while moving the blade in an arc.
KNIFE SAFETY
37
cutting safely
As a general rule, cut all ingredients on a wooden or plastic cutting
board with a damp cloth placed underneath to keep it from slipping.
Slice an end off round items, so they sit on the board without rolling.
h o l d i n g fo o d To avoid cutting your ngers,

grip the food with your hand like a claw, with
the ngernails and top nger joints parallel to
the blade. You can then safely guide the blade
against your knuckles as they move back.
quick tip
Move any knives resting on the
work surface out of your way,
but never near the edge of the
work surface. If they are lying
close to you and the cutting
board, turn the blades away
from you or, if space is tight,
snugly against the board.
cleaning knife blades Rinse the

knife in clean, hot, soapy water.
With the blade facing away from
you, wipe it with a damp, doublefolded cloth to remove any food
debris. Wipe from the heel and the
spine toward the blade and point
never in the opposite direction.
Spritz the blade with sanitizer and
dry, using a paper or dish towel
and wiping in the same way.
The most dangerous and
common of knife injuries occurs
when a person grabs at something
in a sink and a blade slices the hand
between thumb and index nger,
so never leave knives soaking in
soapy water in the sink.
38
handling knives safely

Treat knives with great respect, especially when others are in the
kitchen and when carrying a knife. Never be tempted to try to catch
a falling knifestand out of the way and let it drop to the oor.
p a s s a k n i fe s a fe l y Hold the knife by the spine

and blade, cutting edge downward. Offer it to the
other person at a height that is comfortable for them,
ideally over a work surface. Or place on the countertop,
cutting edge away from both of you, to be picked up.
tools of the trade

If you do not have a knife holster, and
need to transport knives, roll them in
a thick dish towel, enclosing the tips
and ensuring the blades do not touch
each other. Keep the bundle level
during the journey. Never leave a
cloth over a knife; someone may grab
it, unaware of the danger beneath.
w a l k i n g w i t h a k n i fe Hold the handle rmly,

with the blade close to your side, its tip pointing
downward, and the cutting edge facing behind you.
For extra control, place your thumb on the spine.
Never run, rush, or otherwise jeopardize the safety
of yourself or anyone else. If your kitchen includes
a collection of very sharp knives, wear covered
shoes to protect your feet.
39
STORING KNIVES
Once you have invested in a set of good knives,
spare a thought about how to protect the
blades. Dont try to store them jumbled in your
kitchen drawers or leave them loose. This is
unhygienic, dangerous to ngers, and will dull the
blades. Opt for a system that allows you to

select a knife quickly. Choose a time-honored
material like wood which will hold the blades
individually and securely, or a plastic or metal
that can be properly cleaned.
storage systems
If space is tight, think of wall storage (see opposite). If you have a fully
equipped kitchen, you might choose to t a specially designed knife
drawer (below right). A knife block is one of the best storage solutions,
taking up little space and being completely portable: it can accompany
you wherever you work, in the kitchen or outdoors (below left).
f re e - s ta n d i n g k n i fe b l o c k These come in
various sizes, so choose one to suit your assortment
of knives. Make sure that it is solid and heavy and will
not topple over, and that the holes t your blades. The
handles are angled to make it easy to grasp any knife.
40
d ra w e r i n s e r t s If you aim for a clutter-free

worktop, a sleek kitchen, and safety, lay out your
knives in an insert in a drawer. It may be a standard
design or custom-made to suit your own collection.
This system also avoids blunting the cutting edges.
m a g n et i c k n i fe s t r i p This simple storage system

keeps knives and blades visible, and is also hygienic.
Choose the strongest magnetic power available and
always store the blades pointing upward. Test heavy
knives on the strip before letting go of the handle:
often it is better to store large knives in a drawer,
protected by a homemade cardboard sheath (p217).
CARING FOR KNIVES

Keen chefs take pride in sharpening kitchen
knives regularly on a stone. There are three
main types of nishes to a sharpening stone.
A rough nish is suitable for completely blunt,
chipped, and damaged knives, and a medium
nish for sharpening dull knives that have been

blunted by daily use. Fine sharpening of knives
is done on a superne nish. If the stone is not
completely matte and at before you begin
sharpening, rub it on a ne concrete surface.
general rules of sharpening

Always move the blade across a sharpening stone in one direction,
never back and forth or in a circular motion. If using a whetstone, soak
it in cold water for 1015 minutes, until bubbles stop rising. The length
of the knife blade denes the angle at which you hold it to sharpen it:
blades up to 6in (15cm) long are held at 10, longer blades at 1520.
superne
nish
diamond
stones
wear
evenly
one groove for
serrated
knives and one
for straightedged knives
42
d i a m o n d s to n e The best
s w i p e - t h ro u g h s h a r p e n e r
stones have 100% diamond crystals

and can rapidly sharpen any blade.
They do not need to be soaked or
lubricated with mineral oil.
Blades are drawn through ne

grooves, which have sharpening
elements at the bases. This is not
as precise as a stone.
medium
nish
c o m b i n a t i o n w h et s to n e This
has two or three surfaces. Sharpen
rst on the medium nish, then
move to the superne side. Rubber
feet stop the stone from slipping.
sharpening across the stone

Sharpen knives ground on both sides on the right side rst, until you
feel a burr (rough edge) on the left side. Then sharpen the left side,
until you feel a burr on the right. Repeat, 45 times, until you have
removed the burr from both sides. After sharpening, wash the blade.
Place the stone at a right angle to your body. Hold

the handle with your right hand, and place the tip
of the blade at the end of the stone closest to you. Use
your left hand to press the blade rmly and evenly on
the stone at the correct angle (see opposite).
Push the blade slowly over and across the stone,

keeping the angle constant. When the blade
reaches the other end of the stone, only the heel of
the blade should still be in contact with the stone
draw it off the stone in one smooth motion.
Turn over the blade

and repeat, drawing
the blade down the full
length of the stone. For
a good edge, it is essential
to maintain a consistent
angle, stroke after stroke,
between the blade and the
stone. Test if the knife is
sharp on a tomato: the
blade should slide easily
through the skin.
CARING FOR KNIVES
43
sharpening along the stone

Working in a rhythmic, consistent, and relaxed way keeps the angle
and direction of the blade true on the stonevital for sharpening a
blade successfullyand can be done only if you feel balanced. If you
nd sharpening across a stone (p43) uncomfortable, try this method.
Position a sharpening stone parallel to the edge of

the work surface and your body. With your ngers,
press the blade point on to the top end of the stone,
ensuring it aligns with the stones longitudinal center.
Push the blade along the full length of the stone,

while maintaining an even pressure and an angle
of 1020 (see p42) between the blade and the stone.
Draw the heel of the blade smoothly off the other end.
tools of the trade

Serrated knives that are scalloped
only on one side must be sharpened
only on the plain side. With knives
that are beveled on one side, make
sure you match the angle of the bevel
with the angle that the edge meets
the whetstone.
Alternatively, take your serrated
and scalloped knives to a professional
sharpening service. Ceramic and
Japanese knives are generally best
sharpened professionally.
44
Turn the knife over and repeat steps 1 and 2 (see

above) on the other side of the blade. Take care not
to oversharpen the edgeif the edge is too fragile, it
could break and blunt.
honing knives
Honing steels dont sharpen blunt blades like sharpening stones do,
but instead maintain the cutting edge on a sharpened knife. Keep a
steel handy and always hone a knife before you use it. Hone the entire
cutting edge from heel to point, otherwise you will grind a curve in the
center of the blade, which will soon keep you from chopping effectively.
ova l h o n i n g s te e l This steel
is heavier than the round one (see
right), but is a treat to use. The
oval shape tapers the blade to its
original edge and the diamond
coating bites into the blade as
you stroke it smoothly across. It
is not surprising that it delivers
a particularly ne result. The
average lifespan of the steel is
shorter, because the diamond
coating wears off over time.
ro u n d h o n i n g s te e l This has a
chromium-plated, grooved surface
that delivers good results. It is
hard-wearing and almost immune
to damage. Wipe the surface after
sharpening to remove the burr
(fragments of blade), which
remains on the steel after honing.
CARING FOR KNIVES
45
honing on a steady steel

This method is best for beginners. Dont be discouraged if you start by
blunting your knivesit happens to everyone. Persevere, work through
it, and you will soon be able to maintain a sharp edge on a blade.
With one hand, hold the steel (a round steel is shown

here) at 90 to the work surface on a cloth, to keep it
from slipping. Take the knife rmly in the other hand
and place the heel of the blade at the top of the steel.
Aim to nish the rst pass with the tip of the blade
at the bottom of the steel, to ensure that all of the
cutting edge on one side has been drawn across the
steel. Pull the tip smoothly off the base of the steel.
3
46
Draw the blade steadily down the steel, pulling the

knife toward you so that the cutting edge travels
across the steel. Maintain the blade at an angle of
1020 (according to its size, see p42) throughout.
Repeat steps 1 to 3 (above and left) with the other

side of the blade, keeping a steady pressure and
consistent angle between the blade and steel. Repeat
the whole process until the cutting edge is honed.
freehand honing
The more you practice this method, the more polished and relaxed
you will become. Again, the angle at which you present the knife to the
steel is vitala clanking sound indicates that the angle is incorrect.
To begin, hold the steel (an oval steel is shown here)

rmly in one hand. Place the heel of the blade at the
top of the steel, with the spine toward your body, at
an angle of 20 (according to its size, see p42).
Holding the knife rmly, draw the blade swiftly

down and across the steel. Take care to maintain a
constant angle between the blade and the steel. Finish
the stroke by pulling the tip off the base of the steel.
Place the other side of the

blade on the other side of the
steel, so that its spine faces away
from you, and repeat steps 1 and
2 (see above) to complete the rst
pass. Repeat until the cutting edge
is honed sufciently.
Some expert butchers twist the
steel as they draw the blade along
it, to offer up a clean part of the
steel constantly to the blade.
47
PART 2
KNIFE SKILLS: the application
VEGETABLES
VEGETABLES
Soft and round, hard and oval, tough and brous,
soft and juicy, or with long stalks and sweetly
lled pods, this chapter will lead you through the
innite variety of vegetables, herbs, and fresh
spices, and how to deal with them. There are
many tools to choose from: knives, peelers,
graters, canelle knives, and the mighty mandolin,
which, with its various cutters, can make you look
like a professional chef in a matter of minutes.
preparing vegetables
Knives, on the most elementary level, cut the
vegetables into smaller pieces, to help heat reach
the cellulose and starches (often the prime
component and source of nutrition in most
vegetables), making them sweet and soft to
eat. Beets take well over an hour to cook when
whole, but when diced, they can take minutes.
Often vegetables must rst be trimmed
before cooking. For example, the stalk ends of
cabbages or mushrooms should be cut at in
order to slice them quickly, safely, and efciently.
And a huge amount of peeling is often necessary.
Use your knife skills to give your daily portion
of vegetablesso vital for healthan appetizing
appearance. Cut leeks and celery into diamonds,
slice sugar snaps to expose the baby peas, shred
green cabbage so nely that it glows like jade
when blanched. You can also use your cutting

skills to produce impressive and colorful
garnishes, such as a chili ower.
Cutting styles of vegetables vary across the
cuisines of the world. Slicing vegetables such as
green onions (scallions) and carrots diagonally with
a ceramic or santoku knife gives an Asian nuance
to your food and shortens the cooking time,
making them crunchy and bursting with avor.
The classic French kitchen gives us a legacy
of precise shapes and sizes: brunoise, mirepoix,
julienne, batons, and batonnets. All are cut
exactly to size within a millimeter, but you might
prefer a more natural approach, like shaving
parsnips into ribbons for crisps.
cutting for avor

The fascinating part of vegetable cutting is how
we use it to control avor in our food. If you
simmer large chunks of carrot, onion, leek,
mushroom, and tomato, they will release their
avor slowly but surely, over several days, for a
ne stock. If you chop the same vegetables small,
they will have greater surface areas and quickly
infuse a liquid with avor. Chopped to a size
somewhere in between, fried, coated in our,
and roasted, they will color, sweeten, and thicken
a delicious brown sauce.
VEGETABLES
53
CUTTING VEGETABLES
To address the disciplines of vegetable chopping,
begin with cutting round vegetables, and then
tackle tough vegetables like cabbages. Get
acquainted with the terminology of the classical
kitchen, by learning basic cuts such as mirepoix,

batons, batonnets, julienne, and dice. Then you
can extend your skills to making vegetable stars
and diamondsfood t for a party.
getting to grips with vegetables

Many vegetables, such as onions, pods, and squashes, are round or
awkward shapes and pose a real dangerhow can you cut them safely
with a large, sharp knife as they roll out of your grasp? The rule for
cutting such vegetables is rst always to cut a straight side. This is
most often achieved by cutting the vegetable (or fruit) in half; place
the at side on the board, and the item is safe to chop or cut.
e g g p l a nt Eggplants are soft and dont slip, but their

skins are tough and can blunt a tapered ground blade,
so use a serrated knife. Cut each eggplant in half;
place the cut side on the board; halve lengthwise.
When slicing further, hold the pieces together, slowly
withdrawing your hand before the advancing knife.
54
VEGETABLES
c a b b a g e Use the largest chefs knife or a cleaver

on tough items like this cabbage. Cut the cabbage in
half: plunge the knife down the middle, and use your
other hand, ngers outstretched, to push the blade
through if necessary. Then place each half at-side
down to cut into quarters, applying pressure if needed.
mirepoix
This is a mixture of chopped celery, carrot, leek, and onion. The size
of the vegetables varies from very large chunks to bite size according to
the length of time the mirepoix is to be cookedthe longer the cooking
time, the larger the vegetable.
l a rg e Use in long-cooking stocks. Cut the celery,

carrot, and leek into 2in (5cm) chunks, with a small
chefs knife. Cut the onion lengthwise into quarters.
medium Use in braised dishes and stews. Cut the

celery in half crosswise, then lengthwise. Gather the
pieces together and cut crosswise into 3 4 in (2cm) dice.
Cut the carrot and leek into 2in (5cm) lengths,
quarter lengthwise, and cut crosswise into thirds.
Halve the onion lengthwise, then slice crosswise into
3
4 in (2cm) pieces.
apply this skill

Mirepoix provides a time-honoured
way of training young chefs to cut all
vegetables to the same size and shape
for seamless food preparation. Aim
for a neat appearance and uniformity
if you dont have the inclination or
time to do more.
Julienne (p57) should be no longer
than the width of a soup spoon, to
make vegetables in soup easy to sip.
s m a l l Use for garnishing, keeping the cooking time

short. Cut the celery, carrot, and leek into sticks.
Stack the sticks and cut crosswise into 1 4 in (5mm)
dice. Finely dice the onion using the professional
method (p58).
CUTTING VEGETABLES
55
cutting batonnets
Batonnets are in (5mm) wide and 22in (56cm) long. To prepare
them, choose long, straight vegetables (carrots are shown here). Peel
each carrot very evenly with a swivel peeler to a smooth, tapering
cylinder. Set the aperture of the mandolin blade to in (5mm).
Clasp the mandolin tightly with one hand. With the

other hand, hold the carrot to the mandolin; grip it
carefully with your ngers to slide it up and down for
the rst slices, until you get some purchase. Then
press the carrot on to the blade with your palm.
Slice lengthwise, using the

chefs knife, into parallel
strips of equal width, about in
(5cm) wide, to make batonnets.
56
VEGETABLES
You can now slice the carrot at speed, with no fear

of cutting your ngers or the palm of your hand.
Stack up the carrot slices, in the order they fell from
the mandolin. Square them off: cut them into neat
rectangles, all the same size, with a chefs knife.
cutting julienne
Julienne are 12in (2.55cm) long and 1/ 8 in (3mm) thick (a radish is
shown here). Clean the vegetables, (e.g., trim the radishes) with a
paring or turning knife and cut a straight side on each, so it is at.
Julienne may be used for Japanese dishes and garnishes.
q u i c k j u l i e n n e The easiest way to
make julienne is to use the uted
cutter blade toward the base of the
mandolin. Adjust the blade to a ne
aperture. Place the radish at-side
down on the blade, and rub it up and
down, using the palm of your hand.
Be careful: this one can bite a little!
top technique
Another way of making julienne
is to set the cutting blade of the
mandolin to very thin, and cut
the radish into ne slices. Then
stack the slices, and with a small
santoku or chefs knife, cut the
slices into ne strips.
Alternatively, place the julienne
cutter behind the main cutting
blade. Rub larger vegetables up and
down, for very small batonnets. Be
sure to watch your ngers!
CUTTING VEGETABLES
57
dicing
Dicing is a useful solution if you need to eke out a choice ingredient
or like to deconstruct a classic recipe (cooking ingredients in different
ways). Dice at the last possible moment to preserve the avor.
Wear gloves
when cutting
beets and use
a plastic board.
Peel and square
off each vegetable
and cut into a
rectangle. Slice
into straight
batons (larger
than batonnet,
see p56). Pile the
batons on top
of each other to
make the dicing
process as quick
as possible.
Many other
vegetables, like
rutabaga, may be
cut into batons;
stack, then slice
across into equalsided dice. The
sides of the dice
should be straight:
use a santoku knife
for the greatest
accuracy.
58
VEGETABLES
a sweet vinaigrette is
apply this skill

Infuse tiny dice, cut from thinly sliced,
ripe, aromatic vegetablescelery,
red pepper, leek, fennel, and onion
in extra-virgin oil for about an hour
to make a delicious sweet vinaigrette.
Add a strip of orange zest for a touch
of Provenal sunshine.
ideal for salad dressings,
sh, and seafood
cutting diamonds
This is ideal for plain, boiled green vegetables, such as leeks (shown
here) and runner beans. Cut snap peas at a sharper angle, almost top
to bottom, into two or three thin slices, to release the sweet, tiny peas.
Use a ne slicing knife to cut the leeks lengthwise,

with the white root ends still attached. Rinse under
running water, holding the green leaves downward.
Cut each in half and place the at side on the board.
cutting ribbons
Use the mandolin to create
vegetable ribbons, e.g., of
zucchini (p50), of parsnip
(shown here), or daikon for
delicious deep-fried crisps.
With the peeler of your choice,
peel the parsnips lengthwise,
until smooth.
p a r s n i p s Set the aperture of

the blade to ne. For the rst
ribbon, carefully grip with your
ngers. The 1/ 16 in-thick ribbon
should just hold its shape without
falling apart. Press the parsnip on
to the blade with your palm, and
run it across the cutter blade.
60
VEGETABLES
Cut each half diagonally into diamonds. When you

become more practiced, you can pile several leeks
on top of each other, and slice them with a large chefs
knifeit makes the job much quicker.
cutting stars
The canelle knife enables you to make attractive stars that give
a different look and style to long vegetables, such as zucchini and
carrots. Stars are very good for stir-frying.
With the canelle

knife, cut long
grooves into the
skin of each
vegetable (here,
zucchini). To get
evenly spaced
grooves and equally
sized scallops,
carve the second
groove directly
opposite the rst,
the fourth groove
opposite the third,
and so on.
quick tip
Peel carrots evenly
until smooth before
cutting the grooves.
You can also cut
the carrot in half
lengthwise, and slice
a piece off the thick
end, on the diagonal.
Then slice it into thin
slices on a mandolin.
Set the blade on the mandolin to 1/ 8 in (3mm) thickness. Cut the end
of the zucchini and place it cut-end down on the mandolin. Hold it
rmly and pass repeatedly over the cutting blade to cut the zucchini into
rounds, or stars. Be sure to watch your ngertips.
CUTTING VEGETABLES
61
ONION FAMILY
Onions are peeled and diced or sliced, then
usually sweated. Leeks are usually cooked, whole
or cut up, by boiling, braising, or baking in
a sauce or vegetable mixture. The pungency of
garlic depends on how it is prepared. When left

whole, it tastes mild and sweet; when chopped,
the avor is strongerthe more nely it is
chopped, the more pungent it becomes.
peeling & dicing onions
top technique
Using a chefs knife, cut the onion lengthwise in half.

Peel off the skin, leaving the root on to keep the
onion halves together.
Lay one half at-side down.

Make 2 or 3 slices into it
horizontally, cutting up to, but
not through, the root end.
2
62
VEGETABLES
Onions may be sliced into half moons

or rings of varying thicknesses.
To slice half moons, cut the onion in
half (see step 1, left) and peel it. Lay
each half cut-side down on the board
and slice across (not lengthwise).
For rings, peel the onion, keeping
it whole. Hold it rmly on the board
and slice across into rings. Discard
the root and stalk ends.
Cut the onion half vertically

now, slicing down through the
layers, again cutting up to, but not
through, the root end.
Cut the onion across the

vertical slices to get an even
dice. Discard the root end.
washing leeks & cutting into julienne

This mildest member of the onion family often collects soil between
its many layers, so needs to be thoroughly washed before use.
With a chefs knife, trim off the root end and some
of the dark green leaf top. Cut the leek in half
lengthwise and fan it open, holding the white end.
Rinse under cold running water to remove the soil

from between the layers. Gently shake the leek to
remove excess water, then pat dry with kitchen paper.
For julienne,
cut off all the
green part. Cut the
white part across
into sections of the
required length. Lay
a section at-side
down and slice into
ne strips about
1 in (3mm) wide.
8
ONION FAMILY
63
preparing garlic cloves for roasting

Open the head of garlic by pulling it apart or bashing it with a cleaver
or the side of your clenched st. Whole cloves are ideal for roasting
with lamb, beef, or Mediterranean vegetables, or infusing in milk
for garlic mashed potatoes.
quick tip
When preparing pungent ingredients,
use a plastic board that can easily go
into the dishwasher or spray it with
sanitizer and wipe with a paper towel.
c r u s h i n g c l ov e s Lay each clove atside down on the board. Place a large blade
(a santoku knife is ideal) on top and strike it
hard and briskly with your palm. This splits
the skin and makes peeling easier.
64
VEGETABLES
peeling & chopping garlic

freshly chopped garlic is an essential part of gremolataan italian
combination of garlic, lemon zest, and plenty of chopped parsleyand
makes a lively topping for grilled sardines. Where you need diffusion of
flavor, as in dips, relishes, chutneys, or chilli jam, crush the garlic first.
w h o l e c l ov e s if you need to keep the cloves whole,

use a turning knife carefully to peel the thin, papery
skin from the cloves of garlic, one by one. Cloves used
whole in cooking yield only a mild flavor of garlic.
c r u s h i n g line up the board with the edge of the

work surface. Cut each clove in half and put flat-side
down close to the board edge. Using the spine of a
santoku or chefs knife closest to the bolster, chop with
small strokes to crush. This gives the strongest flavor.
quick tip
c h o p p i n g lay the flat side of the clove against the board. With a
santoku knife, cut lengthwise into 3 pieces (if the garlic is fat enough),
then cut across into equally tiny pieces. This gives a strong flavor of garlic.
To keep the garlic

from sticking to the
knife as you are
chopping it, sprinkle
it with a little salt.
To make a garlic
paste, chop each
garlic clove until it
is very fine and press
and smash the garlic
with the flat of the
knife blade on the
cutting board.
onion family
65
ROOT VEGETABLES
Vegetables that grow underground include
carrots, turnips, potatoes, parsnips, rutabaga,
beets, salsify, celeriac, radishes, and Jerusalem
artichokes. Inexpensive, ubiquitous, and
nourishing, they are the ideal vegetables on

which to practice your knife skills. Most are
peeled, before or after cooking, and their dense
textures make them easy to shape and chop.
preparing roots & tubers

In many climates, roots and tubers are familiar vegetables throughout
the year. Early in the season when they are tiny, a simple scrape with
a paring knife or peeler is all that is required to prepare them for the
table, and to keep intact as many of the nutrients as possible. Later,
when they have grown to massive specimens, they need cutting and
shaping so that they are quick to cook, provide plenty of portions, and
are attractive to eat.
In the winter, when vegetables are enormous and their skins are
thicker and tougher, it is necessary to resort to more powerful tools.
The rigid peeler is traditional, but if you prefer, you could use the
stronger horseshoe peeler, which has large rubber handles for a better
grip, or a stainless-steel swivel peeler to remove the peel.
With a bit of practice, you can tourner large, ungainly roots like
carrots, rutabaga, and turnips into elegant, football shapes. Cut giant
beets into large dice to add vibrant warmth to a winter dish. When
parboiling potatoes for mashing or roasting, it is essential to cut them
into equally sized portions so that they cook evenly. You can also cut
a variety of slices from beets, potatoes, and parsnips for fryings.
p e e l i n g A peeler is a very
personal cutting tool. Use the one
that best suits you and your grip:
hold it at an angle that enables you
to take the lightest of peelings off
the vegetable (salsify is shown
here), and to give it a good shape.
66
VEGETABLES
if prepared with skill,

be star
roots can
ingredients in many dishes
classic French fries

To ensure the fries are golden outside, cooked within, and crisp all
over, they must be small and all the same size, otherwise some will
burn and taste bitter. Always choose a potato that is good for frying
the larger the better. After peeling, keep them in water until you are
ready to cut them, but make sure they are perfectly dry before deepfrying. For hand-cut, classic French fries, aim to cut them into xin
(5x5mm) square batonnets (p56) that are about 2in (6cm) long.
q u i c k F re n c h f r i e s The
quickest way to make classic
French fries is to use the mandolin.
Adjust it to bring the large julienne
cutter up behind the main blade.
Square off each potato (trim it
until all the sides are rectangular),
and place it in the carriage.
While pressing the potato rmly
downward, pass it up and down the
mandolin and over the blade.
quick tip
If you dont have a
mandolin, begin with
Pont Neuf fries. Cut
3in (7.5cm) long and
just over 1/ 3in (1cm)
square. Some chefs
boil them rst, while
some fry them three
times, so that they
are dry and oury
within, but still
crunchy.
68
VEGETABLES
pommes allumettes & pommes pailles

Pommes allumettes are much thicker than pailles. They have squarecut ends, like matchsticks, whereas pailles have naturally tapered ends,
like straw. If you dont have a mandolin, you can cut them with a knife,
but make sure that you cut to the same dimensions for even cooking.
pomme allumettes Square off each potato and place
pomme pailles Do not trim or square off the peeled
in the mandolin carriage. Turn the small wheel on the

side to t the julienne cutter under the main blade.
Push the potato rmly up and down to pass over the
blade and create matchsticks that are about 18x1 8 in
(3x3mm) square and 1in (4cm) long.
potato, but use a mandolin to cut it into very thin

slices (p70). Pile the potato slices on top of each
other. Then, with a chefs knife, cut them into very
thin strips, less than 116in (2mm) wide, so that you
produce straw-like fries.
f i n i s h e d f r i e s You
might have to fry pommes
allumettes twice to get the
matchsticks stiff and crisp.
Use peanut or vegetable oil
at a temperature of
320360F (160180C).
Drain on a kitchen towel
and serve with roasts and
grilled food.
Fry pommes pailles only
once, a small spoonful at
a time. Drain on a kitchen
towel. They will curl, to
create wonderfully crisp
and fragile fries that are
excellent served with seafood.
ROOT VEGETABLES
69
slicing thinly
A mandolin will deliver precise and uniform slices of potatoes and
other roots and tubers. It can also be used to slice other dense
vegetables, such as winter squashes.
tools of the trade

There are two types of mandolins:
a French stainless-steel version
and a more affordable, plastic
Japanese one. Start with the French
one as it is safer to use, then graduate
to the startlingly sharp Japanese one.
p ota to s l i c e s Peel
the vegetable (a potato
is shown here), or use
unpeeled, according to
the recipe. Prepare the
mandolin (a Japanese
model is shown here) by
putting the blade into
position to make slices
of the desired thickness.
Put the vegetable into
the carriage, which will
protect your ngers
from the sharp blade,
and slide up and down
to cut into slices.
70
VEGETABLES
lattice potatoes
For lattice potatoes, also known as pommes gaufrettes, peel large
potatoes and keep in cold water until needed. Cut the top and bottom
off each potato, then cut into sections a little bigger than the cutter.
Stamp into each potato section with a large, round

cutter 21 8 in (5.5cm) in diameter; it will get wedged
in the potato. Cut away the excess with a utility knife,
using the cutter as a guide to produce a perfect tube.
Push a at end of the potato tube over the julienne

teeth of the mandolin. Discard this rst slice. Turn
the potato at a 90 angle, and push over the teeth
again. This next slice will have lattice-work holes.
Repeat step 2, pushing and

twisting the potato, until it is
all cut into lattice-work slices.
Keep in cold water until required.
When ready to fry, dry thoroughly
and carefully. Deep fry in small
batches in peanut or vegetable oil
at 320360F (160180C), until
golden. Lift with a skimmer and
drain on a paper towel. Serve with
apritifs or with roasted game.
ROOT VEGETABLES
71
cutting into batonnets & julienne

This method is suitable for cutting round roots and tubers, such as
beets (shown here), turnips, rutabaga, and celeriac, into julienne
strips. You can use the same technique to cut batonnets.
Wear plastic or rubber gloves when preparing beets

to minimize stains on your hands. Peel
the vegetable thinly using a vegetable peeler or
small paring knife.
Holding the block gently but rmly, cut into equal

slices 1 8in (3mm) thick for julienne and in
(5mm) thick for batonnets.
3
72
VEGETABLES
With a chefs knife, trim the sides of the vegetable

to make a square shape.
Stack the vegetable slices, a few at a time, and

cut into neat sticks that are the same thickness
as the slices. Use bleach to clean the cutting board.
turning
Called tourner in French, this is a common preparation technique
for vegetables in the root and tuber family, such as carrots (shown
here), turnips, and potatoes, as well as for summer squashes. The
vegetable is shaved into classic seven-sided oval shapes.
Peel the vegetables, if necessary, then use a chefs

knife to cut them into pieces that are 2in (5cm) long.
Holding one vegetable piece between thumb

and forenger, start shaving off the sides of
the piece with a turning knife to curve them.
top technique
Turning vegetables takes years of
practice, but the result draws gasps of
admiration at dinner parties. The skill
is in the rhythm: check to see that
your weight is evenly distributed over
your feet and that your hands are
relaxed. Turn the vegetable gently
into the hand that wields the knife.
Keep practicing and if at rst you
dont succeed, try again.
Continue cutting while turning the vegetable
piece in your hand, to create an oval shape
with 7 curved sides.
ROOT VEGETABLES
73
LEAFY VEGETABLES
Vegetables from this family are often used in
salads. The most common of these is lettuce, but
there is also a wonderful variety of other salad
leaves in all shapes, sizes, and colors.
To prepare salad leaves, trim off the ends of the

leaves, discarding any that are discolored. If the
ribs are toughtypically, in romaine, endive, and
radicchiocut them out (see opposite).
chiffonade
The ne and lacy, leafy laments created by this
technique quickly soften in the heat of a pan,
but still give a good texture to a soup or
vegetable dish. As well as lettuce, herbs with
plain, large leaves lend themselves to this
method of cutting. Chiffonade of gem lettuce
leaves may be used to garnish lettuce soup.
Lay the lettuce leaves on the cutting board, one

on top of the other. Roll them toward youlike a
cigarettebeing careful not to bruise the leaves.
quick tip
A generous heap of
sorrel chiffonade is
essential to sorrel
sauce, a cherished
accompaniment to
salmon. Sprinkle a
chiffonade of basil
leaves over salads,
soups, and pasta, for
additional avor and
color.
Using a large chefs knife, cut off the frilly ends of the leaves and
discard. Slice the leaves into ne strips using the horizontal cutting
grip (p37), with the knife blade positioned safely against your knuckles.
74
VEGETABLES
trimming & slicing hearty greens

Before cutting a chiffonade of most hearty greens, such as Swiss chard,
kale, collard greens, and the leaves of turnips and beets, they are
trimmed to remove the central rib. Chinese crispy seaweed is often
a deep-fried, ne chiffonade of cabbage or spring greens.
Discard all limp or

discolored leaves. Using
a chefs knife, quickly slash
each leaf on either side of
the rib. Remove and discard
it. Rinse the leaves in water
and pat dry on a towel
or with paper towels.
top technique
Grab a handful of leaves and roll loosely into a bunch.

Cut across the roll into strips of the desired width.
With more tender leaves, such as

spinach and sorrel, you can just pull
off the stalk and rib instead of cutting
it out with a knife. Spinach tends
to trap soil so, if not prewashed,
immerse the leaves in several
changes of cold water to clean it.
After draining in a colander, pat dry
on a towel or with paper towels. Fold
each leaf in half and pull off the
central rib and stalk. The leaves are
now ready to eat raw or to cook.
LEAFY VEGETABLES
75
CABBAGE FAMILY
The most common way to prepare tight, round
heads of cabbage is to quarter them and cut out
the hard central core, then to shred coarsely or
nely. Loose-leaf heads, such as Chinese cabbages
and leaves, are prepared more like hearty greens

(p75). The usual method of preparing broccoli and
cauliower is to trim the stalk and separate the
orets, but heads are sometimes cooked whole.
coring & shredding cabbage
Holding the head of cabbage rmly on the board,

use a large chefs knife to cut it lengthwise in half,
cutting straight through the stalk end.
Cut each cabbage half lengthwise in half again,

with a small chefs knife, cutting through the stalk
end. Cut out the hard core from each quarter.
top technique
Take one cabbage quarter and place it cut-side

down on the board. With the large knife, cut across
the cabbage, creating shreds of the desired thickness.
3
76
VEGETABLES
Cabbage can be quickly shredded by

hand with a chefs knife (see left). For
the most efcient action and control,
keep the point of the knife on the
board as you raise and lower the
handle; guide the knife blade with
the knuckles of your other hand. A
shredding disc on a food processor
is faster, but the shreds will not be
as pretty as hand-cut ones.
preparing broccoli orets
Lay the head of broccoli at on the board. With a

chefs knife, cut off the thick portion of the stalk,
cutting just below the oret stalks.
Remove the orets by sliding the knife between

their stalks to separate them. Rinse the orets in
cold water and drain in a colander.
preparing cauliower orets
Lay the head of cauliower on its side on the cutting

board. With a chefs knife, cut off the end of the
stalk. Pull or cut off any leaves.
Turn the head core-side up and use a paring knife

carefully to cut the orets from the central stalk.
Rinse the orets in cold water and drain in a colander.
CABBAGE FAMILY
77
SQUASH FAMILY
Hard-skinned winter squashes, such as pumpkin,
butternut, and spaghetti, need more preparation
than summer squashes. Soft-skinned summer
squashes, like eggplant, cucumbers, vegetable

marrow, and pattypan, may be eaten unpeeled,
and may be cooked whole or cut attractively.
halving, seeding & peeling winter squashes

The skin of winter squashes is thick and woody, and the seeds are fully
developed. Because of this, winter squashes are always peeled (either
before or after cooking) and the seeds and central bers are removed.
Use a sharp, heavy knife for cutting. Butternut squash is shown here.
Hold the squash rmly; with a chefs knife, cut into

half from the stalk end directly through the core.
Use a spoon or a small ice cream scoop to

remove the seeds and bers from each squash
half. Discard the seeds and bers.
2
78
VEGETABLES
Cut the squash into sections. If removing the

skin before cooking, peel the sections using a
vegetable peeler or small paring knife.
cutting batonnets
This method of cutting batonnets is also suitable for other long, slim
vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, and salsify. Zucchini is shown here.
quick tip
Cut off both ends of the zucchini,

then cut it in half lengthwise.
Cut each half again to make slices
in (5mm) thick.
Lay each slice of zucchini at on

the board and cut across it to
make sticks or batonnets about
in (5mm) wide.
Slicing vegetables
evenly and thinly
lengthwise, as shown
here, takes plenty of
practice and can be
time-consuming.
Zucchini is ideal for
practicing on, but if
you dont have the
time, use a mandolin
(p31) instead, which
will give you long,
even slices.
making cucumber cups

s c o o p i n g Cut one of
the cucumbers into about
eight 1in (2.5cm) pieces.
Using a round cutter or a
paring knife, remove the
skin. Hollow out the inside
of each cucumber piece
using a spoon or melon
baller to make a cup.
Fill with a quick salmon
mousse, or Asian-style,
with little prawns in a
sesame, garlic, and chilli
marinade.
SQUASH FAMILY
79
PODS & SEEDS

Unripe pods, such as green beans, yellow wax
beans, snow peas, and sugarsnap peas, need
little preparation beyond trimming each end
(see opposite). The tough strings along one or
both sides of some green beans, such as runner
beans or snow peas, need to be stripped off
before cooking, and this can be done by hand

(p82). Large beans can be cut into decorative
shapes, such as diamonds (pp823). Although
not in the same botanical family as peas and
beans, corn is treated in a similar way in the
kitchen after preparation.
cutting off corn kernels

After removing the husks and silk, the whole ear of corn may be boiled,
and the kernels served on the cob, or the kernels can be cut off to be
boiled, steamed, sauted, or simmered or baked in a sauce or soup.
1
80
Pull off the husks and all of the silk from the ear
of the corn on the cob and discard.
VEGETABLES
Hold the ear upright on a cutting board and, using

a chefs knife, slice straight down the sides to cut
the kernels off the cob.
trimming beans
Helping to trim the ends of peas and beans on summer afternoons
is a fond childhood memory for many, but modern living often requires
faster action, so use kitchen scissors to trim a bunch at a time.
t r i m m i n g Grasp a bunch loosely.

Shake upside down on the work
surface until all the heads line up
perfectly. Snip off the tips with the
scissors, taking care to remove
just the tips so the beans retain
their elegant shapes and dont look
stubby. Turn the bunch the other
way round and snip off the tails.
PODS & SEEDS
81
preparing peas & beans

Fresh beans and peas should break with a brittle snap, making them
easier to trim and cut. Check for strings before cutting or cooking.
Some long runner beans have no strings, but smaller beans and snow
peas do. Cut large beans and snow peas into diamonds (p60) with
single, sharp, oblique cuts, using a santoku or a similar knife.
re m ov i n g s t r i n g s
Carefully tear off the tip,
which will be attached
to the string, then pull it
along the side to remove
the string. If you are
preparing beans that have
a tough string on the other
side too, carefully tear off
the tail of the bean in that
direction and pull off the
attached string.
preparing vegetables for stir-fry

Peas, beans, and corn are great stir-fry ingredients,
adding sweetness and bright color, alongside other
vegetables. For the most attractive presentation, be
prepared to devote some time to this task. Trim all
the vegetables carefully. Then cut, chop, and slice
them nely to give the largest surface area, so that
they cook quickly but remain al dente. It also means
they can absorb the avor of the oils, aromatic
ingredients, and spices. For example, cut beans into
diamonds but leave bean sprouts whole, use the canelle
knife on carrots (p61), and cut spring onions (scallions)
lengthwise before slicing them diagonally.
82
VEGETABLES
tools of the trade

This is a chance to appreciate
your best knives. Bring out the
Japanese vegetable, ceramic,
and santoku knives. The knives
should be honed before you
begin so the cutting edges sink
effortlessly through the softer
vegetables. Enjoy the crunch
as you chop the snow peas.
french beans and

mung bean sprouts
look
great as part
of a rainbow
stir-fry
top technique
There is an order to wok
cooking: the aromatics
(spring onion) go in rst
to give the textures and
fragrance unique to
Chinese cooking. Speed
and control are vital,
so line up the vegetables
in sequence to obtain
the best results.
FRUIT VEGETABLES
Tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, chillies, tomatillos,
and avocados, which are fruits according to
botanists, are treated as vegetables in the
kitchen. Eggplant is never used raw, while

avocados are rarely cooked; tomatoes and
peppers can be used either raw or cooked.
halving & pitting avocado
Using a chefs knife, slice into the

avocado, cutting all the way
around the pit.
Strike the pit with the knife

blade to pierce it rmly. Lift up
the knife to remove the pit from
the avocado half.
Twist the cut halves gently

in opposite directions to
separate them.
Use a wooden spoon to

carefully pry the pit off
the knife. Discard the pit.
quick tip
The esh of avocado
discolors quickly
when exposed to the
air, so serve promptly
or rub or toss it with
lemon or lime juice.
4
84
VEGETABLES
Holding an avocado half in your

hand, gently scoop out the esh
with the help of a rubber spatula.
Repeat with the other half.
peeling & dicing avocado

After cutting
the avocado in
half and removing
the pit (see
opposite), use a
paring knife to
cut the half into
quarters and
remove the peel.
Using a chefs knife,

cut the avocado
esh into neat slices.
To dice the esh, slice
thinly and then cut
across the slices to
make dice.
FRUIT VEGETABLES
85
preparing bell peppers

Cut green, orange, yellow, and red peppers into squares for roasting,
julienne for stir-frying, dice for brilliant color and sweetness with sh
and salads, or slice off the tops and core and ll them for baking.
Place the pepper on a board and cut off the top and
bottom with a utility knife. Stand the pepper on one
end, hold it rmly, and cut in half lengthwise. Scrape
out the core and seeds with the point of the knife.
Cut into smaller sections, following the natural

lines in the pepper, then chop into batonnets (p56)
or julienne (p57), depending on the size of the pepper
and the dish you are preparing.
d e c o r i n g fo r s t u f f i n g a n d ro a s t i n g Cut
around the stalk of the pepper and pull it off, taking
the core with it. Rinse inside to remove all the seeds,
then blot dry with paper towels.
3
86
VEGETABLES
Slice the pepper into manageable portions. To

cut out the ribs, lay a section of pepper at. Hold
the knife, with thumb on bolster (p37), horizontal to
the chopping board and cut off the pale, eshy ribs.
chilli peppers
If preparing a lot of chillies, wear plastic gloves, or they will burn you
for hours afterward. If you dont, wash your hands and avoid touching
any tender part of your body, including eyes and lips, for several hours.
chopping chillies
Using a paring knife, cut
off the top and bottom
of the chilli. Cut in half
lengthwise. Scrape out the
core and seeds with the tip
and point of a knife. Since
the skin is tough, place the
chilli esh-side up on the
board, and slice lengthwise
into ne strips. If required,
the strips may then be
diced (p58).
making chilli-ower garnishes
With the paring knife point, cut through from the

stalk to the tip. Rotate the chilli 90, and cut again.
Flatten and tease out the long quarters; cut each in
half again. The chilli is now divided into eight petals.
Remove the ribs to help the petals curl; dont

worry if some seeds remain. Place in a bowl of iced
water for several hours, and allow to curl. Use for
garnishing canap plates, rice, and Asian-style dishes.
FRUIT VEGETABLES
87
peeling, seeding & chopping tomatoes

When tomatoes are used in a soup or sauce that is not passed through
a strainer, they are often peeled and seeded rst. This peeling method
is also used for fruit, such as peaches and plums, and for chestnuts.
With the tip of a paring knife,

cut around the core of each
tomato to remove it. Discard.
Score an X in the skin on the

base of the tomato. Immerse
it in a pan of boiling water. Leave
the tomato in the boiling water
for about 20 seconds, until the
skin splits.
Pull off the skin with your hands and the help of
the paring knife. Cut the tomato in half and gently
squeeze out the seeds.
4
88
VEGETABLES
Lift the tomato out of the

pan of boiling water and then
immediately submerge it in a bowl
of iced water to cool.
Place each half of tomato cut-side down on the

board and cut into strips. Then cut across the
strips to make dice (known as tomato concass).
chopping button mushrooms

Button mushrooms give you an opportunity to improve your cutting
skills, since they dont slip on the board. Diced mushrooms, called
duxelle, add sweetness to a white wine sauce or beurre blanc.
Wipe the mushrooms

with a clothdont wash
them. Slice off the stalks
with a utility knife; this
longer, thinner knife gives
greater accuracy than
a small paring knife.
With the at, trimmed
sides to the board, cut
the mushrooms into very
ne slices.
If preparing dice, stack
the slices on top of each
other, and cut into thin
slices lengthwise.
quick tip
Dried fungi can add intense avors to
a dish. Mushrooms such as cpes and
shiitakes are often used in Chinese,
French, and Italian cooking. Soak the
dried mushrooms rst in warm water
to allow any sand to sink to the
bottom. After soaking them, squeeze
out all the water, then slice the
mushrooms nely, as in step 1.
Slice across into tiny dice. Use the pinch grip to

hold the knife and use a rocking motion, with the
blade close to the board, for economy of movement.
Hold the mushroom in place with two ngers on top.
FRUIT VEGETABLES
89
SHOOTS & STALKS FAMILY

This family includes globe artichokes, asparagus,
and celery. Even when young, globe artichokes
are always cooked before eating, either whole
or trimmed down to the eshy bottom or heart.

Asparagus is rarely eaten raw, whereas celery
may be used raw or cooked.
trimming globe artichokes to serve whole

The hairy choke in the
center of a globe artichoke
can be scooped out after
cooking or before eating.
When cut and exposed to
the air, artichokes will quickly
discolor. To prevent them
from browning prior to being
cooked, drop them into
a bowl of water acidulated
with lemon juice or rub all
the cut surfaces with lemon.
Holding the stalk, cut the tough

tips from the artichoke leaves
with sturdy kitchen scissors.
2
90
Use a chefs knife to cut off the stalk ush with the
base so that the artichoke will sit upright.
VEGETABLES
Cut off the pointed top. The artichoke is now

ready to be cooked.
preparing artichoke bottoms

When all the leaves are removed, what is left is the eshy, cup-shaped
bottom or heart, which is completely edible apart from the central
hairy choke. The bottom can be cut up for cooking or left whole.
If served whole, it will be easier to remove the choke after cooking.
Pull away or cut off all of the large leaves from the
artichoke. Then cut off the stalk ush with the base,
using a chefs knife or a long serrated knife.
Keep rubbing the exposed esh with lemon juice

to prevent browning. Neaten the bottom with a
paring knife, trimming off all the remaining leaves and
trimming the base so it is slightly attened.
Cut off the remaining soft cone of leaves in the

middle, cutting across just above the choke (you
will see the hairy bers).
If cutting up the artichoke for cooking, scoop out

the choke with a small spoon. Take care to remove
all of the hairy bers. Rub the exposed surface of the
hollow generously with lemon juice.
91
take the thinnest
of peelings
from asparagus spears and

cook
lightly to preserve
their delicate avor
preparing asparagus & celery

Asparagus needs little preparation, apart from trimming off the stalk
ends, but you may want to peel larger spears. Celery needs stringing
before being cut into shapes, such as batonnets (p56) or diamonds (p60).
With a chefs knife, cut the hard ends from the

asparagus spears.
Holding the tip of a spear gently, use a vegetable

peeler (rigid peeler shown here) to peel off a thin
layer of skin from the stalk, rotating to peel all sides.
quick tip
Such is the tough, brous nature of
asparagus peelings that it is wise to
avoid throwing them down the waste
disposal. The peelings can entwine
irreparably around the grinding
mechanisms, and bring the entire
mechanism to a dead stop.
s t r i n g i n g c e l e r y The thick, outer stalks of celery

have long, stringy bers that are best removed.
Separate the stalks from the bunch and wash. Then,
using a vegetable peeler, peel off a thin layer from
each stalk to remove the strings. Florence or bulb
fennel and cardoons also have strings that are usually
removed in the same way.
93
HERBS
Cooking with herbs is rewarding because they
give their fragrance generously as you chop and
slice. Try to prepare them at the last moment,
just before you use them, to maximize their fresh

avors. Also, at certain times of the year, a few
herbs can go black once chopped.
slicing herbs
Some herbs are sliced and others are chopped. The herbs with soft, large,
or long leaves, such as chives, marjoram, basil, sorrel, spinach, and mint
are sliced, while rosemary, thyme, coriander, and parsley may be chopped.
Pick the leaves (basil is shown here) off the stems

and pile each leaf on top of the other neatly and
gently, without bruising the leaves. The larger the
pile, the quicker the preparation will be.
rough chopping
This is the best way to tackle big
bunches of curly or at-leaf parsley
and coriander. Use a large knife or
mezzaluna (see opposite).
f i n e h e r b s Cut off the stems and
roughly chop the leaves. Hold a large
chefs knife at both ends and chop
with a rapid up-and-down action,
brushing the herb repeatedly into
a heap with the knife.
94
VEGETABLES
Use a chefs knife and a rocking motion, holding

the top of the blade with your thumb and index
nger, to slice through each pile. There will be no
resistance, so focus on slicing as nely as possible.
using a mezzaluna
A mezzaluna, whether single- or double-bladed, is a good tool for
preparing large bunches of chervil, mint, and coriander and quantities
of peeled garlic cloves. This is a tireless method of chopping.
apply this skill

Use the mezzaluna to prepare
herbs in garnishes and dressings.
For example, chop plenty of at-leaf
parsley with anchovies, black olives,
capers, lemon zest, and red onion to
make a great topping for bruschetta
or roast llet of cod.
c h o p p i n g w i t h e a s e Place the
herbs on the board. Keeping your
hands relaxed, rock the mezzaluna
backward and forward, until the
herbs are chopped to your liking.
HERBS
95
SPICES
As the avor cache of the kitchen, spices have
the power to transform a meal. The huge
variety of pods, stalks, barks, stems, roots, and
rhizomesboth tender and toughcan be a

challenge for any cook, but fortunately there
is a cutting tool for each and every one.
bruising spices
For a steady, gentle release of avor over a long cooking period, it is
best to partly crush tough and stalky spices, using a technique known
as bruising. Chopped spices can be too potent, while keeping them
whole makes them too mild and may not add enough avor.
l e m o n g ra s s Trim both ends

of the lemongrass. Hold a small
chefs or santoku knife in a
horizontal cutting grip (p37),
then bring the heel of your other
hand sharply down on the blade.
Lean on it for extra pressure.
This will liberate the essential
oils without splinters and keep
the lemongrass whole, making it
easier to remove and discard
after cooking.
96
VEGETABLES
grating spices
Whether dry or juicy, just a touch of a spice can enhance a recipe.
Grating spices, preferably using a stainless-steel microplane grater,
makes it easier to prepare the correct amount.
quick tip
ginger Peel a knob of ginger

with a potato peeler or paring
knife, then rub it vertically on the
razor-sharp grater to render
a thick pulp.
n u t m e g Freshly grated is the

only way to do justice to this
evocative spice. Grate only what
you need. Pick up the ne dust
with the tip of a paring knife.
The santoku knife,

with its at blade,
rounded tip, and
down-turned spine, is
ideal for scooping up
ne pieces of spice,
as well as for the
many chopping and
slicing requirements
of Asian cooking.
extracting vanilla seeds

When vanilla pods are oily and pliable, it is easy to scoop out their seeds.
If they are older and dry, massage them with your palm. Empty pods can
be rinsed, air-dried, and stored in a cool dark place, and then used again.
Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthwise with the tip

of a turning or paring knife. Slice cleanly and quickly
to keep the seeds in place.
Using a teaspoon or point of a paring knife, scrape

out the black seeds, keeping the paste well clear of
your ngers. Drop straight into milk or cream.
SPICES
97
FISH &
SHELLFISH
FISH & SHELLFISH

Fish and crustaceans are different from mammals
and birds because the medium in which they
move is denser, but the effect of gravity is much
reduced. They need to push against and through
water, using a power pack of white muscle. The
supporting density of the water enables them to
carry these huge muscles without an elaborate
and weighty skeleton. This makes preparing sh
and crustaceans extremely simple.
Some sea creatures wear their skeletons
around them, like lobster, crab, and prawns. If
you break through this suit of armor, the white
meat within is sweet, boneless, and juicy. Many
crustaceans shed their outer shells as they grow,
hiding themselves until new, larger shells harden
around them. Soft-shell crabs are taken at this
stage and prepared alive as a great delicacy.
Bivalves such as oysters, clams, and mussels
dont have any skeletons at all, but use a single
muscle to open or close their shells for feeding.
The shell is able to withstand tons of sea water,
crashing and heaving constantly over them.
raw sh & seafood

With the correct cutting tools, you can clean sh
to cook whole or strip it off the bone to make
llets. Round sh can be gutted and boned, using
knives that are light, sharp, and exible, and then
stuffed with a lling. Long llets of atsh can be

skinned and divided, rolled, and tied into knots,
to make smaller, intriguing portions.
Raw seafood is a great delicacy. Clam and
oyster knives, pliers, and tweezers are used in
combination with knives to scrape or extract the
creatures out of their shells and skins. Seafood
becomes very toxic after killing, so they are killed
and prepared just before or during cooking.
There is a wide range of cutting tools to crack
open shells, dispatch, trim, pierce, and bone.
In Japan, sh is considered only truly fresh
when it is eaten raw. The famous sashimi and
sushi are prepared with long, pointed, ne
Japanese knives such as the tako hiki or yanagi
ba. Raw tuna, squid, and salmon are becoming
popular outside Japan, but if you cannot obtain
very fresh sh locally, you could cut paper-thin
slices from frozen llets.
cooked sh
The texture of sh changes surprisingly during
the cooking process. The esh has short muscle
bundles and very little connective tissue, so it
simply falls apart. All you need to llet a cooked
sh is a table knife and spoon. It is a good idea
to slice a large sh before cooking, for a neat and
appetizing presentation, especially for parties.
FISH & SHELLFISH
101
ROUND FISH
Round sh are n sh that are round in body
shape and have eyes on both sides of their heads.
The preparation techniques vary depending on
how you are going to cook it. The most common

are gutting, scaling, boning (if you intend to stuff
the sh), cutting into steaks, and lleting.
gutting through the stomach

Gutting a sh means to remove all the viscera (everything in the
stomach cavity). The most common way of gutting sh is to remove
the viscera through a cut into the stomach, but sh can also be gutted
through the gills (see opposite). A pike is shown here.
Hold the sh
rmly on its side
and, using a sh
knife, small chefs
knife, or kitchen
scissors, make a
shallow slit in the
underside, cutting
from the tail end
to the head end.
Pull out the guts (viscera), then cut off the gills (see
opposite), taking care as they can be sharp. Discard
the guts and gills.
2
102
FISH & SHELLFISH
Rinse the cavity under cold water to remove any

remaining blood and guts. Pat the sh dry with
kitchen paper. It can now be scaled (p104) and boned.
gutting through the gills

This technique is often used for sh to be poached whole or cut into
steaks, as well as for small at sh because it keeps their natural
shape. Before gutting this way, scale the sh and trim the ns (p104).
A rainbow trout is shown here.
First, cut off the gills at the base of the head with
kitchen scissors. (The gills are sharp, so hook your
index nger around them to pull them out.)
Put your ngers into the hole left by the gills

and pull out the viscera.
tools of the trade

Many of us learn to use scissors
before we learn to use knives.
They are useful when cleaning sh
because the points of the scissors
reach into cavities that we cannot
see and are not likely to slip, cut,
or pierce inadvertently. The best
kitchen scissors for this type of task
have a serrated blade on one side, to
grip the slippery ns and cut easily.
Use the scissors to snip a small slit in the stomach
at the ventral (anal) opening near the tail. Insert
your ngers and pull out any remaining viscera.
ROUND FISH
103
scaling & trimming

If you plan to eat the skin, then it is best to scale the sh. If, on the
other hand, you are going to remove the skin before serving the sh,
then there is no need to scale it. A salmon is shown here.
Lay the sh on a work surface covered

with a plastic bag or newspaper. If the
sh is small, you can lay it in the bottom
of the sink under cold running water.
Take hold of the sh by its tail, then begin
to scrape off the scales from the top side
using a sh scaler. Scrape from the tail
toward the head. Turn the sh over and
scrape off the scales on the other side.
tools of the trade

If you dont possess a sh
scaler, use a chefs knife to
scale the shscrape off
the scales with the spine of
the knife blade.
Cut off the back

(dorsal) ns and belly
ns with kitchen scissors,
then trim off the ns on
either side of the head. If
desired, trim the tail with
the scissors to neaten it,
perhaps cutting into a
V shape.
104
FISH & SHELLFISH
boning through the stomach

To bone a whole sh in this way, it is rst gutted through the stomach
(p102), and then scaled and the ns trimmed. Once boned, it can be
stuffed for cooking, mostly by baking. A sea bass is shown here.
Open up the
sh. Loosen
the ribcage
(transverse bones)
from the esh on
the top side by
sliding a sharp
knife (such as
a lleting knife)
along the ribcage.
Turn the sh
over and repeat
to loosen the
transverse bones
from the esh on
that side.
Snip the
backbone at
head and tail ends
using kitchen
scissors. Then,
starting at the tail,
peel it away from
the esh. The
transverse bones
will come away
with the backbone.
ROUND FISH
105
boning from the back

Boning a whole round sh from the back prepares it for stufng and
baking. First scale the sh, then trim off the ns (p104). Do not gut
the sh. Use a lleting knife, or other sharp, exible knife, for boning.
Cut down the back of the sh,

cutting along one side of the
backbone from head to tail.
Continue cutting into the sh,
keeping the knife close on top of
the bones. When you reach the
belly, dont cut through the skin.
Turn the sh over and cut

down the back from tail to
head along the other side of the
backbone. Continue cutting as
before, to cut away the esh from
that side of the backbone.
Using kitchen scissors, snip the

backbone at the head and tail
ends, then remove it. Pull out the
guts (viscera) and discard. Rinse
the cavity under cold running
water and pat dry.
quick tip
Sea bass is delicious baked whole
with a tasty stufng. It is not difcult
to bone from the back, and the
large empty cavity takes a lling
exceptionally well. Before you begin
boning a sea bass, use poultry shears
to cut off the dorsal spines next to
the skin, which are particularly sharp
and unpleasant.
Pull out any pin bones (the line of tiny bones down
each side of the sh) using large tweezers or small
needle-nose pliers. The sh shown is black sea bass.
4
106
FISH & SHELLFISH
lleting
A round sh (red mullet is shown here) is typically cut into two llets
after it has been gutted. It is best to use a lleting knife, because the
blade is long and more exible than that of a regular kitchen knife.
Depending on the sh and

whether you are going to leave
on the skin, scale the sh (p104).
Using a lleting knife, cut into the
head end, just behind the gills,
cutting with the knife at an angle
just until you reach the backbone.
Starting near the gills, cut

the sh down the length of
the back, cutting along the top
side of the backbone.
Working again from head

to tail, continue cutting over
the bone, keeping the knife at
and folding the llet back as you
cut. When the llet has been
freed, remove it.
top technique
Sometimes the skin causes the llet
to curl in the heat of the pan or
grill. To prevent this, before cooking,
score 46 shallow lines across the
skin not quite to the sides of the llet,
using the point of a lleting or paring
knife. Scoring also helps to transfer
the heat quickly because the skin can
otherwise act as a barrier.
Turn the sh over and repeat the process to

remove the second llet, this time cutting
from the tail to the head.
ROUND FISH
107
skinning a llet
If you plan to skin sh llets, there is no need to scale them or the
whole sh from which the llets are cut, unless you want to fry the
skin later for use as a garnish. Round-sh and at-sh llets are
skinned in the same way. A whole salmon llet is shown here.
With the llet skin-side down, insert a lleting knife

into the esh near the tail end, turning the blade at
a slight angle. Cut through the esh just to the skin.
Turn the blade of the knife almost at and take

tight hold of the end of the skin. Holding the
knife rmly in place, close to the skin, pull the skin
away so as to cut off the llet.
cutting salmon steaks

Any large round sh can be cut into steaks, but those most commonly
found in steak form are varieties of tuna, swordsh, and salmon.
Gut the sh (here a salmon) through the stomach

(p102). Scale it, then trim off the ns (p104). Using
a chefs knife, cut off the head just behind the gills.
1
108
FISH & SHELLFISH
Holding the sh rmly on its side, cut across

to get steaks of the desired thickness.
lleting a monksh tail

A monksh tail section is usually bought already skinned. However,
if the tough black skin is still on, remove it with the help of a sharp
knife. At the wider end of the tail, slide the knife under the skin, then
take rm hold of the skin and pull and cut it away from the esh.
For this task, use a freshly honed lleting knife or

utility knife. Cut down one side of the central bone
to release the llet on that side. Repeat on the other
side of the bone to remove the other llet.
Before cooking the llets you need to remove

the thin, purplish membrane that covers their
skinned sides. Do this by sliding the knife between
the membrane and the esh, tugging away the
membrane and cutting it off in small strips.
slicing gravlax & other sugar-cured sh

For this Swedish speciality,
raw salmon is cured in a sweet
salt mixture. Dill is the most
common avoring, although
peppercorns or slices of orange
or lemon are also sometimes
used. The salmon is sliced
paper-thin for serving.
s l i c i n g Rinse off the cure and pat

the sh dry with kitchen paper.
Lay the llet out at, esh-side
up, and slice very thinly on the
diagonal, cutting away from the
skin with a paring knife (shown
here) or granton knife. Gently lift
the slices off the skin and serve.
ROUND FISH
109
skinning & gutting an eel

Eel is easier to skin immediately after it has been killed, and it should
be cooked as soon as possible after skinning and gutting. In general,
eels will come to you already killed, but with skin intact. The skin is
very slippery so youll need to use a towel to help you grip it.
Using a kitchen towel, hold

the eel near its head. With a
large chefs knife, cut the skin all
around the base of the head, not
cutting completely through.
Take hold of the head with the

towel, and use pliers to pull
the skin away from the cut made
around the base of the head.
Still grasping the head end with

a towel in one hand, take hold
of the freed skin with another
towel in your other hand. Pull
rmly to peel off the whole skin.
top technique
The nervous system of a freshly killed
eel can keep it surprisingly agile,
sometimes enough to twist itself
around your arm. You might nd it
easier to hang the eel by its head on a
strong hook, cut the skin around the
head (see step 1), then peel the skin
off using pliers. Once skinned, cut the
eel into sections for cooking.
Starting at the head end, use kitchen scissors to

make a cut down the length of the underside of the
eel. Remove the guts (viscera). Rinse the eel in cold
running water and pat dry.
4
110
FISH & SHELLFISH
serving whole cooked sh

After cooking a whole sh, the easiest way to serve it is to transfer
it from its baking dish to a cutting board to prepare while still in the
kitchen, and then to a platter to serve. Whole round sh are easily
served using a fork, large spoon, and table knife or sh server.
Carefully peel
away the skin
from the top of
the sh (red
snapper is shown
here), cutting
it from the head
and tail if these
are left on. Scrape
away any dark
esh, and scrape
off the bones that
lie along the back
of the sh.
Cut down the

center of the
sh with the back
of the spoon and
a table knife, then
lift off the top 2
llets, one at a
time. Snap the
backbone at the
head and tail ends
and lift it out.
Replace the top
llets to reshape
the sh.
ROUND FISH
111
RAW FISH FILLETS

There are many ways to serve raw seafood, the
most popular being the Japanese specialities,
sushi and sashimi. Almost any type of sh and
many shellsh can be used for sashimi and sushi,
as long as the seafood is perfectly fresh. Seafood

to be sliced for sushi or sashimi should be frozen
rst, for about 30 minutes. This will make it
easier to slice very thinly.
s l i c i n g ra w f i s h The sh can be
cut into any shape in order to give
the presentation you want. Here,
a yellowtail tuna (hamachi) llet
is trimmed into a block, so that
thin, square slices can be cut, but
purists simply cut along the shape
of the sh. With a long-bladed
knife, such as a Japanese hancho
hocho or a freshly honed utility
knife, cut the sh into very thin
slicesabout 1 8in (3mm) thick.
d i c i n g ra w f i s h Trim the tuna

to make a neat block, using a
Japanese tako hiki or yanagi ba or
a freshly honed utility knife. Then
cut it into slices about in (5mm)
thick. Cut each slice into strips the
same width as the thickness, then
cut across the strips to make dice.
112
FISH & SHELLFISH
apply this skill

The most common sh used for sushi
and sashimi include clams, mackerel,
octopus, sea urchin roe, salmon,
squid, tuna, and hamachi (yellowtail
tuna). Unagi (eel), which is cooked, is
also popular in sashimi and sushi.
the
sliced sashimi
is artfully presented
with a garnish and
dipping sauce
FLATFISH
Flatsh, a type of n sh, are at and ovalshaped, with eyes on one side of the body. They
typically have colored top sides, which may be
dark brown, black, or dark grey, and white

undersides. Common types of atsh are halibut,
plaice, turbot, and Dover sole.
gutting & trimming

If you plan to serve a atsh whole, this is the rst part of the
preparation. Flatsh are normally gutted rst to ensure there are no
viscera to cut into when the sh is being trimmed. Then the ns are
trimmed and the sh is scaled, if necessary. A plaice is shown here.
With a chefs knife, make a small cut along the

stomach so you can reach in to remove the guts
(viscera) and any roe. Discard these.
Use kitchen scissors to trim away the ns. Leave

about in (5mm) of n still attached to ensure
that you dont cut into the sh body when trimming.
top technique
Scale the white side, if necessary (see opposite),

then cut off the gills with scissors and discard them.
Rinse the sh inside and out under cold running water.
3
114
FISH & SHELLFISH
To serve a atsh whole but without

the head, use this easier way to gut it.
After trimming and scaling, lay the
sh dark-side up; make a V-shaped
cut around the head. Grasp the head
gently but rmly and, with a quick
twisting turn, pull the head away. The
guts (viscera) and the gills should
come out with the head. Rinse.
scaling
If the skin on the white side of a atsh feels rough to the touch,
scale it after gutting the sh and trimming off the ns (see opposite).
Lay the sh on newspaper or a plastic bag.
top technique
If you dont have a scaler, use the
back of a knife. Grasp the sh by the
tail and, at right angles to the skin,
rub hard, ideally under running water.
re m ov i n g s c a l e s Using a sh scaler, scrape off

the scales, working from the tail toward the head. The
dark side isnt scaled since this skin will be removed
before serving.
skinning
This is the second part of the sequence if you want to cook a atsh
whole, either on the bone (see opposite) or boned (p117) and perhaps
stuffed. Only the dark skin is removedit is tough. The white skin is
left on to help retain the sh shape during cooking.
Using kitchen scissors, trim the ns from the belly

and back, leaving about in (5mm) of n still
attached to the sh (here a turbot). Turn the sh
white-side up. Make a small cut at the tail end to
separate the dark skin from the esh.
Insert a utility knife between the esh and the

dark skin. Keeping the knife blade at against
the skin, take hold of the skin at the tail rmly with
your other hand and pull the skin away to cut off
the esh neatly.
FLATFISH
115
skinning & lleting a Dover sole

Dover sole requires special handling, differing from the preparation
of other atsh. Most chefs prefer to skin Dover sole prior to lleting;
however, if the sole is being prepared to cook whole, the skin is left
on. Note that only the black skin is removed. The delicate white skin
remains intact, even when the sh is cut into llets.
quick tip
To get a good grip on
the skin when pulling
it from a sh, you can
either grasp the ap of
skin in a towel or dip
your ngers in salt rst.
Pull off the skin sharply,
parallel to the esh and
as quickly as possible.
Make a small cut with a paring knife through the skin at the tail end,
cutting at an angle, to separate a ap of the dark skin from the esh.
Using a towel, take hold of

the freed ap of dark skin
securely. Holding the tail end
of the sh rmly with your
other hand, pull the dark skin
away from the sh. Fillet the
sh to make 2 llets (p118).
116
FISH & SHELLFISH
boning
Flatsh to be cooked whole with a stufng should have the bones
removed. Prepared like this, a atsh makes a beautiful presentation.
A turbot is shown here.
Skin the sh (see opposite).

Lay it skinned-side up on the
board and, using a lleting knife,
make a cut down the center,
cutting through the esh just
to the backbone.
Free the llet on one side
from the bones by cutting
horizontally to the outer edge
of the sh. Do not remove the
llet. Turn the sh around and
repeat to free the other llet.
Slide the blade of the knife
under the backbone, down the
length of the sh, to loosen the
bone from the esh (see left).
Use kitchen scissors to snip the backbone at

the head and tail ends of the sh, as well as in
the center, to cut it into pieces.
Carefully lift the pieces of backbone from the sh,

cutting them from the esh with the knife where
necessary. Before stufng the sh, check to be sure
there are no bits of bone.
FLATFISH
117
cutting two llets

Flatsh tend to be wider in span than round sh and therefore can be
cut into either two or four llets. The choice is usually governed by the
size of the sh (here a ounder) as well as by how it is to be served.
Gut the sh (p114), trim the ns, and cut off the gills.
Lay the sh with its head end nearest to you. Cut
down to the backbone at the base of the head. Insert
the lleting knife, starting at the tail end, into the
outer edge of the sh, cutting just above the bones.
Turn the sh around. Keep the knife blade almost

horizontal and close to the bones, and cut gently
with long, smooth strokes. Continue cutting over the
center ridge of bones and toward the other side.
3
118
FISH & SHELLFISH
Continue cutting around the edge toward the

head. Turn the sh around (not over) so the tail is
nearest to you. Starting at the head end, cut along the
outer edge on the other side, again cutting just above
the bones and continuing toward the tail.
Carefully lift off the top llet in a single piece. Turn

the sh over and repeat the process on the other
side to free the second llet, this time starting the
cutting (see step 3) at the head end. Skin both llets.
cutting four llets

This sequence shows how to llet a very large atsh (turbot is shown
here) into four quarter llets. Before lleting, gut the sh by taking
off the head (p114); this will remove the gills too. Then trim the ns.
Lay the sh at on a chopping board with the tail

end nearest to you. Make a cut down the center
of the sh with a lleting knife, following the visible
line that separates the llets and cutting through the
esh just to the backbone.
Turn the blade of the knife at against the

backbone on one side and, with long, smooth
strokes, cut horizontally until you reach the outer
edge. Cut through the skin at the edge and remove
the llet. Repeat for the other llet on the same side.
Turn the sh over. Following the

same process, cut off and remove
the 2 llets on that side of the sh.
Skin all 4 llets.
quick tip
Not all atsh are
handled in the same
way. For instance, while
most are cut into llets
and then skinned, a
Dover sole is skinned
rst (p116).
FLATFISH
119
lleting a skate wing

Skate is a type of ray sh. It is prized for its wings, which are
sometimes lleted to remove the meat from the gelatinous cartilage.
Filleted skate wings are most commonly just lightly sauted, although
they are also delicious poached in a light court bouillon.
Lay the skate

wing on a board
dark-side up with
the thickest side
nearest to you.
Using a lleting
knife, cut into
the esh on the
thickest side until
you reach the
cartilage, which
is about halfway
down.
Turn the wing

around. Turn
the knife at on
the cartilage and
cut the esh away
until you reach
the outer edge
of the wing. Cut
along the edge
and detach this
llet. Repeat on
the other side.
Remove the skin
from the llets
as for round
sh (p108).
120
FISH & SHELLFISH
serving whole at sh
For large at sh such as Dover sole, as shown here, you can use a
table knife and large spoon for serving at the table. Place the sh
on a hot serving platter.
With the knife

and spoon, push
away the n bones
from both sides
of the sh. With
the edge of the
spoon, cut along
both sides of the
backbone, just
cutting through
the esh to the
bone. Lift off the
top two llets, one
at a time.
Lift out the backbone and

set it aside to discard. You
can replace the top llets for
a more attractive presentation.
FLAT FISH
121
SHELLFISH
The shellsh family is made up of crustaceans
and mollusks. Crustaceans, such as lobsters,
shrimp, and crabs, have an exterior skeleton,
segmented bodies, and jointed limbs. Most

mollusks have one or two hard shells, except
for octopus and squid, which dont have a shell.
shucking oysters
To open (shuck) oysters, use a thick towel or napkin or wear a special
wire mesh glove to protect your hand from the sharp edges of the shell.
If you intend to serve oysters raw, scrub them well before shucking.
fresh oyster Insert an oyster knife into

the crevice at the point of the shells. Push
gently to sever the muscle hinging the
shells together; pushing the knife too deep
will damage the oyster. Twist the knife, to
pry the shells apart, then separate them
carefully with your ngers, keeping the
bottom shell level, so the liquor does not
spill. With a teaspoon, scrape the oyster
off the at shell and transfer it to the
rounded shell. The liquor should be clear
and briny; if it is cloudy, you have pierced
the oyster. Discard the tough sinew. Serve
the oysters on ice.
quick tip
When buying oysters and
clams, check that the
shells are tightly closed.
Discard any with broken
shells, as well as oysters
that smell shy on
opening. After boiling or
steaming mollusks such as
clams and mussels, discard
any that are still closed.
122
FISH & SHELLFISH
shucking clams
All clams should be scrubbed well and, since wild clams tend to be
very sandy, they may need to be purgedput in a large bowl of cold
water with some cornmeal or polenta and left to soak overnight in
the refrigerator. Then they can be shucked and eaten raw or cooked.
Alternatively, they can be boiled or steamed to open the shells.
Holding the
clam in a thick
towel to protect
your ngers,
work the tip of
the clam knife
between the top
and bottom shells,
then twist the
knife upward
to force the
shells apart.
Slide the knife

over the inside
of the top shell to
sever the muscle
and release the
clam, then do the
same to release it
from the bottom
shell. Take care
not to cut into the
meat. To serve raw
on the half shell,
snap off the top
shell. For soft-shell
clams, remove the
dark membrane
before serving.
SHELLFISH
123
shucking scallops
Although most home cooks will buy scallops already shucked, you
will sometimes nd them in the shell. Scrub the shells clean before
shucking. The scallops can then be served raw or cooked.
top technique
Holding the scallop rmly in your hand, at shell uppermost,

insert a long, thin, exible knife in between the top and
bottom shells, keeping the blade as close to the inside of the
top shell as possible to avoid damaging the scallop meat inside.
Slide the knife around the top shell to sever the muscle.
To ensure the scallops dont

nip you, place them over a
gentle heat. When the shells
have separated, by not more
than in (1cm), hold the
scallop in your palm. Insert a
table knife between the shells
and scrape everything off
the at shell. Keep the blade
angled slightly down, toward
the at shell, so it does not
damage the scallop meat.
When the
scallop meat
has been freed
from the top shell,
remove the shell.
Detach the scallop
from the bottom
shell with the help
of the knife, again
taking care not
to cut into the
scallop meat.
124
FISH & SHELLFISH
apply this skill

To prepare abalone, you need to cut with the
point of a paring knife around the inside of the
shell to free the foot, which then needs to be
trimmed of any dark skin, fringe, and viscera.
Abalone is often eaten raw. Alternatively, slice
it thinly and saut quicklyabalone should be
cooked briey as otherwise it will be tough.
Pull or cut away the viscera and

fringelike membrane from the
white scallop and coral; discard
the viscera and membrane. Rinse
the scallop and roe before use.
peeling & deveining shrimp

Shrimp contain a small sand line, also known as the intestinal vein.
Unless the shrimp are small, the vein is usually removed before cooking.
This is done because the vein is gritty on the palate.
126
Run a paring knife lightly along the back of the

shrimp to expose the dark intestinal vein. Remove
the vein with the tip of the knife or your ngers.
Rinse the shrimp under cold running water and pat dry.
Pull off the head, then peel off the shell and legs
with your ngers. Sometimes the last tail section
is left on the shrimp. Save heads and shells for use
in stock, if desired.
butterying shrimp
attening shrimp
open for stuffing Make a cut along the back so that
large shrimp Lay the shrimp so that the inside faces
the peeled shrimp can be opened at, like a book. Do

not cut all the way through. Remove the vein with a
paring knife, then rinse the shrimp and pat dry.
you. Make 6 nicks in it with a sharp knife (here with a

Japanese knife) to stop it from curling as it cooks. Using
the side of a knife, atten the shrimp to expel any water.
FISH & SHELLFISH
tools of the trade

To open the tail shells of
langoustines, use a pair of nepointed scissors. With the belly
facing you, snip up the length
of each at, transparent shell to
release the soft tail meat.
langoustines are
also called Dublin
Bay
prawns or scampi
cleaning a live blue crab

The cleaning process described here will prepare a hard-shell blue crab
for cooking in a soup or sauce. Alternatively, it can be done after the
crab has been boiled or steamed (skip step 1).
Hold the crab on its back on a cutting board. Insert

the tip of a chefs knife into the crab, directly behind
the eyes, and quickly bring the knife blade down to the
board to kill it.
Press down on the center and

leg section of the crab, and pull
off the top shell.
3
128
FISH & SHELLFISH
Pull and twist off the small, folded tail ap (the

apron) from the underside of the crab. Female
crabs have rounded aprons; male crabs have thin,
pointed aprons.
With kitchen scissors, snip off

the gills (dead mans ngers).
Discard the spongy sand bag that is
located behind the eyes.
Cut the crab into halves or

into quarters. It is now ready
for cooking.
cleaning a live soft-shell crab

Soft-shell crabs are blue crabs that have molted their hard shells.
Popular ways to cook them are deep-frying and sauting. The entire
crab is eatenthe newly formed shell is crunchy and delicious.
With kitchen scissors, cut across the front of the

crab to remove the eyes and mouth and kill it.
Fold back the top shell so you can snip away the
gills from both sides.
Turn the crab over. Unfold

the tail ap (the apron) on
this side and pull it off. This also
removes the guts (viscera).
SHELLFISH
129
removing the meat from a cooked crab

All large, meaty crabs have claws, legs, and body. Shown here is a
common European crab, which contains soft brown meat as well
as white meat. Dungeness crab is prepared in much the same way.
Crack the central section of the shell under the

tail. Using your thumbs to start off, pull it apart,
then lift off the shell. Remove any white meat from
the shell using a teaspoon.
3
130
Lift up the tail ap or apron (here a triangular

male ap) on the underside of the body, then twist
it off with your hand and discard.
Set the crab on its back on a cutting board and

rmly twist the claws and all the legs to break them
from the body.
FISH & SHELLFISH
Pull off the gills (dead mans ngers) from the

sides of the central body section and discard them.
Also discard the intestines, which will either be on
each side of the shell or be clinging to the body.
Use a large chefs knife to crack or cut the central

body section into several large pieces. Dig out the
white meat using a lobster pick or skewer, discarding
any membrane. Reserve the white meat in a bowl.
With poultry shears or the blunt side of a chefs knife

or santoku knife, tap one side of the shell on each leg
to crack it. Lift out the meat, in 1 piece if possible, using
a lobster pick. Add to the white meat from the body.
Spoon out the soft brown meat from the shell and
reserve it to serve with the white meat (there is no
brown meat in a Dungeness crab). Discard the head sac.
If there is any roe, spoon this out too and reserve it.
Crack the claws with special lobster crackers, a

nutcracker, or a small hammer and extract the
meat. Check all the white meat for bits of membrane
and shell before serving.
SHELLFISH
131
cleaning a lobster
To clean and cut up a live lobster before cooking, reserve the tomalley
(greenish liver) and coral (the roe, which will be black) to use in a sauce,
butter, or stufng. The head, body, and legs can be used in a sh stock.
Take hold of the body and head section with one

hand and the tail section with the other hand.
Twist to separate them.
3
132
Remove the claws by twisting them off the

lobster or, if necessary, by cutting them off
with the chefs knife.
Leave the rubber bands in place around the claws. Lay

the lobster at on a cutting board and hold it rmly.
Put the tip of a heavy chefs knife into the lobsters head,
then cut straight down and split it in two.
FISH & SHELLFISH
Spoon the tomalley (liver) and any coral from the

head and tail sections, and reserve. The tail section
and claws are now ready for cooking.
splitting a lobster
To cut a lobster in half you need a large heavy chefs knife and a bit of
elbow grease. Hold the lobster rmly as you cut it. The halves can then
be grilled as they are or used for lobster thermidor.
Hold the lobster parallel to the edge of the chopping

board and put the tip of a heavy chefs knife into the
head. The lobster wont be sentient at this stage, but
do expect some twitching until you nally cook it.
Turn the lobster around, quickly atten its tail, and

pin to the board with one hand on its back. Then,
from the point of the rst incision, draw the knife
downward to cut the lobster in half.
apply this skill
With a teaspoon, take out the coral and tomalley

(see right-hand bowl) and use in another recipe.
Discard anything greeny-beige. Cook the cleaned
lobster (see foreground) in the shell for juicier esh.
The tails and claws (see opposite) are

ideal for simmering in court-bouillon
and serving cold with mayonnaise,
or steaming with herbs and serving
in broths. Crack the claws before
serving them.
Cook a split lobster (see left)
cut-side down in a hot pan or chargrill and serve with lemon wedges.
Alternatively, turn them over and
nish under a hot grill, topped with
a creamy Parmesan sauce. The eggs
may also be used.
SHELLFISH
133
taking the meat from a cooked lobster

Rather than cut up a live lobster before cooking (pp132133), you can
cook the lobster whole and then take out the meat.
Take rm hold of the tail section

and twist sharply to separate it
from the body and head section.
Turn the tail section of the

lobster over and, using kitchen
scissors, cut down the center of
the at underside of the shell.
With your thumbs, press on

both sides of the cut and pull
open the tail shell. Remove the
meat in one piece.
quick tip
With lobster crackers or the

spine of a santoku knife, crack
open the claw shells. Take care not
to crush the meat inside.
4
134
FISH & SHELLFISH
Remove the meat from the

claws, in whole pieces if
possible. Discard any membrane
attached to the meat.

If the lobster is large,
you may nd it easier
to remove the tail
meat by snipping
down each side of it,
right next to the pink
tail shell. The white,
soft under-skin will
peel off intact, and
the large, fat tail will
come out whole and
ready for cutting up.
cleaning squid
Squid is made up of the mantle (body) and tentacles (the arms).
It has one eye and a plastic-like inner lining (called the quill) in the
mantle. The eye and the quill must be removed before cooking.
Perhaps the most interesting part is its mouth, which is referred to
as the beak. This is a small ball shape in the middle of the tentacles.
Pull the mantle and the tentacles apart. The eye,

viscera, and ink sac will come away with the
tentacles, attached to the head.
With a small chefs knife or utility knife, cut the

tentacles from the head, cutting just above the eye.
Discard the head and the viscera, but keep the ink sac
if you want to use the ink to color a sauce.
Pull the transparent, plastic-like quill out of the

mantle and discard.
Open the tentacles and pull out the beak. Discard

it. Rinse the mantle and tentacles under cold
water. Leave the mantle whole or cut it into rings,
according to the recipe; leave the tentacles whole.
SHELLFISH
135
scoring mantle of squid

Instead of cutting squid mantle into rings, cut it into strips for
stir-frying. Carefully scoring it rst will make it roll up when
fried, producing tight, juicy curls of squid for the nished dish.
You will nd a creamy line

running down the squid, where
the quill was attached, inside.
Using this as a guide, gently slit
through one side with a little
Japanese ceramic knife. Open the
mantle and place the inner side
at and upward on the cutting
board. Scrape the mantle to
discard any excess esh and make
it as thin as possible.
Hold the knife delicately, so you
cut only to a depth of about 1 3,
and score the entire mantle with
lines that are in (1.5cm) apart,
in a crisscross pattern. (Scoring
works best on small squid.)
Cut the mantle into pieces about 1in

(4cm) square (shown here) or into
triangles. Lay the pieces cut-side up in a
little smoking-hot oil and cook with some
chili dice until they curl, or char-grill.
quick tip
Cuttlesh is prepared in
a manner similar to squid;
the main difference is that
you cut the side to remove
the innards and ink sac.
The mantle is always cut
into slices rather than
rings, as with squid.
136
FISH & SHELLFISH
cleaning & sectioning octopus

With a small octopus all you need to do is cut the head away and
section the meat. A larger octopus (over 10lb/4.5g) needs to be be
tenderized by pounding with a kitchen mallet for about ve minutes.
Using a sharp chefs knife,

cut the head away from the
octopus; discard the head. Cut
away the eyes.
Turn the octopus over and,

using a small utility knife, cut
out the beak (mouth) from the
underside. Discard the beak.
Slice off the tentacles with

a large utility knife, then
cut them into sections of the
desired size.
cleaning sea urchins

Sea urchin roe is creamy and tasty. It is commonly eaten raw,
most often as sushi, but may also be lightly pured for use in
sauces, or poached. It tends to be at its best in the colder months.
Hold the sea urchin, top-side up, in a thick towel

(the top has a small hole opening in the center).
Insert the point of kitchen scissors into the opening,
then cut out a lid.
Remove the cut-out lid to expose the roe.

Spoon out the sacs of roe, taking care as they
are very delicate.
SHELLFISH
137
MEAT, POULTRY
& GAME
MEAT, POULTRY & GAME

Understanding the anatomy of the skeleton,
muscles, and ligaments makes meat, poultry, and
game easier to cut and carve.
anatomy of meat
Animals have a strong and complex skeleton to
support a heavy frame of long muscles. Muscle
bers, often over 12in (30cm) long, can be easily
seen, as a coarse grain, in tough meat from
mature animals and in continuously used muscles
such as the neck and forelegs. Connective tissue
sheaths the muscles in blue-white membranes;
sometimes visible as a transparent silver skin, like
the kind surrounding beef llet, sometimes as
a hefty sheet of gristle, as in brisket. At the end
of the muscle, the connective tissue becomes a
shiny, white tendon, anchoring the muscle to the
bone. When boning a leg of lamb, you will see a
tendon in the center of the ball and socket joint.
Use gravity to your advantage when boning
meat or slicing off gossamer connective tissue,
such as from a llet of pork: hold up the bones
and let the meat and fat fall to the work surface,
giving you a better view so you can cut precisely
and avoid cutting into the muscle. Dont slice
away too much gristlethe meat will simply fall
apart. Instead use a slow cooking method, as in
braising oxtail, and the gristle will dissolve.
Poultry and game birds have a featherweight

skeleton and light and dark muscles: muscles
that are exercised more frequently store more
oxygen and provide dark meat. Chickens and
turkeys do little, if any, ying and have tender,
white breast meat, or wing muscles, but darker
legs. Game birds such as wild duck, on the other
hand, consist only of dark meat and have much
stronger leg tendons.
tools for cutting & carving

The challenge of preparing meat, poultry, and
game for the table requires a range of cutting
tools. These include a cleaver and boning knife
for heavy work; a long, ne knife and meat fork
for carving and slicing; scissors and scalpel for
crackling or pork skin; small knives for scoring
fat; a granton knife for cold cuts; and even an
electric slicer for paper-thin slices of ham.
Poultry shears are needed to trim feathers and
breast bones, and paring knives to cut birds.
If you would like to break down a carcass
into smaller cuts and joints yourself, get a real
butchers block, which is much lower than a
normal work surface, and a scimitar.
Cooking meat on the bone gives you a chance
to carve it with skill and a ourish at the dining
table, to the admiration of your guests.
141
BEEF
Beef is cut from the carcass of our largest
farmed animal, and yields tough and tender
meat, all of which can be delicious, depending

on how we butcher, cut, cook, and carve it.
cutting across the grain

Braises, casseroles, stews, and other slow-cooked dishes demand tough
meat, full of avor. To enjoy them, the meat must be cut across the
grain and cubedit would be very stringy and unpleasant otherwise.
slicing Trim the fat, using a

straight-edged slicing knife. The
grain of the meat is formed from
developed muscle bers. This is
recognized easily in cuts of tough
meat with a coarse grain such as
brisket (shown here), chuck, and
topside. Slice the meat rst, then
cut into cubes or rectangles,
working at right angles to the
direction of the muscle bers.
cutting with the grain

The llet is the least-used muscle in the beef carcass. It is recognizable
by its satiny texture. Aged llet is so tender that you do not have to cut
across the grain.
cutting strips Chill the llet and, if

it is thick and round, cut it into half
horizontally. Place the at side
against the board. With the tip
and point of a utility knife, cut it
carefully into even strips, following
the direction of the muscle bers.
142
cutting llet steak for sauting

Prime, lean meat is best for this quick cooking method in which cubes
or strips of meat are tossed frequently so that they jump in the pan.
To get suitably even-sized pieces of meat, it is best to cut it yourself.
cutting cubes Cut

the llet crosswise into
3in (7.5cm) pieces,
then cut each piece
into slices against the
grain, about 3in
(7.5cm) square and
1in (2.5cm) thick.
You could use a
scimitar (shown here)
or a small slicing knife.
Lay the slices at and
then cut the squares
into 3x1in (7.5x2.5cm)
strips.
carving entrecte steaks after grilling

Prime, tender cuts of meat like entrecte, or sirloin, steak are also
suitable for grilling, which is either cooking on an outdoor grill or on
a ridged cast-iron grill pan on top of the stove.
carving After grilling,
allow the steaks to
rest, then use a small
slicing knife to slice
each steak diagonally
against the grain into
4 or 5 thick slices,
using a gentle sawing
action with the knife.
BEEF
143
carving roast beef

One of the simplest culinary techniques, roasting requires little more
than basic skills in managing temperature and timing. After roasting,
transfer the meat to a carving board, cover loosely with foil, and leave
to rest in a warm place for 1530 minutes before carving.
To carve, stand the roast with

the ends of the bones facing up.
Steadying the meat with a carving
fork on the fatty side, and using a
sawing action with the slicing knife,
cut downward between the bones
and the meat to separate them.
Discard the bones and put

the chunk of meat, fat-side
up, on the board. Cut downward
across the grain into thin slices,
again using a sawing action
with the knife.
144
quick tip
Letting the meat rest for at least
1530 minutes after roasting allows
the muscles to relax so the juices are
retained within the meat and carving
is easier. The meat will not get cold
during this timeas long as it is not
cut into, it will stay hot inside.
serve the slices of
beef on
warmed plates to ensure

the meat doesnt get cold
LAMB
The best-quality meat will come from the back
half of an animal, in particular the eshy
hindquarters. The toughest cuts come from

those parts of an animal that move the most.
boning a saddle of lamb

This classic technique of boning a saddle of lamb from underneath
keeps the saddle wholeand gives a beautiful meaty joint that is
perfect for stufng. First, detach any kidneys and reserve for stufng.
Strip off the membrane covering

the fatty side of the saddle. Turn
over and remove the 2 llets from
either side of the backbone. Work
from one side of the bone outward,
stroking against it with a exible
boning knife until the llet is
released. Repeat on the other side.
Reserve the llets.
With the tip of your knife,

loosen the outside edge of one
end of the backbone, then cut
around and underneath it on one
side, working toward the middle.
Continue stroking with your
knife along its length, gently lifting
up the bone to help release it
from the meat.
146
Repeat the stroking and lifting

technique on the other side
and then work the knife under
the backbone so that it comes
free, taking great care not to
pierce through the skin. The
2 canons of meat underneath
will now be revealed.
Clean the meat and fat from

the aps by stroking with your
knife from the middle outward
keep going until you get to the fat
on the skin and the aps are
smooth. Square off the edges,
making them about 5in (12cm)
from the canons. Turn the joint
over and very lightly score
through the fat and skin with
the tip of the knife.
LAMB
147
French cut of best end (rack of lamb)

Also known as carr dagneau, this is one of the best roasts imaginable,
with a crisp outer crust and sweet, juicy meat within. When preparing
an untrimmed joint, aim to protect the single lean muscle, which runs
next to the backbone, and dont cut it inadvertently off the ribs.
On one side of the joint, there is a cartilaginous and

soft shoulder blade. Lift up the ap and cut it out
with a exible boning knife, holding the knife blade at
to avoid cutting into the muscle. Reserve it for stock.
With a small chefs or utility knife, cut between

the ribs, running the blade as close as you can
to the bones, to expose them and release the ap
of fatand a bit of meatthat holds them together.
3
148
Slip the boning knife beneath the membrane,

which is often papery and crackly, and with your
other hand, rip it off, exposing the fat. If the fat is too
thick, shave off in layers with the boning knife.
Holding the knife blade about 1in (4cm) away

from the muscle, slice off the fatty ap. If you prefer
really lean meat, cut closer to the muscle. Reserve the
ap and trimmings to make stock.
Lay the rib bones on

the cutting board.
Take a cleaver (either an
Asian one or a Western
one below) and, with one
stroke, chop off the ends
of the bones so that they
all come off in a straight
line. With the utility or
chefs knife, carefully strip
off the ne skin that
surrounds the bones for an
attractive presentation.
quick tip
For barbecues, most cuts of lamb
are excellent because they are small.
Butteried leg of lamb (pp150151)
will feed a crowd. Alternatively, cut
the legs, best end, and loin into chops
and cutlets. To keep the outside of
the joint from charring and the inside
being undercooked, marinate the
meat rst in yogurt and herbs.
Hold the joint upright. With your cleaver, chop

off the backbone, also called the chine, from the
fattest end of the muscle. Try to do this with just one
or two clean and accurate strokes. If you leave any
traces of backbone on the joint, it will prevent you
from slicing the cutlets apart after cooking.
LAMB
149
Place the lamb eshiest side

down. Starting at the widest end,
take hold of the pelvic bone while
you work around it with the tip of
a boning knife to expose it. Now
make an incision down from the
pelvic bone, through the skin and
meat, to the bottom of the leg.
butterying a leg of lamb

The secret of boning any piece of meat is to understand the anatomy.
A leg is made up of three bones pelvic, thigh, and shank. The pelvic
bone is at the widest end, the shank at the narrowest. This technique
is ideal for meat that is to be grilled or barbecued.
Work the knife around the

thighbone, stroking all the way
around close to the bone, to
release it from the meat. Work
with the tip of the blade, using
short strokes to prevent tearing.
Using small stroking

movements with your knife,
always keeping the blade against
the bone, keep going past the ball
and socket joint and on down the
length of the shank bone.
Open out the meat so that it lies at away from

the knife, and make horizontal cuts with short
stroking movements through the thick meaty
wings on either side.
When you get to the bottom of

the leg, cut through the sinew
and tendons to release the end of
the bone. You can then lift out all
three bones (pelvic, thigh, and
shank) in one piece.
Open out the wings to reveal the boneless

butteried leg. If the meat is very uneven, cut
slivers of esh from the thickest parts and rearrange
them in the thinner areas.
LAMB
151
tunnel-boning a leg of lamb

This is a technique for the adventurous cook (or your butcher), but it
is not at all difcult. Time and patience are all you needand a freshly
honed boning knife with a rm blade. Work slowly and consistently and
you will be amply rewarded with a meaty whole joint with the bones
tunneled out, which can be stuffed, wrapped, and carved with ease.
Place the lamb on a board
with the eshiest side face
down. Starting at the top of the
leg, locate the pelvic bone with
your hand and grip hold of it
while you work around it with
the tip of your boning knife to
expose it. Keep as close to the
bone as possible.
quick tip
Feel free to roll the meat back and
forth as you work (do whatever you
feel most comfortable with), taking
care not to tear the lobes of meat
apart from each other. It is important
to keep the joint as whole as possible,
so that it does not fall to pieces
when carved.
If the thighbone is proving difcult
to sever from the ball and socket,
either use a heavy cleaver or rest the
joint on your thigh and snap the bone
into two pieces.
152
After the pelvic bone is exposed, slowly tunnel

your way inside the leg, working all the way down
the attached thighbone to the bottom. Keep picking
up the meat and turning it over to get the best grip,
taking care to keep the knife close to the bone so that
you do not cut into the surrounding esh.
When you get to the bottom of the thighbone where

it joins the shank bone at the ball and socket joint,
grasp the end of the thighbone like a handle. Using the
knife like a dagger, sever the ball and socket joint, at
the same time pulling and wiggling the thighbone with
your hand to work it free (see box opposite).
Having taken the thighbone out, repeat the

boning process with the shank bone in exactly
the same way until you get to the very bottom
of the leg. At this stage it is very easy to see the
tunnel that you have created.
Stop working on
the inside and
pull the shank bone
through to the outside
of the leg so you can
get at it easily. Now
continue working
around the bone with
your knife until it is
released and the leg is
completely bone-free.
You can use the bones
to make stock.
LAMB
153
garlic
and rosemary
stud with
before cooking for

a avorful roast
apply this skill

Studding a joint with rosemary and
garlic imparts avor to the meat.
This technique can be applied to any
joint. Tear the tops off the rosemary
and halve each garlic clove lengthwise.
Make 12 incisions in the fat side of the
lamb with the tip of a paring knife.
Insert the rosemary and garlic into
the slits in the meat.
carving a leg of lamb

Remove the lamb from the oven. Transfer to a carving board. Cover
loosely with foil and leave to rest in a warm place for 1530 minutes.
Holding the roast upright by

the bone, slice off the plump
lobe of meat (the front of the
thigh) by following along the bone
with a long slicing knife. Now stand
the roast on its cut surface and
slice off the larger lobe of meat
on the other side (the back of the
thigh) by working your knife along
the bone with a sawing action.
Remove the remaining meat

from the bone so you have
3 chunks of boneless meat. Lay
the chunks on their at, cut sides,
and carve thick slices downward
and against the grain, allowing
1 slice per person. The slices should
be thick, almost like steaks. If they
are too thin, they will be bloodless
and the meat will be dry.
LAMB
155
PORK & HAM

Cuts such as roast pork loin and shoulder, hams,
tender llet, saucissons, and salamis, with their
many contrasting textures and avors, are

snipped, cut, sliced, and carved in different ways.
belly pork
Belly pork is a wonderful joint if prepared in the
right way with a long, ne knife. On the bone, it
provides the popular, Chinese-style spare ribs.
s l i c i n g After boning, take the joint and square it off:

cut it into a neat rectangle of even thickness. Trim
away any excess fat. It is very easy to cut into slices
of a similar thicknesssimply press hard on the joint.
slicing pork tenderloin

Be very gentle with this llet: the meat is exceptionally sweet, tender,
and delicate. Once the muscle sheath (connective tissue) is removed
and the llet is cut into portions, it cooks in minutes.
Slip a boning knife under the muscle sheath without

piercing the llet. Pull up the sheath and run the
blade over the meat surface with a gentle sawing
action, to separate the strip of tissue from the llet.
1
156
To slice the llet evenly into 23oz (7080g)

portions, mark it out from the center: rst in
half, then in quarters, then in eighths, before you
begin to cut. Use a ne knife, such as a utility knife.
shaping medallions
Choose large pork llets from the butcher to make these elegant
medallions. Pork llet, like beef llet, is exceptionally tender and
uniform in shape, so these are really easy to do.
Squeeze the llet gently, to make it stand proud

and rm. Use a utility knife to cut it into seven equal
portions about 1in (4cm) long; they should look like
little logs at this stage. Stand the pieces on their ends.
Wrap a piece loosely in the corner of a large piece

of muslin. With the side of a santoku blade, hit and
atten before squeezing it into a round with smoothing
motions. Tighten the muslin as it takes shape.
Each piece of llet should be

formed into a perfect round,
or medallion, ready for pan-frying.
This technique can also can be
used with beef llet.
PORK & HAM
157
carving ham on an electric slicer

Use this machine for a boned joint of air-dried meat,
such as Parma ham, Serrano ham, Bresaola, saucisson,
or large salamisespecially those with fennel seeds.
Cut only enough slices to eat at any one time. When
you want to use the slicer, cut away a collar of skin (and
any fat) to a width of about 2in (5cm) with a serrated
knife. If you cut away any more, the meat will dry out
and you will have difculty cutting and serving it later.
An electric slicer is also wonderful for cooked octopus,
peeled and cleaned melons, and all cold meats.
S e r ra n o h a m Make sure that the machine is running

smoothly and choose a setting to determine the thickness of
the slices. Push the meat down hard in the carriage, turn on
the machine, and run a few test slices to make sure that the
thickness is as required.
slicing ham terrine

A terrine should be wrapped tightly and chilled in a refrigerator for at
least 24 hours and up to four days, before being removed to cut it into
picture-perfect slices. A ham and parsley terrine is shown here.
top technique
e v e n s l i c e s With a sharp slicing knife, cut the terrine into

1in (2.5cm) slices with plastic wrap still intact. Lay at and peel
off the wrap; slide on plates with a sh slice or palette knife.
158
MEAT, GAME & POULTRY
To line a terrine, lay out three

rectangles of plastic wrap on top
of each other. Wet the terrine
and line it with the lm, so it
overhangs. Add lling; pull one
long side of the wrap tightly
over the top. Repeat on the
other side. Fold up the short
ends. Top with a foil-wrapped
cardboard rectangle and wrap
the whole terrine very tightly in
at least three layers of cling lm.
carving ham off the bone

Ham freshly carved off the bone has a sweet juiciness and is perfect
for serving at parties. Follow the internal bone structure, and take
off the meat in three lobes. Use three knives for the best results.
Follow the contours of the bone, which is now

exposed, keeping your wrist exible and twisting
the blade, so the blade strips off all the meat.
Use a long slicing knife to cut off the fat, then a

exible boning knife to remove the large lobe from
the shank to the remainder of the ball and socket joint.
Take off the two remaining medium and long lobes.

Use the slicing knife to cut off the remaining
sweetest and juiciest slivers that are close to the bone.
Place each lobe of ham with its at side on the

board and use a granton knife to carve the ham
into thin slices. Serve them whole.
PORK & HAM
159
scoring fat for crackling

There are four simple steps to get crackling (crisp skin): score the
rind, rub it with salt and oil, roast at a high temperature for the
rst 15 minutes, and do not baste the joint at all during roasting.
scoring Cut across the width of
the rind with a freshly honed paring
knife or a scalpel, keeping the lines
parallel and close together. First
work from the middle toward one
edge, then turn the meat around
and work from the middle toward
the other edge. This is easier than
scoring in a long line.
carving roast pork

Transfer the meat to a carving board, cover loosely with
foil and leave to rest in a warm place for 1530 minutes.
Steadying the meat with a carving fork, slice with

a small slicing knife between the crackling and the
meat so the crackling lifts off in one piece.
1
160
With scissors, cut the crackling in half crosswise

to end up with short pieces that are easy to eat.
Carve the meat downward

and across the grain into thick
slices, using a sawing action with
a small slicing knife.
OFFAL
Offal should be eaten as soon as possible.
The most famous dishes involving poultry livers
derive from chicken, goose, or duck. All three
are generally made into terrines or pts,

but are equally good when fried as part
of a salad, pasta, or rice dish.
preparing kidneys for frying

Supermarkets and butchers will prepare kidneys for frying, but they
do not always do the job well. If you deal with them yourself, you can
be sure of a good result. Whole veal kidney is shown here.
Discard the core. Peel the membrane off the

whole kidneyit will slip off easily when you tug
with your ngers.
3
162
Lay the kidney upside-down. With the point of a

paring knife, cut around the fatty core and pull it
away to release the membrane covering the kidney.
Carefully pull away and discard the white fat (suet)

that surrounds the whole kidneyit will come away
quite easily.
Cut the kidney into bite-sized pieces following

the natural lobes, then cut out the fatty cores
from each piece. The kidney is now ready for frying.
preparing liver
slicing Calfs liver is

excellent for frying
because it cooks
very quickly over
high heat. For six
people, buy a piece
weighing 13 4 lb
(800g). Cut away any
membranes and
arteries with a utility
knife or small slicing
knife, then thickly
slice the liver.
cleaning chicken liver
trimming Chicken
livers are always a
good value. To
clean chicken
livers, cut away
any green patches,
membrane, and
the bers around
the center of each
with a paring knife.
OFFAL
163
CHICKEN
A fresh bird should have skin unblemished by dry
patches, be plump relative to its size and weight,
and should show no sign of bruising. Patches of dry
skin indicate that the bird has been stored badly
or frozen and it will need lots of extra butter or
oil during cooking in compensation. Bruising is
generally a problem with game birds that have
been shot. Red patches will turn dark and unsightly

during cooking. The cutting method is identical for
all poultry and the objective is to loosen the esh
from the bone with as little loss of esh as possible.
Focus on your own safetyuse a regularly honed
knife, keep the blade as close to the bone as you
can, and never cut toward your hand.
parts of a bird
All poultry divides into two main parts, breast and legs. The winglets
can be left attached to the breast or served separately as desired.
Whether the breasts are halved or the legs further subdivided into
thigh and drumstick will vary (see pp1668), but this will be a matter of
portioning, cooking time, or convenience rather than any major
separation of differing types of meat.
Backbone
Breastbone
Drumstick
Wing
Wing
Thigh
Whole chicken on its back
164
Parsons nose
Winglet
Crown
Parsons nose
Breast
Thigh
Whole chicken on its breast
Drumstick
removing the wishbone

Removing the wishbone is important if you want to make carving
of the cooked bird or dissection into joints a great deal easier.
Lay the bird on

its back and lift
the ap of skin
from around the
birds neck. Run
your nger around
the neck cavity
and you will feel
the wishbone just
in from the edge.
Using a freshly honed paring knife, scrape the esh

away from the wishbone so that it is exposed
and clearly visible.
Run the blade of the knife just behind the bone,

then use your ngers to lift and twist the wishbone
free. Pull the skin back into place.
CHICKEN
165
cutting a bird into four pieces

If you intend to cook the bird in any way other than whole, you will
need to know how to dismantle it into its component joints. All poultry
is formed in the same way, so the difference between jointing a turkey
and a partridge will be one of size rather than technique. Ducks and
geese are congured slightly differently, with long breasts and
comparatively short legs. This affects carving, but in essence they too
are taken apart in the same way, with similar knives.
Cut the leg away from the backbone, then repeat

the process with the other leg. Each leg may be
divided into thigh and drumstick.
3
166
Bend the leg back as far as you can. The tip of the
leg bone, a ball and cup arrangement with the
backbone, will pop free.
Remove the wishbone from the bird (p165), then

cut down through the skin between the leg and
the carcass, with a small slicing knife or utility knife.
Pull the wing out to its fullest extent, then use

poultry shears to cut off the winglet at the second
joint from the wing tip.
If a crown (the 2 breasts and wings on the bone)

only is called for, snap the backbone of the bird at
its halfway point.
If the breasts are to be cooked on the bone, cut

along the breastbone from neck to tail. Trim away
any unwanted sections of backbone.
Using poultry shears, remove the lower end of the

backbone, which has no meat attached to it.
This is the chicken cut into 4 pieces. The legs take

longer to cook than the breast, so for some recipes
you will need to cook them separately.
CHICKEN
167
cutting a bird into eight pieces
After cutting the bird into 4 pieces (pp1667), use

poultry shears to cut through the ribs two-thirds of
the way along each breast and at an acute angle.
Each leg can be further divided. Locate the joint

above the drumstick connecting it to the thigh
and, with a small chefs knife, slice through to divide.
This is the chicken cut into

8 pieces. Many braising dishes
call for the chicken to be divided
into 4 or 8 pieces before cooking.
168
spatchcocking a bird
A spatchcocked bird has been attened and transformed into
something more two-dimensional, which can be grilled evenly.
Poussins (baby chickens) are ideal for spatchcocking, and young guinea
fowl, quail, and squab (pigeon) can also be prepared in this way.
Using the heel of your hand or the at side of a

large chefs or santoku knife, lightly crush the bird
all over. This tenderizes the meat so it cooks more
evenly. With a freshly honed chefs knife, cut a few
slashes into the legs and thighs for the same reason.
Turn the poussin upside down. Using poultry shears,

cut along one side of the backbone, then cut along
the other side and remove the backbone completely.
Open up the bird and turn it over.
Push a skewer through the left leg to the right

wing and another skewer through the right leg
to the left wing.
If desired, the spatchcocked bird can now

be marinated before being grilled or it can
be roasted in the oven.
CHICKEN
169
detaching the breast section from the bone

If the breasts are to be cooked as llets, cut the breasts away from
the bone. Work from the thick wing end downward. The breastbone
will act as a natural brake, so you can press rmly on either side of the
central bone and follow its contours.
Using poultry shears, cut away

the ribs and the backbone.
Work from the thickest (wing)
end of the breast toward the
narrowest part.
Using a boning knife, separate

the meat from the bone by
following the contours of the
breastbone, cutting the llet
neatly away.
Locate the small inner llet on

the underside of the chicken
breast and slice any connecting
membrane to remove it.
cutting a pocket into a breast llet

fo r s t u f f i n g The
breadcrumbs of
the stufng should
provide a good
seal, but it helps
if the stufng is
securely wrapped
by the meat, so
cut a pocket about
1in (4cm) deep
in the side of the
breast llet with
a paring knife.
170
boning a thigh
The thigh is easier to bone than the drumstick, because the bone is
straightforwardly positioned and visible. Keep the knife blade as close
as possible to the bone itself and always cut away from your ngers. Also,
angle the blade slightly toward the bone rather than away from it.
Place the thigh skin-side down on a cutting board.

Use a small, sharp boning or paring knife to locate
the bone at one end.
Cut through the esh down the length of the bone.

Draw the knife down the underside of the bone and
cut the bone free.
boning a drumstick
The drumstick has a series of long, hard tendons along its length, which
can complicate things but are best ignored rather than removed. Once
the point of the knife is in contact with the bone, use a scraping motion
to free the bone from the surrounding meat.
Starting from a point halfway along the drumstick,

insert a small boning or paring knife through the
esh to locate the bone; slice along it to expose it fully.
Open out the esh and cut carefully around the

bone to free it from the esh.
CHICKEN
171
boning a leg
There are occasions when boning poultry is an advantagefor quick
braised dishes, perhapsand occasions when it is essential, for
example when the meat is to be deep-fried or attened into escalopes.
Place the leg skin-side down. Cut

with a small chefs knife halfway
through the esh at the start of the
thigh bone. Cut along the bone to
the knuckle. Scrape to expose the
bone, then ease it from the meat.
Perform the same operation

from the knuckle down to
the end of the drumstick. The
bones will be exposed, but they
will still be joined at the central
knuckle joint.
Lift the bones up and away

from the esh and carefully
use the knife to cut them free
from the knuckle. A series of
short nicks with the tip of the
knife will do the trick.
chopping a whole raw bird

An alternative method to jointing a chicken (pp166168) or duck is
to use a Chinese cleaver. A cleaver with a longer, narrower blade is
available for duck. It is easier to use a cleaver on a low work surface.
Hold the cleaver with both hands and line it up

a fraction to the right of the highest point of
the breastbone.
1
172
With dexterity and precision, bring down the

cleaver to split cleanly through the bones. Push on
the top of the cleaver once embedded in the carcass.
cutting cooked chicken with a cleaver

This method is quick and keeps the chicken hot. Instead of carving it
off the bone, the Chinese cleaver chops through the bone, with the
meat still attached, keeping it hot and juicy. This takes practice and
can be dangerous, so be very careful. Choose a chicken with a rounded
breast. Cooking it in Chinese style for several hours, possibly steaming
it before roasting, softens the bones and makes it easy to cut this way.
Turn the chicken over. Bring the cleaver swiftly

down close to one side of the backbone in one
sweep, which will cleave it in half. Carefully chop out
the spine from the other half, without damaging any
of the breast beneath it.
Place the chicken, breast-side up, on the cutting

board. Remove the legs in the normal way, through
the soft cartilage of the joint, with a quick chop. Then
chop off the wings from the breast, cutting through
the soft cartilage of the joint.
Chop through each breast (while it is still on the

bone) to produce even, thin slices.
Chop through each thigh to cut it into even slices,

but leave the drumsticks intact.
CHICKEN
173
carving chicken
There are two aspects to carving poultry, one of which is better tackled
by the traditional carving knife. This is the slicing of the breast into thin
strips, especially on large birds such as turkey. The other is the division
of the bird into joints and this is better done with a chefs knife.
Place the bird on its back on a

cutting board. Hold it with a
carving fork and use a carving knife
to cut the skin between the leg and
the breast. Next, draw the knife
down and cut close to the breast.
Lift the leg backward to release

the bone from the body. This
enables the cooked meat in
crevices on the backbone to be
taken off in one slice. Repeat the
process for the other leg.
You now have two legs and two breasts. To serve

equal portions of both white and brown meat,
divide these in half. Carve the breasts at a slight
diagonal into equal pieces and put to one side.
4
174
Hold the bird steady with the

fork. Keeping the knife as close
to the breastbone as possible, slice
downward and lengthwise along one
side of the bone to release the
breast. Repeat on the other side.
Slice each leg through the joint to separate the

thigh and drumstick. Place all the carved meat
with the stufng on a dish and serve.
skillful
carving leaves the
least waste with very little left

on the bone or carcass
tools of the trade

A carving fork has a long stem leading
to short, curved prongs; when held
in reverse, these secure the meat
without damaging it. For serving, use
a fork shaped like a tuning fork with
two long, straight prongs and a short
stem, good for prodding and jabbing.
OTHER BIRDS
Ducks, with their denser texture and elongated
breasts, need different handling than chicken. The
point of carving however is simpleto render

the meat easy to eat and presentable.
carving turkey legs

Separate the legs by cutting the skin between them and the main
body. Press back each leg until it disconnects, then cut away the upper
edge from the main body.
d r u m s t i c k To carve the drumstick, hold it upright

by the bone and use a small slicing knife to cut the
meat downward into strips.
thigh For really large specimens, cut the bone cut out of
the thigh, with a small utility or paring knife. Slice down
along the thigh to expose the bone, then cut beneath
it and remove. Slice the brown meat into strips.
turkey breast
Keep the knife very close to
the carcass and slice downward
and lengthwise along one side
of the breastbone to release
the breast. The breast will
come off in one piece.
c a r v i n g Lay the breast or a

boned whole breast joint (shown
here), at-side down, and slice
with a sharp slicing knife in the way
you would cut a loaf of bread.
176
rendering the fat from duck breasts

The sole drawback of duck for todays tastes is the fat content. There
is plenty. All types of duck have a thick, rubbery membrane between
the breast meat and the skin, making it impossible to remove.
re m ov i n g fa t Take a freshly
honed knife, e.g. a paring knife,
a Japanese knife (shown here), or
a scalpel, and slash the skin and
fat, but not the esh, in a tight
crisscross pattern. Once the
breast is cut, the fat will run out
as it cooks.
carving goose & Aylesbury duck

Goose and domesticated Aylesbury duck are carved more like chicken
than wild duck. The meat will be cooked through and should be tender,
so splitting the bird into sections rather than cutting into strips is needed.
With the bird on its back, cut

the skin between each leg and
breast using a long slicing knife.
Lift the leg away from the body so
that the thigh bone pops out, and
cut it away at the base.
The leg can now be divided

through the joint into thigh
and drumstick. Keeping the
carving knife as close as possible
to the body, slice downward and
lengthwise along one side of
the breastbone.
Each breast will come off as

a whole piece that may be
subdivided into as many pieces as
needed. The larger the piece, the
longer it will retain heat. If desired,
carve each breast on the diagonal
into slices.
OTHER BIRDS
177
carving wild duck

The esh of wild duck is denser and darker than other poultry and
needs to be carved thinly. The secret of successfully carving a duck is
to hold the breast in a vicelike grip so that it can be safely and easily
sliced. Any strength and pressure should be on the hand holding the
meat in place, not on the hand wielding the knife.
Keep a small
slicing knife
close to the
breastbone at all
times and slice
downward along
the bone to
remove each
breast llet.
Hold the breast

rmly in place
with a carving fork,
then slice each
breast lengthwise
into four strips.
These can be
fanned out or
the breast can
be reformed into
its original shape.
178
quick tip
Wild duck is delicious if the breast is
served pink and the legs are still juicy.
Turn up the oven when you take out
the duck. Carve off the legs through
the joints, located underneath. Wrap
in a layer of foil, with the pink sides of
the legs facing upward. Place as high
as possible in the oven while you
carve the rest of the duck.
arrange the slices

of
duck in a
fan, and place

the legs to the side
JOINTING A RABBIT
Start by placing the rabbit carcass so that it lies
facing toward you with its back on the work
butcher will have removed most of the viscera.
Remove the kidneys and then snip out the liver with
kitchen scissors; reserve. Turn the rabbit over, with
its cavity downward. To see where each muscly leg
joins the loin, pinch the esh at the top of the thigh.
Cut off the other leg and turn the rabbit around so
the exposed backbone points away from you. Lift
each foreleg, slip the blade under the spade end of the
shoulderblade and cut off close to the rib cage.
3
180
surface, to get a good view of the cavity. The
With a short boning knife, cut in an arc through

the ball and socket joint, toward the backbone.
Run the blade along the backbone for the nal part
of the scooping cut; the leg should come away cleanly.
Remove the other foreleg. Use the heel of a large

chefs knife to cut off the remains of the backbone:
if needed, press on the spine of the knife to cut
through the cartilage and bone in a single chop.
Lay the rabbit on its back and, with kitchen scissors,

cut up through the breastbone, or sternum, so the
breast meat falls apart in two aps. Alternatively, use
poultry shears to cut easily through the cartilage.
Turn over the rabbit and tuck the aps under.

Cut through the rabbit, at the lower end of the
rib cage, to leave just four rib bones attached to
the loin. Square off the aps, parallel to the torso.
f u l l y j o i nte d ra b b i t
Wild rabbits prepared
in this way may be
stewed or used in a
casserole; domestic
rabbits may be braised.
Use the bones for
making a sauce or gravy.
The liver and kidneys
may be chopped and
fried in butter and
served hot on pastry
crotes.
JOINTING A RABBIT
181
DOUGHS
& DESSERTS
DOUGHS & DESSERTS

When a young chef decides to become a chef
ptissier, its like taking holy orders. Cutting and
slicing become a work of art; precision is the
order of the day. Gteau Pithiviers has hundreds
of layers of puff pastry, scallops, cross-hatching,
and a surface lled with the swirling glamour of
radiating ne lines, all cut with the tip of a knife.
Dont let this deter you. If this type of cooking
intrigues you, buy good-quality equipment from
specialist suppliers, and be prepared to cut
respectfully at all stages.
pastries & cakes

To avoid irredeemable mistakes, mark out
shapes and lines with the spine of a knife before
cutting items such as puff-pastry tarts and
croissants. Never cut circles freehand; a set
of round cutters will do the job perfectly.
The lighter and more delicious the pastry,
as in pte sucre and pte sabl, the more of a
challenge it poses. The sugar and butter content
of sweet pastries, choux puffs, and sponge cakes
makes them delicate and friable after baking, so
cut them with a granton knife, long scalloped
knife, or electric knife for best results.
With all uncooked pastries, the freezer is
your best friend; always keep space free for this
purpose. You cannot cut oozing, limp pastries,
so just slide them on to an upturned, oured

tray and place them in the freezer for 15 minutes
or so. They will become rm enough to cut.
bread & pasta doughs

Bread dough can be soft and supple, tight and
hard, puffy and slackthe simplest tools are
needed for cutting and shaping it. With a little
imagination and a pair of scissors, you can turn
brown bread buns into appealing hedgehogs and
breadsticks into works of art. Baked doughs have
many kinds of crusts. To cut a loaf with a tough
crust (like the sourdough loaf shown opposite),
you will need to use a knife with a serrated edge,
to avoid wearing out your other knives.
Traditional pasta was always hand-cut: for
noodles, fold the rolled dough into three, like
a business letter, and with a large chefs knife,
cut into pappardelle and serve with ribbons
(p60) of zucchini. Or use a ravioli cutter to
cut squares of ravioli or rectangles for lasagna.
a nal word
Even if the kitchen is lled with tantalizing
aromas, it is important to allow breads and
cakes to cool completely. This will release
the steam before cutting, and enable you
to achieve a perfect texture and slice.
DOUGHS & DESSERTS
185
RAW DOUGH
Although these doughs might look the same,
each holds a secret in the making, with the
revelation found only after baking. For example,
the bread dough holds thousands of bubbles,
and the puff and croissant pastry, dozens of

layers. In the nal shaping, cooking, and nishing,
each dough needs to be cut or handled with
the correct tool for a perfect result.
cutting out dough

A bulk fermentation of bread can be quite large, so you need to cut the
dough into loaves or rolls fast. A dough scraper is not as sharp as a
knife, so chopping hard on a work surface will not damage it.
quick tip
Maintain equipment
with care: cutters
should remain
perfectly round; dont
rest palette knives on
a hot pan; and dust
our from all crevices
before storing.
fe r m e nte d d o u g h Fully fermented

dough springs back when you press it with
a nger and quadruples in size. Turn the
dough on to the counter. If it is sticky,
lightly our your hands and the dough.
Handle it gently, without compressing it.
Chop into equal-sized chunks with the
dough scraperthis cuts as sharply as a
knife without damaging the work surface.
Use for rolls, pizza bases, and at breads.
186
DOUGHS & DESSERTS
b re a d s t i c k s Pizza wheels are fun to use on dough,

and make quick work of cutting breadsticks. Since they
cut at speed, they dont squeeze the air out of the
risen dough. A long palette knife makes a good ruler.
c ro i s s a nt s Place your ngers on the spine of a large,

sharp chefs knife and bring it down in swift, straight
lines so that you dont squeeze the dough. This will
ensure that the buttery, crisp layers rise in the oven.
puff pastry The walls of a tart need to be straight to
d o u g h n u t s Position the cutter lightly on the dough
hold a lling. Place the knife point at the end of the

pastry and cut with a clean, downward action along a
palette-knife blade, so the layers rise without restraint.
with your ngertips. Bring down your palm quickly

and hard to force it through the dough quickly. This
cut will help the doughnuts puff up in hot oil.
RAW DOUGH
187
working & nishing doughs

After you have taken the trouble to make some dough, you should be
sure to nish it. Cutting fermenting doughs allows the dough to expand;
cutting nished doughs creates a decorative effect. Using the
appropriate knife helps to ensure that you achieve the best result.
s l a s h i n g d o u g h To get the
look and taste of breads such as
baguettes, try cutting the surface
of your dough with a razor-type
blade, such as a scalpel.
First mold the loaf, then when it
is fully risen, draw the scalpel in
lightning strokes across the dough,
following the curve of the surface.
Hold the blade tightly with your
ngers, keep your forearm still,
and with a rm but exible wrist,
draw the blade in an arc.
The blade can be used in the
same way for slashing fully
fermented dough to check for
signs of gas bubbles.
a d e c o ra t i v e c r u s t To make a handsome brioche

loaf, divide the dough into rolls and pack them into
a tin. When risen and glazed, snip the surface of each
roll in a cross with the points of sharp scissors.
188
DOUGHS & DESSERTS
f l i p p i n g a p a n c a ke Using the rounded tip of a

palette knife keeps your ngers away from the heat,
supports the pancake without tearing it, and allows you
to check and see if the base is cooked before ipping.
BAKED DOUGHS
Baking a sponge cake or a batch of choux
puffs and adding a rich creamy lling turns them
into a fabulous dessert or tea-time treat. For
a professional nish, discipline yourself to choose

the right knife for the job, then cut neatly, sawing
constantly and never pushing with the knife.
cutting & lling

To cut precisely delicate cakes
and pastries before adding a
lling, use a long-bladed, serrated
knife. It does not tear, and its
length gives you control and
nesse with tender textures.
d e l i c a te i te m s Once you have

started cutting horizontally toward
the hand holding the cake or pastry
(proteroles are shown here), transfer
your grip to the top of the item.
Alternatively, if it is fragile, steady it
lower down, beneath the blade of the
knife, to keep your ngers safe.
Score a guideline around the cake. By pressing on

the knife using the thumb grip (p37), and sawing
evenly and horizontally, you will easily follow the
guideline, giving the layer an even thickness all around.
Put your other hand lightly on top to steady the cake.
Gently lift the cut layer off the sponge cake and slip
a palette knife or a cake tin bottom beneath to
transfer it carefully to a level surface. You could cut
more layers, depending on the depth of the cake.
Once the lling is added, replace the layers.
BAKED DOUGHS
189
Melba toast
Fragile, crisp, and brittle wafers of homemade Melba toast to accompany
a little caviar or pt de foie gras are one of lifes little luxuries. All
you need is some sliced white bread and a very good bread knife.
Toast the bread on both sides under the broiler or in

a toaster until pale golden in color. Pile two slices on
top of each other. Cut off the crusts with a bread knife,
trimming and cutting the slices to make them square.
Aim to complete the preparation while the bread

is warm and exible. Steady each slice with one
hand, and with the blade parallel to the board, cut
the bread horizontally through the middle.
Use a paring knife to scrape the

untoasted bread off each slice
and discard the scrapings. Cut
each slice of toast into triangles.
Place the triangles under a hot
broiler, untoasted sides up, and
keep watch until they are pale
golden and curled.
Remove from the broiler, allow to
cool, and keep in a dry place until
ready to serve.
190
DOUGHS & DESSERTS
cutting bread
Even a simple slice of bread can be elegant if cut with care and skill.
When slicing soft bread, use plenty of sawing motions, so that the knife
cuts cleanly and without tearing. It also helps to use very soft butter.
b re a d & b u t te r For the

thinnest slices of bread and butter,
take a slightly stale brown loaf and
cut off the end crust. Use a table
knife to spread the face of the loaf
with very soft butter, then cut off
a very thin slice with a bread knife.
(The butter helps to keep the slice
from tearing.) Repeat until you
have enough slices.
Serve with smoked salmon or
another smoked sh and a wedge
of lemon, with potted shrimps,
or with bread and butter pickles.
s a n d w i c h e s Add your chosen

lling to buttered bread and close
the sandwiches. Pile three rounds
on top of each other. Grip a
granton, long serrated, or forged
bread knife with your thumb on
top of the bolster and cut off the
crusts. As you cut, trim the bread
into a perfect square.
Use the same grip to cut the
stack of sandwiches into triangles
(shown here) or into ngers. As
soon as the blade bites gently into
the rst corner, place your hand
on top, pressing rmly and evenly
to hold the lling and bread in
place. Serve as an appetizer
or afternoon snack.
BAKED DOUGHS
191
using an electric knife

The fast-moving, double blade is a superbly efcient cutting tool for
challenging tasks such as slicing puff-pastry pies, champagne jelly, and
fruit terrines. Turn on the knife in a safe area, away from people and
pets, and never touch the blade when it is plugged in.
p t e n c ro te This can take
days to make and it is easy for an
inexperienced chef to break the
pastry, drag the jelly onto the
lling, and ruin their work while
trying to slice itespecially if the
pie has very intricate layers.
To use an electric knife, start the
cutting blade and rest it on top of
the pie. It will begin to cut through
the pastry. There is no need to
press it down: just let it drop
through the pie, and the slice will
fall away. The blade will not cut
through the cutting board. Have a
trowel spatula ready to catch the
slice and transfer it to the plate.
c a ke s l i c e s The electric knife

will cut cleanly through a variety
of textures such as nuts, chocolate,
cream, fruit llings, and sponge,
keeping all intact and in shape
without compressing any layers.
Slice a cake as for the pt
en crote (see above), without
exerting any downward pressure,
which could smear the ingredients.
Simply let the blades ride gently
through the cake for a perfect cut.
192
DOUGHS & DESSERTS
CHOCOLATE
The pedigree of chocolate is evident when you
begin to chop it for melting. The best chocolate
contains the highest amount of cocoa solids and
cocoa butter (instead of vegetable oil) and is the

hardest. You will recognize the brittle snap and
sharp crunch when you cut it.
c h o p p i n g c h o c o l a te You need a serrated slicing

knife and a plastic cutting board. Use a horizontal
cutting grip (p37) and steady the tip of the blade with
the palm of your hand. Chop the chocolate as nely
as you can, into similarly sized pieces no larger than
chocolate drops, so it will melt evenly.
top technique
For easy shavings, stroke a chocolate
block evenly with a vegetable peeler.
Let the shavings fall into a small bowl
and dont touch themthey will
melt. Chill until required.
a p p l y i n g g l a ze When the glaze

is not too thick and not too thin,
pour a shallow pool into the center
of the cake. With a exible wrist,
tilt a trowel spatula from side to
side, so it pushes the chocolate
toward the edge of the cake. The
legs of the chocolate will form
and drag the glaze evenly down the
sides. Run the spatula vertically
around the cake to nish it off.
Dont be discouraged if your
results are not like this the rst
timethis is truly a case of
practice making perfect.
CHOCOLATE
193
FRUIT
FRUIT
The nal course of a meal has to try the
hardest: at least two courses have preceded it,
so it needs to be exciting, brilliantly colored, and
gorgeous! These are the words of Michel Roux,
who won his Meilleur Ouvrier de France as a
ptissier, and indeed he is right. Thankfully, fruit,
with its texture, juice, shapes, and its exquisite
palette of colors, needs very little improvement
and can make an impressive end to a wellcooked meal.
Cutting fruit for a fresh fruit salad is known
as a macdoine, named after the Macedonian
kingdom of Alexander the Great, because he
created a variety of new lands by uniting and
conquering others. Alexanders territory
is always depicted on historical maps as a
collection of attractive shapes and colors.
attractive presentation
The breathtakingly lavish buffets served in some
resort hotels are often the work of Asian chefs
who practice from childhood how to make
landscapes, complete with birds and dragons,
out of fruits and nuts. These might be quite
out of our reach, but we can improve our
presentation with well-chosen garnishes that
enhance the color, composition, and overall
design of the dish. They also release the

fragrance of the fruit, especially citrus varieties,
which are refreshing and enticing. With the
correct cutting and garnishing tools, impressive
results are easy to achieve.
Dont fall into the trap of overdoing it when
preparing fruit. Too many twists and cuts
can put people off because the food will look
unappetizingly over-handled, especially when
it is raw. Keep the garnish as natural as possible:
simply enhance the fruits good looks, shape,
and contribution to the dish. Choose the best
fruits to work on; they should be ripe but rm.
For example, a green mango, no matter how
beautifully prepared, will be crisp and dry.
using fruit in drinks

As well as the dessert course, fruit makes a
welcome addition to drinks. It makes all the
difference to a pitcher of lemonade or fruit
punch on a hot summers day. Iced glasses
containing drinks garnished with fruits, such
as orange segments, citrus zest, or melon
balls, delight as much by their appearance as by
their content. It is a bonus that these garnishes
may be prepared well in advance, wrapped in
plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator.
FRUIT
197
peeling apples
There are several ways to peel and prepare apples, but if you want
shaped sections for decorative desserts, rst peel with a swivel peeler.
Rub off any angular contours with a chefs knife, or peel them away,
so all is utterly smooth. Cut in half horizontally and core with a melon
baller (see below). Rubbing apples with a sliced lemon, or placing them
in water with lemon juice, will keep apples white while you work.
top technique
To make apple crisps, cut whole
green apples (skin, core, and all)
into very ne round wafers, on an
electric slicer or mandolin. Steep
in syrup and dry in a very low oven.
c o r i n g Place the
melon baller on top of
the core, to introduce
the rimthe cutting
partto the edge of
the core. Press hard
and scoop in one
motion: the core should
come out as a single halfball. With a paring knife,
cut out any remaining
skin and the stem.
198
FRUIT
preparing apple crescents

Golden Delicious apples are good cut into crescents for an apple tart.
Peel the apples until they are smooth and all the same size. The better
shaped the apple at this stage, the more elegant the crescents will be.
Set the slicing blade of the mandolin to produce

slices that are no thinner than 1/ 8 in (3mm). Run
each apple over the blade and allow the slices to fall,
leaving them in the order in which they were sliced.
Examine each apple to establish at what angle

the core runs through it (it is not always perfectly
vertical) then, using an overhand grip, stamp out the
core with a corer. Remove the core from the corer.
Collect the slices and reassemble each apple on

your index nger. Help the slices into a perfect
apple shape by shaking your nger gently. Stand the
re-formed apples at the edge of your work surface.
With a small chefs knife, cut each re-stacked

apple in half vertically to form perfect crescents.
Lay them in overlapping lines on a ne disc of puff
pastry, brush with butter, and bake in a very hot oven.
PREPARING APPLE CRESCENTS
199
uting apples for baking

Baked red apples in autumn are comforting, but the skins can be tough
to eat. Removing the skin in strips, with a canelle knife or peeler,
effectively half-peels them, leaving just enough skin for color and to
support the lling. It also allows the heat to penetrate to the center.
Cut channels
vertically through
the skin, with the
canelle knife. To
make a perfect
pattern, cut the
rst channel, then
one on the opposite
side of the apple.
Cut the third
channel halfway
between the two
existing channels,
and cut the fourth
opposite the third.
Cut the rest of the
channels in the
same way so that
they are all
equidistant.
Cut off the top

of the apple,
with a santoku
or serrated knife.
Hollow out the
core with a melon
baller (p198).
200
FRUIT
Spoon in a lling (here made with

port-soaked currants, roasted and
chopped hazelnuts, lemon, butter, and
yogurt) and bake for 15 minutes at 320F
(160C) until the apples are soft and
tender, but still holding their shape.
a little skillful
cutting
turns a simple dish into

a
stylish dessert
slicing a whole pear

This is an elegant way of presenting a pear for a dinner party. Use
pears of the same size and shape and have enough sugar syrup with
lemon juice ready in a saucepan to cover the pears, under a cartouche.
Core each pear through the base, using a melon

baller; you will nd that the core runs only halfway
up the pear. Retaining the stem, peel the pear with
a swivel peeler, accentuating its beautiful curves.
Carefully transfer the pear, with

its stem still attached, to the
plate. Lightly press the top with the
palm of your hand, to splay it out.
Use a turning knife to tease any
misplaced slices into position. Spoon
over a little syrup to make it shine.
202
FRUIT
With the tip and point of a serrated knife, cut a

vertical line, all the way through to the middle of
the pear, from stalk to base. Repeat every in (1cm)
to create even parallel lines, without cutting the stem.
making lemon-zest julienne

These are used in a wide range of recipes. One of the easiest and most
useful options is to candy them in a boiling sugar syrup, to garnish
many desserts. Choose fresh, large lemons with shiny, fragrant skins.
Peel the lemon using a swivel peeler, which is the

most sensitive; remove only the zest, without the
bitter pith. There is no need to square off (cut into
a square or rectangle) the strips of peel.
If any pith remains on the zest, slice it off with a

exible knife, e.g., a lleting knife; keep the blade
horizontal and parallel to the board. Use a chefs knife
to cut the peel, with a rocking motion, into ne strips.
sectioning an orange
Who can resist a properly prepared orange? Serve with just salt, in
salads, or for brunches. Choose fresh oranges with smooth, plump
skins. Grapefruit and lemon segments are prepared in the same way.
Cut off the top and bottom with a scalloped slicer or

freshly honed paring knife. Steady the orange with a
fork and cut off the skin and white pith together, in
sections; follow the curve of the orange precisely.
Cut with a sawing motion to the center of the

orange, keeping the blade ush with one side of a
segment. Push off the segment, or cut it on its other
side to free it. Repeat to cut out each segment.
MAKING LEMON-ZEST JULIENNE
203
cutting pineapple rings & chunks

Fresh pineapple is at its best when it is ripe. Very little of the chefs art
is called for, but it does need to be properly peeled and cut. First, use a
chefs knife to cut off the stalky top and then the base of the pineapple.
Stand the fruit upright and then slice off the skin
in long strips. Cut from top to bottom and follow
the contour of the fruit so that no esh is lost where
it bulges at the middle.
f l u te d p i n e a p p l e First use a chefs knife to trim

the base and peel the fruit (see above left), taking
off all traces of the skin but leaving the eyes.
The spiral of the eyes will gradually become visible.
Use the stalky top as a handle and start cutting
from the middle. With a 6in (15cm) serrated knife,
cut a V-shaped groove, just deep enough to remove
all traces of the eyes. Follow the line of the eyes
from the middle of the pineapple right around the
fruit to the base. Turn the pineapple as you go.
Then cut a groove all the way to the top, and
repeat until all the eyes have been removed.
204
FRUIT
For rings, turn the fruit on its side and slice. Take
a round cutter and cut out the center of each slice.
For pineapple chunks, cut the fruit into thicker slices
and again remove the hard cores before segmenting.
this impressively
cut
pineapple may be used

as a
decorative
centerpiece or sliced into
pretty, uted cartwheels
peeling peaches or nectarines

These are some of the most luscious fruits imaginable, full of sweet
juice, and even more luxurious after skinning. Skinning is necessary
for classical desserts, sauces, and pures. Make sure that you choose
loose-skinned peaches and nectarines.
Cut a small cross in the

skin at the base of the
fruit with a paring knife.
Immerse the fruit

in boiling water from
a teapot for 30 seconds.
Remove with a slotted
spoon and transfer to
a bowl of cold water.
Remove from the water
and pull the skin off
with your ngers.
206
FRUIT
preparing a mango
Mangoes must be ripe unless they are an ingredient of a savory stew or
chutney. The pit is surrounded by hard bers and the extent to which
these affect the surrounding esh varies. The best method is to make
mango hedgehogs; it is unnecessary to peel them. Less is best.
Stand the fruit on its

side; slice down and into
the middle, with a utility
knife. The fruit has a large,
at pit, so your knife must
follow the soft esh around
it to the chopping board.
Repeat the exercise with
the other side, so the pit is
cut off with a small slice of
esh; discard it.
Place the mango halves

esh-side up. Cut the
esh downward into strips
lengthwise, then crosswise
until you reach the skin. Do
not cut through the skin.
Press the skin so that the
fruit bursts upward into
segments. To remove the
segments for a fruit salad,
run a serrated knife close
to the skin.
PREPARING A MANGO
207
preparing melon boats

Dont be put off by the size and weight of melons. A scalloped blade
will make short work of the tough skin and opening up the melon
(a cantaloupe is shown here) to reveal soft, thirst-quenching esh.
With a scalloped slicer, cut a small slice off the base

of the melon, so it stands steadily on the board. Cut
it in half and scoop out the seeds with a tablespoon.
Stand each half on its base and slice into wedges.
Run a exible (e.g., lleting) knife along the inside

skin of each wedge, to release the esh in one piece.
Push rmly on the skin and ex the blade at against
the board so that it glides safely beneath your ngers.
Cut each slice into 56 even

pieces. Return to the skin,
staggering the pieces. Garnish the
melon boat with a citrus sail.
quick tip
To make orange
sails, use a canelle
knife to cut up to 12
channels into the skin
of a large orange.
Slice it thinly into
rounds, fold each
slice back on itself,
and secure into place
with a toothpick.
208
FRUIT
for a
dainty and
refreshing dessert, serve

a selection of melon
balls in a chilled glass
top technique
Halve or quarter
various melons as
needed and remove
the seeds. Scoop
out the esh with a
melon baller; swivel
the baller 360 to
create perfect orbs.
Cut closely to get as
many balls as possible.
apply this skill

Partly peel a pear to resemble a
mountain snowline and use the
poaching juice as a syrup. Peel kiwi
fruits and oranges, but leave on edible
skins, as of gs, to add color.
macdoine salad
The secret of a fruit salad is choosing perfectly ripe fruit, just rm
enough to hold its shape, in as many colors as possible. Allow plenty
of time to create neatly cut and pretty segments.
p e e l i n g & s l i c i n g Use a
peeler and a paring knife to clean
fruits for a salad, cutting them
into uniform and neat shapes
such as crescents. Work on an
immaculately clean surface and
use a dough scraper to scrape all
the juice from the board into the
serving bowl.
Drop apples, pears, and peaches
into a light syrup or fruit juice
straight after peeling, to keep
them from oxidizing and going
brown. Add red and blue berries
last; they can stain the syrup.
peeling and chopping chestnuts

Chestnuts come in several guises: raw, sweetened, or plain in cans or
jars. Roast raw chestnuts by heating them on a griddle or open re, or
shell them after deep-frying, grilling, or blanching for a few minutes.
ra w c h e s t n u t s Whichever method you choose,

pierce the top of each chestnut with the point of a
sharp knife to stop it from exploding when hot. Grill
or deep-fry for about 3 minutes until the shells split.
c o o ke d c h e s t n u t s Once they are cool enough to

handle, peel off the outer and inner skin. For stufng,
coarsely chop the chestnut esh with a sharp knife.
MACDOINE SALAD
211
now that you have the fundamentals

of a working relationship with good
knives, you will nd yourself taking
in your cutting skills and
pride
being committed to excellence.
GLOSSARY
acidulated Where acid is added,
usually lemon juice (or white wine
vinegar) to water.
balance Distribution of weight
down the length of a knife, from
handle to tip.
Beurre Nantaise Rich, white
butter sauce, avored with nely
chopped shallots and reduced
white wine vinegar, originally
served with sh in the Nantes
area of France.
bevel (as on a single-bevel blade)
Obliquely angled cutting edge,
sharpened only from one side.
Double-beveled blades are also
available.
carriage Attachment for mandolin;

protective casing that carries
ingredient over the blades.
cartilage Firm but elastic tissue,
blue-white in color, found in the
carcasses of young animals, and in
the ends of the bones in mature
animals.
cartouche Disc of greaseproof
paper placed over braising, or
poaching, ingredients, to keep
them below the surface of the
cooking liquid.
bivalve Sea or freshwater mollusk

that has a hinged, two-part shell.
carve To cut cooked meat, poultry,

or game into small portions or
slices, from off the bone, using
a slicing knife and meat fork.
blanch To dip food quickly into

boiling water; to cook or precook,
depending on the ingredient.
carving knife A straight-edged,

long, ne slicing knife: either 7in
(18cm) or 101 2 in (26cm) long blade.
brisket Meat from the breast of

an animal.
cpe Strongly avored mushroom;

edible boletus with a rm, bulbous
stalk, highly prized in gastronomy.
bronze Alloy of copper and tin.

brown sauce Deep brown, glossy
gravy, made with reduced meat
stock, bones, and meat trimmings,
and sweetened by a little chopped
onion, carrot, celery, mushroom,
and tomato.
brunoise Fine dice, e.g., of carrots,
turnips, or zucchini, that are cubes
of exactly 1 8 in (4mm).
cheek (as in knife blade) Thickness

of the blade that tapers from the
spine to the ne cutting edge.
chiffonade Thin, ne ribbons of a
soft-leaved vegetable, e.g., lettuce.
chine Backbone; sometimes used
as a verb e.g., to chine (cut away
the backbone).
burr Rough ridge left on the cutting

edge of a blade after sharpening.
chuck Cut of beef from the

forequarter, toward the neck,
including part of the shoulder.
buttery To cut an ingredient, e.g.,

leg of lamb or large prawn, so it
opens out like buttery wings.
connective tissue Tissue that

connects, surrounds, and supports
muscles and organs in the carcass.
cannon Loin of lamb, similar to loin

or sirloin of beef.
coral Colloquial name given to

lobster eggs, which turn a coral
hue, when cooked.
carbon steel Alloy of steel and

carbon; in knife blades, takes a
214
very thin cutting edge that is easy

to sharpen, but wears down quickly.
GLOSSARY
core (as in blade) Central, sharp,

brittle blade, found in Japanese
kasumi knives; it is supported by
Damascene, or similar, steel in
layers (some high-carbon, some
low-carbon) to give the blade
extra strength.
cos Type of lettuce; long and oval
in shape with sweet, crisp leaves.
court-bouillon Clear, aromatic
broth used mainly for the cooking
of sh and shellsh.
crostini Crisp pieces of bread or
savory pastry, often with a savory
or sweet topping.
crote Small, at pastry case or
toasted slice of bread; often with
a savory or sweet topping.
crustacean Mainly aquatic animal
with a hard, close-tting shell.
cutting edge Fine part of the knife
blade that is honed, sharpened,
and used for cutting.
daikon White radish that can
grow up to 36in (1m) in length; also
called a mooli and widely
cultivated in East Asia. It is
cut into ne strips, eaten raw
with sh, or pickled.
Damascene effect The decorative
patina on a polished knife blade,
created by laminating the steel on
to the core at differing angles; see
also kasuminagashi.
deba hocho Slightly heavy Japanese
knife, used for chopping and
lleting; also known as a cleaver.
duxelle Basic preparation that
consists of nely chopped
mushrooms, onions, and shallots,
softened in butter.
escalope Thin slice of white meat,
usually from chicken or veal, but
can be from large sh, e.g., salmon.
llet Tender, boneless, long strip

of meat or sh, or cut of beef taken
from the backbone from the ribs
to the lointhe most expensive
part of the carcass.
forged knife Knife shaped from a
single strip of metal by heating and
hammering in a furnace.
French cut of best end Ribs of lamb
with the rib llet attached (rack of
lamb); also called carr dagneau.
frise Type of lettuce with a bitter
avor and frilly leaf; sometimes
called chicory.
glaze Glossy icing, e.g., for a cake.
heft The weight of a knife, judged
by lifting.
high-carbon stainless steel Blend of
iron, carbon, chromium, and other
metals, e.g., molybdenum, in a
ratio making a stainless, resilient
metal.
honyaki Japanese true-forged
knives, made entirely of highcarbon steel.
kasumi Knife blade made from
two materials: high-carbon steel
(the core) and soft iron, forged
together like Samurai swords.
The steel provides the cutting edge
and the iron forms the spine and
cheeks of the blade.
kasuminagashi Meaning oating
mist; decorative, shimmering
effect on a laminated blade; see
also Damascene effect.
laminated steel Steel strengthened
and hardened by hammering it in
layers parallel to the core.
ligament Short band of tough,
exible, and brous tissue binding
two parts of the carcass together.
marinade Aromatic liquid, cooked
or uncooked, in which ingredients
are steeped; it enhances avor,
tenderizes, or prolongs the life of
meat, sh, poultry, and seafood.
milles feuilles Sweet or savory item
of puff pastry, often with a creamy
lling; the name, thousand

leaves, refers to the aky layers.
mirepoix Mixture of diced
vegetables, including carrot, onion,
and celery, usually used in the
preparation of sauces.
muscle bundle Long, thin cells
(bers) bound together by sheets
of connective tissue and organized
in groups to form muscles.
pain bagna French baguette lled
with ingredients including lettuce,
tomatoes, olives, and olive oil;
from the Nice region of France.
pt en crote Mix of spiced,
minced, marinaded, and seasoned
meats or poultry, baked in a pastry
enriched with eggs. A meat stock is
added through holes in the cooled
crust and forms a jelly (aspic).
pte sable French sweet an
pastry, with a sandy, crisp texture;
tends to be sticky and break easily.
pte sucre Sweet French an
pastry, fairly rm and made in a
similar way to shortcrust pastry.
pinion Part of a birds wing that
includes the longest, strongest
ight feathers.
roe Egg mass found in sh, or
reproductive organs in scallops and
other seafood.
roulade Savory or sweet
preparation, made in a similar way
to a Swiss roll and then sliced.
saddle Backbone of lamb, between
the ribs and the chump (pelvis); it
contains the tiny llet and loin
(cannon) on both sides.
sashimi Japanese delicacy, that
consists of very fresh, raw sh and
seafood, sliced into thin pieces
about 1in (2.5cm) wide, 13 4 in
(4cm) long, and 2in (5cm) thick.
silk Soft, long bers on sweetcorn
cob; styles of a female ower.
shiitake Mushroom with dark cap
and strong, meaty avor;
traditionally grown in Japan. Known
as Chinese mushroom when dried.

spatchcock To atten a whole
small bird or tender poultry by
removing the backbone and
pinning into shape with skewers,
in order to grill or barbecue it.
stainless steel Alloy formed when
chromium is added to carbon
steel, to inhibit rusting.
sternum Breastbone; long, thin
vertical bone that is attached to
some of the ribs.
sushi Speciality of Japanese cuisine,
consisting of small portions of
vinegared rice, with thin slices of
raw or cooked sh, and vegetables.
tako hiki Octopus puller, a long,
thin Japanese knife, used for slicing
medium-sized sh and octopus, for
sashimi. The blade can be pointed,
but often is rectangular.
tomalley Fat or liver of the North
American lobster; becomes green
when cooked.
topside Top of hind leg of beef,
above the shin; usually tough meat.
turn To make vegetable balls,
about 2in (5cm) long, with seven
faces; also known as tourner.
tunnel bone To remove the bone
from a joint or carcass without
piercing the skin, by creating a
tunnel.
vinaigrette Usually a cold sauce,
made from olive oil, vinegar, salt,
and pepper to which avorings and
aromatics can be added; used as a
dressing for salads, sh, or white
meat.
yanagi ba Willow blade, a long,
thin Japanese knife with a pointed
blade; used for preparing mediumsized raw sh for sashimi.
zirconium oxide White, crystalline
oxide of zirconium, that is used in
ceramic knife blades. It does not
corrode or stain, is extremely
strong but brittle, and maintains
a particularly sharp cutting edge.
GLOSSARY
215
RESOURCES
further reading
useful websites
Beck, Simone, Bertholle, Louisette & Child,

Julia, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, vol. 1,
Penguin Books, 1961
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_kitchen_knives
Good information on the history of knifemaking, types of kitchen knife, and metallurgy.
Botorff, Steve, A Primer on Knife Sharpening,

Member of Ohio Knifemakers Association and
Western Reserve Cutlery Association
usa.jahenckels.com
A German manufacturer; details on the history
of Western knife-making, the importance of
Solingen in the tradition, and the new Friodur
steel-hardening process.
The Culinary Institute of America, The Professional

Chefs Knife Kit, John Wiley & Sons, 2000
Day, Christopher P., with Carlos, Brenda R., Knife
Skills for Chefs, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007
Ladenis, Nico, My Gastronomy, Ebury Press, 1987
Lane, Jenifer Harvey (ed.), Larousse Gastromique,
Crown Publishers, 1998
McGee, Harold, On Food and Cooking: The Science
and Lore of the Kitchen, Simon & Schuster, 1984
Norman, Jill (ed.), The Cooks Book, Dorling
Kindersley, 2005
Parsons, Russ, Difference between Western
and Japanese Knives, Los Angeles Times,
December 8, 2004
Pauli, Eugen, Classical Cooking the Modern Way,
CBI Publishing, 1979
Roux, Michel & Albert, The Roux Brothers
on Ptisserie, Macdonald, 1986
Yan-kit, So, Yan-Kits Classic Chinese Cookbook,
Dorling Kindersley, 1984
216
RESOURCES
www.japanesechefknife.com/MASMOTO
Illustrated ranges of many Japanese knives;
including kasumi and honyaki.
www.japanese.knife.com
Includes history of traditional Japanese
knife-making, kasumi and honyaki knives,
as well as advice on using and caring for knives,
and interviews with professional chefs.
www.openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.
php?id=198418
A case history of the kitchen knife, discussing
the engineering principles involved in the
development of the manufacturing processes.
www.tojiro.co.uk
A Japanese knife manufacturers site; plenty
of illustrated detail on traditional knife-making
and Western-style Japanese knives, and
Damascene laminated blades.
SAFETY & FIRST AID

Well-maintained and properly sharpened and
honed knives may be a delight to use, but can
also become very dangerous if handled
carelessly. Even the best chefs have accidents
from time to time, so be prepared to cope with

any mishap. If you take a few simple precautions
and learn some basic rst aid, you should be able
to minimize the impact of any injury.
If you cut your nger or hand, rinse it under cold

running water, and dry it thoroughly with a
clean paper towel or clean cloth. Apply pressure
on the wound to stop the from blood owing
and apply a waterproof bandage or plaster. Hold
your hand above your head. If the bleeding does
not stop after ve minutes of continuous
pressure, seek professional help immediately.
Also seek urgent professional help if you see
bone, plasma (thin, yellowish liquid) or anything
other than clean skin and blood in the wound.
Cuts to the hand between the joints of the
thumb and index nger require particular
caution because there are larger blood vessels
running close to the skin.
If you have recently cut your hand, wear
plastic gloves while preparing or cooking food.
If this is not practical, trim a nger from the
plastic glove, cover the wounded nger with it,
and secure. Alternatively, use a proprietary
nger cot (tubular bandage).
Always keep a rst aid kit on hand in the
kitchen: it should include dressings that are
suitable for ngers and hands.
safety tips
Make sure your magnetic rack is powerful
enough, and your knives clean, or they can slip
off. Stand knife blocks on a nonslippery surface.
Keep knives sharp and honed and always use

an appropriate knife for the task. Choose knife
handles that you can hold in a safe, tireless grip.
Sprinkle water on a dishcloth or paper towel,

and place under the cutting board to stop it
from slipping or sliding around when in use.
Cut away from your body and lay knives so

they face away from you in the work area.
Never run your nger along a cutting edge

use food, e.g., a tomato, to test its sharpness.
Ensure that the work surface is tidy, to avoid

knives being hidden. Never leave them in soapy
water in the sink.
Keep children away from knives.
b l a d e c ov e r Make a protective cover

for any knife that has to be kept loose in a
drawer. Fold some thick cardboard to size
around the blade and secure with tape.
SAFETY & FIRST AID
217
INDEX
a
abalone: preparing 125
apples:
baking 2001
crisps 198
uting for baking 200
peeling 198
preparing crescents 199
asparagus 90
peelings: disposal 93
preparing 93
avocados 84
dicing 85
halving and pitting 84
peeling 85
preventing discoloration 84
b
basil: slicing 94
batonnets 56, 72, 79
bean sprouts:
preparing for stirfry 82
beans:
preparing 82
for stirfry 82
removing strings 82
trimming 81
beans, green: preparation 80
beans, runner:
cutting diamonds 60
preparation 80
beef:
cutting:
across grain 142
with grain 142
entrecte steaks: carving after
grilling 143
llet steak: cutting for
sauting 143
rib: carving 1445
beets 66
218
INDEX
batonnets 72
dicing 58
julienne 72
beet leaves: trimming and
slicing 75
bevels 20, 21
sharpening 44
bivalves 101
blades:
anatomy 12
ceramic 21
cleaning 38
quality 23
types 14
bolster 13
boning:
chicken:
breast section 170
drumstick 171
leg 172
thigh 171
sh:
at 117
round 105106
lamb:
leg 141
butterying 15051
tunnelboning 1523
saddle 1467
boning knife 25
box grater 33
bread:
cutting 191
Melba toast 190
bread dough: cutting 185
bread knife 26
breadsticks: cutting out 187
brisket 141
broccoli: preparing orets 77
Brutus grip 36
butchers block 141
butter curler 34
butterying:
lamb 15051
prawns 126
butternut squash 78
c
cabbage:
coring and shredding 76
cutting 54
cabbage family 767
cakes:
cutting 185
slicing 192
calfs liver: preparing 163
canelle knife 34, 61
carbon steel 17
cardoons 90
carrots 66
batonnets 56, 79
cutting stars 61
mirepoix 55
turning 73
carving:
beef:
entrecte steaks after grilling 143
roast rib 1445
chicken 1745
duck:
Aylesbury 177
wild 178
goose 177
ham:
on electric slicer 158
off the bone 159
lamb: leg 155
pork 160, 161
tools for 141
turkey 176
cauliower: preparing orets 77
celeriac 66
celery 90
mirepoix 55
peeling 93
cpes 89
ceramic blades 21
sharpening 44
Chaucer, Geoffrey 16
cheese slicer 34
chefs knife 22, 25
chervil: chopping 95
chestnuts:
chopping 211
peeling 88, 211
chicken 16475
boning:
breast section 170
drumstick 171
leg 172
thigh 171
breast:
cutting pocket into 170
detaching from bone 170
carving 1745
chopping whole raw bird 172
cooked: cutting with cleaver 173
jointing:
into eight pieces 168
into four pieces 1667
meat 141
parts of bird 164
removing wishbone 165
spatchcocking 169
chicken liver: cleaning 163
chiffonade 74
chilies 84
chiliower garnishes 87
preparing 87
protection while 87
Chinese cleaver 17, 29
Chinese knives 17
chocolate:
applying glaze 193
chopping 193
shavings 193
choux puffs: cutting and lling 189
citrus zester 34
clam knife 29
clams 101, 113
buying 122
opening 123
purging 123
remaining closed 122
cleaver 17, 29
cooks knife (chefs knife) 22, 25
coral: lobster 132, 133
corer 34
coriander: chopping 95
crabs 101, 122
blue: cleaning 128
cooked:
removing meat from 13031
Dungeness:
removing meat from 13031
softshell 101
cleaning 129
croissants: cutting out 187
crustaceans 122
cucumbers 78
making cups 79
cutler 16
cutters: set of 33
cutting:
common mistakes 10
correct ways of 1011
safety 38
stance for 10
cutting boards 10
for pungent ingredients 64
cutting tools:
accessories 323
early 16
sharpbladed 3031
cuttlesh: preparing 136
d
Damascene effect 18
deba hocho 18
deveining: prawns 126
diamond stones 42
diamonds: cutting vegetables
into 60
dicing:
sh 112
vegetables 589, 62, 85
double-handed grip 37
dough cutter 29
doughnuts: cutting out 187
doughs 185
baked: cutting and lling 189
decorative crust 188
fermented: cutting out 186
nishing 188
raw: cutting out 1867
working 188
Dover sole:
serving whole 121
skinning and lleting 116
drawers: for knives 40
drinks: fruit in 197
Dublin Bay prawns see langoustines
duck:
Aylesbury:
carving 177
cooking legs 179
jointing 166
rendering fat from breasts 177
wild:
carving 178
meat 141
e
eel 113
skinning and gutting 110
eggplant 84
cutting 54
egg slicers 34
Egyptians 16
electric knife 24
using 192
for doughs and deserts 192
for ham 158
f
fennel:
bulb 90
Florence 90
lleting:
INDEX
219
Dover sole 116

atsh 11819
round sh 107, 109
skate wing 120
lleting knife 25
sh 10121
cooked 101
at 11421
boning 117
lleting:
four llets 119
two llets 118
gutting and trimming 114
scaling 115
serving whole 121
skinning 115
raw 101
dicing 112
llets: serving 11213
slicing 112
round 10211
boning:
from back 106
through stomach 105
lleting 107
gutting:
through gills 103
through stomach 102
scaling and trimming 104
scoring skin 107
serving whole 111
skinning llet 108
sh scaler 29
Florence fennel 90
ounder: cutting two llets 118
forging 21
French knives 17
fruit 197209
in drinks 197
macdoine 197
macdoine salad 211
peeling and slicing 211
presentation 197
fruit vegetables 849
fungi: dried: soaking 89
fusion knives 201
220
INDEX
g
game:
anatomy of 141
tools for cutting and carving 141
garlic:
cloves:
chopping 95
preparing for roasting 64
garlic paste 65
peeling and chopping 65
pungency 62
garnishing tools 345
Gteau Pithiviers 185
general-purpose grip 37
German knives 17, 22
ginger: grating 97
globe artichokes 90
preparing bottoms 91
trimming to serve whole 90
goose:
carving 177
jointing 166
granton edges 21
granton knife 26
grapefruit: sectioning 203
graters 33
gravlax: slicing 109
greens, hearty: trimming and
slicing 75
gremolata 65
grinding wheel 21
grips 367
guinea fowl: spatchcocking 169
gutting:
eels 110
atsh 114
round sh 1023
scissors for 103
hi
ham:
carving:
on electric slicer 158
off the bone 159
terrine: slicing 158
hamachi 113
hearty greens: trimming and

slicing 75
heft 21
Henckels, Peter 17
herbs 945
rough chopping 94
slicing 94
honbatsuki 18
honing 45
freehand 47
on steady steel 46
honyaki knives 18
horizontal cutting grip 37
j
Japanese knives 1718, 2021, 22
sharpening 44
Jerusalem artichokes 66
julienne 55, 57, 62, 72, 203
k
kale: trimming and slicing 75
kasumi knives 18
kasuminagashi 18
kidneys: preparing for frying 162
kirenaga 18
kitchen scissors 30
knife block 40
knifemaking:
in East Asia 1718
history 1619
in West 1617
knives:
anatomy 1215
blades:
anatomy 12
cleaning 38
quality 23
types 14
bolster 13
care 427
choosing 9, 229
cutting edge 12
grips 367
handles:
anatomy 13
ergonomic 15
types 15
handling safely 39, 217
heel 13
honing 45
maintaining 9
modern 2021
passing to others 39
point 12
quality: judging 223
rivets 13
safety 369, 217
spine 12
storing 4041, 217
tang 13, 15
tip 12
transporting 39
types 249
using 9
walking with 39
on work surface 38
l
lamb:
for barbecues 149
French cut of best end 1489
leg:
boning 141
butterying 15051
carving 155
studding with garlic
and rosemary 154
tunnelboning 1523
marinating 149
saddle: boning 1467
laminating 21
langoustines:
opening tail shells 127
leafy vegetables 747
leeks:
cooking 62
cutting diamonds 60
cutting into julienne 63
mirepoix 55
washing 63
lemon grass: bruising 96
lemons:
sectioning 203
zest julienne 203
lettuce: chiffonade 74
liver: preparing 163
lobsters 101, 122
cleaning 132
cooked: taking meat from 134
cooking 133
eggs 133
splitting 133
m
machine grinding 17
mackerel 113
mandolin 30
using 57, 70
mandolin carriage 31
mangetouts:
preparation 80
removing strings 82
mango: preparing 207
marrow 78
meat 14161
anatomy of 141
meat fork 33
Melba toast 190
melon baller 34
melons:
preparing balls 209
preparing boats 208
mezzaluna 30
using 95
microplane grater 33
Miki City 18
mint: chopping 95
mirepoix 55
mollusks 122
molybdenum 21
monksh: lleting tail 109
mushrooms:
button: chopping 89
dried: soaking 89
mussels 101
remaining closed 122
n
nectarines: peeling 206
noodles: cutting 185
nutmeg: grating 97
nutmeg grater 33
o
octopus 113, 122
cleaning and sectioning 137
offal 1623
onion family 625
onions:
cooking 62
mirepoix 55
peeling and dicing 62
oranges:
making sails 208
sectioning 203
oyster knife 29
oysters 101
buying 122
opening 122
p
palette knife 29
pancakes: ipping 188
Parmesan grater 33
Parmesan knife 29
parsnips 66
batonnets 79
cutting ribbons 60
partridge: jointing 166
pasta dough: cutting 185
pastries: cutting 185
pt en crote: slicing 192
pattypan 78
peaches: peeling 88, 206
pears: slicing whole 202
peas:
preparing 82
for stirfry 82
peelers 34, 66
peppers: sweet 84
preparing 86
pike: gutting through stomach 102
pineapple:
INDEX
221
cutting rings and chunks 204

uted 2045
plaice: gutting and trimming 114
plums: peeling 88
pods 8083
pommes allumettes 69
pommes gaufrettes 71
pommes pailles 69
pork:
belly: slicing 156
carving 161
crackling:
crisp 160
cutting 160
roast: carving 160
scoring fat for crackling 160
shaping medallions 157
tenderloin: slicing 156
Portuguese 18
potatoes 66
French fries 68
lattice 71
pommes allumettes 69
pommes gaufrettes 71
pommes pailles 69
Pont Neuf fries 68
turning 73
poultry 16479
anatomy of 141
see also chicken, etc
poultry shears 30
poussins: spatchcocking 169
prawns 101, 122
butterying 126
deveining 126
attening 126
prawns (cont.):
peeling 126
proteroles: cutting and lling 189
puff pastry: cutting out 187
pumpkin 78
222
INDEX
q
quail: spatchcocking 169
r
rabbit: jointing 18081
radishes 66
julienne 57
Raumur,
Ren Antoine Ferchault de 17
red mullet: lleting 107
ribbons: cutting vegetables into 60
root vegetables 6673
preparing 66
Roux, Michel 197
rutabaga 66
dicing 58
s
safety:
cutting 38, 54, 217
rst aid 217
grips 367
Sakai 18
salad leaves 74
salmon 101, 113
cutting steaks 108
scaling and trimming 104
skinning llet 108
slicing gravlax 109
salsify 66
batonnets 79
san mai 18
sandwiches: cutting 191
santoku knife 21, 26, 97
sashimi 101, 11213
sh for 113
sauting: cutting llet steak for 143
scaling sh 104, 115
scalloped knives: sharpening 44
scalloped slicer 26
scallops:
opening 124
preparing 125
scalpel 29
scampi see langoustines
scissors 30
for gutting sh 103

sea bass:
boning:
from back 106
through stomach 105
sea urchins:
cleaning 137
roe 113
seafood:
raw 101
tools for 101
toxicity 101
seeds 8083
Seki City 18
serrated edges 21
serrated knives 26
sharpening 44
sharpening 20, 21
across stone 43
along stone 44
angle of 42
general rules 42
Shefeld 16
shellsh 101, 12237
shiitake mushrooms 89
shoots and stalks family 9093
shrimp deveiner 33
skate wing: lleting 120
skinning:
Dover sole 116
eels 110
sh llets 108
at sh 115
slicer: scalloped 26
slicing knife: straightedged 26
smelting 16
Solingen 17
sorrel:
sorrel sauce 74
trimming and slicing 75
spatchcocking 169
spatula, trowel 29
spices 967
bruising 96
grating 97
spinach: cleaning 75
sponge cake: cutting and lling 189

spring greens: trimming and
slicing 75
spring onions: preparing for
stirfry 82
squab pigeon: spatchcocking 169
squash family 789
squashes:
cutting batonnets 79
summer: turning 73
winter 78
halving, seeding & peeling 78
squid 101, 113, 122
cleaning 135
scoring mantle 136
stainless steel 17, 21
stars: cutting vegetables into 61
steels 21, 45
honing on:
freehand 47
steady 46
stirfry:
preparing vegetables for 82
sequence for 83
stones 20, 42
sharpening across 43
sharpening along 44
storage systems 4041
straightedged slicing knife 26
sugarsnap peas 80
sushi 101, 11213
sh for 113
sweetcorn 80
cutting off kernels 80
swipethrough sharpener 42
Swiss chard:
trimming and slicing 75
Swiss knives 22
t
tang 13, 15
terrine:
ham: slicing 158
lining 158
thumb grip 37
toko hiki 101

tomalley 33, 132
tomatillos 84
tomatoes 84
chopping 88
peeling 88
seeding 88
trout: gutting through gills 103
trowel spatula 29
tubers: preparing 66
tuna 101, 113
turbot:
boning 117
cutting four llets 119
skinning 115
turkey:
carving:
breast 176
legs 176
jointing 166
meat 141
turning 73
turning knife 26
turnip leaves: trimming and
slicing 75
turnips 66
turning 73
fruit vegetables 849

leafy vegetables 747
mirepoix 55
pods and seeds 8083
preparing 53
for stirfry 82
root vegetables 6673
shoots and stalks 9093
see also carrots; onions, etc
w
waterstones 20
Western knives 1617, 21
whetstone 42
wishbone: removing 165
wok cooking: sequence for 83
work surface 10
knives on 38
xy
yanagi ba 101
z
zirconium oxide 21
zucchini 78
batonnets 79
cutting stars 61
u
unagi 113
utility knife 25
v
vanilla seeds: extracting 97
veal kidney: preparing for
frying 162
vegetables 5297
batonnets 56
cutting 5461
diamonds 60
for avor 53
ribbons 60
safety 54
stars 61
diamonds 60
dicing 589
INDEX
223
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Publishers acknowledgments
Dorling Kindersley would like
to thank the following:
Project editor Annelise Evans for her
help in producing this book; Dawn Bates
for editorial assistance; and Gadi
Farfour and Alison Shackleton for
design assistance; Dorothy Frame for
the index.
All new step-by-step photography
Martin Brigdale, William Reavell
New cutout photography
Gary Ombler
New photography Art Direction
Sue Storey
Model for new photography
Chef Richard Edwards
Food stylists for new photography
Belinda Altenroxel, Abigail Fawcett
supplying all Henckels products used in

the new photography for this book;
Simon Kinder of Magimix UK Ltd for
Magimix electric slicing machine; John
Wells (Master Butcher); Martin Brigdale;
Randi Evans; Abby Fawcett; Ronald
Green
Picture researchers
Julia Harris-Voss, Jo Walton
Picture credits
The publisher would like to thank
the following for their kind permission
to reproduce their photographs:
(Key: a=above; b=below/bottom;
c=centre; l=left; r=right; t=top)
Getty Images: 40l; James Carrier/
StockFood Creative 212; Johner Images
41; Red Cover/Jake Fitzjones 40r;
Photolibrary: Foodpix/Photolibrary
Group 19; Stellar Sabatier: 16bl;
StockFood.com: Drool Ltd, William
Lingwood 1; courtesy of Zwilling J.A.
Henckels AG: 17tl, 17tr
All other images Dorling Kindersley
For loan of props for new

photography
With thanks to Dexam International,
the exclusive distributor for Zwilling J.
A. Henckels knives in the UK, for
224
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
For further information see:

www.dkimages.com
Text copyright
(Key: t=top; b=below/bottom;
c=centre; l=left)
Text copyright 2008 Lyn Hall: 847,
534, 5661, 649, 71, 74, 81, 82
(introduction t, text bl), 83, 86 (except
caption bl), 87, 89, 92, 947, 101, 122
(caption), 1267, 133, 136 (except tip
box), 1412, 1489, 1569, 172
(chopping a whole raw bird), 173,
1801, 18593, 197202, 203 (making
lemon zest julienne), 204 (uted
pineapple), 205, 208210, 211
(Macedonian salad), 212, 214217;
tip boxes: 55, 70, 73, 75, 79, 82, 93,
103, 106, 107, 110, 122, 124, 134, 179.
Text copyright 2008 Shaun Hill:
16471, 172 (boning a whole leg), 1749,
203 (sectioning an orange), 204 (cutting
pineapple rings & chunks), 2067, 211
(peeling & chopping chestnuts).
Text copyright 2008 Charlie Trotter:
55 (except tip box), 623, 70 (except tip
box), 723, 7580, 82 (caption c), 845,
86 (caption bl), 88, 9091, 93 (except
tip box), 102, 103 (except tip box),
104105, 106107 (except tip boxes),
108109, 110 (except tip box), 111121,
122 (introductions t & c), 123, 124
(except tip box), 125, 12832, 134
(except tip box), 135, 136 (tip box), 137.
Text copyright 2008 Marcus Wareing:
1437, 1505, 158 (caption bl, tip box);
16063.

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KNIFE

First American Edition, 2008

FISH & SHELLFISH 98

MEAT, POULTRY & GAME 138

Peeling, slicing, dicing, coring, pitting,

Round sh & atshgutting,

Beef, lamb, pork & hamboning,

DOUGHS & DESSERTS 182

Raw doughscutting & stamping

Applespeeling, slicing, uting; sliced

choosing and using knives

the exactness and precision that can come only

Learn how to wield three sharp knives and you

correct ways of cutting

KNIFE SKILLS: THE BASICS

chopping vegetables Cut vegetables according to how

cannot efciently cut every ingredient. For

KNIFE SKILLS: THE BASICS

Knives differ signicantly in shape and size,

At rst glance it might be difcult to

a classic forged chefs knife

types of kitchen-knife blades

tapered ground edge

scalloped edge Often on

serrated edge The saw-toothed edge easily

granton edge The oval depressions hold tiny

single ground edge Japanese knives

KNIFE SKILLS: THE BASICS

types of kitchen-knife handles

plastic handle Plastic handles are

ergonomic handle The owing

rat tail tang

in the kitchen. Magnicent professional knives,

early cutting implements

knife-making in the West

KNIFE SKILLS: THE BASICS

modern knife manufacture

m a c h i n e g r i n d i n g During manufacture, both

c h e c k i n g by h a n d The blade is hammered and

knife-making in East Asia

of Japanese kniveshand-sharpened to honbatsuki (true edge)

kasumi & honyaki knives

the knife-making craft in Japan

KNIFE SKILLS: THE BASICS

Japanese knives The blades are

quality. It is up to individuals to choose knives

KNIFE SKILLS: THE BASICS

double-beveled blades from very pure, stain-resistant, high-carbon

demonstration provides an ideal opportunity for

how many cheap knives do you have?

KNIFE SKILLS: THE BASICS

well-balanced knife The

a knife for life

using the correct

KNIFE SKILLS: THE BASICS

Although knives with plastic or stainless-steel handles can be

slicing knife The long, elegant blade of this knife

KNIFE SKILLS: THE BASICS

Inspired by Japanese knives,

13 clam knife The rounded blade is slightly sharp on one side