Basic Knife Skills Cutting

BASIC KNIFE SKILLS
PARTS OF KNIFE
POINT / TIP : Used for slicing and handling small

items such as shallots, mushrooms and onion
PARTS OF KNIFE
EDGE : This is where all of the work takes place,

the part you cut with.
PARTS OF KNIFE
BACK OF BLADE : This is the smooth top part of the

knife. It allows you to grip the knife between the thumb and
forefinger for good control during cutting and chopping
PARTS OF KNIFE
HEEL : The last few inches of the cutting edge. This part of
the blade is used when maximum leverage is needed for
heavy cutting
PARTS OF KNIFE
BOLSTER : Part between the blade and the handle

that assists in the balance of the knife.
WHY DIFFERENT KNIVES ARE NEEDED?
It is as simple as :
Cutting different types of food requires
different types of knife
SAFETY TIPS FOR HANDLING KNIFE
1. Use a Cutting Board - Always use a stable cutting board

to provide a safe surface for cutting.
2.Keep Knives Sharp. A sharp knife is safer than a

dull one because it requires less force to cut.
Sharpening rod Sharpening stone

3. Grip Properly: Use a secure grip on the handle

and keep your fingers curled away from the blade.
4. Use the Right Knife for the Job. Different tasks

require different knives; using the correct one
reduces the risk of accidents.
Chef’s Knife
Used for slicing, dicing,
mincing and chopping.

Boning Knife
Used for removing the
bones of poultry, meat,
and fish.
Cleaver
• Butchering meat -excellent for
cutting through bones and tough
cuts of meat.
• Chopping of large vegetables,
like cabbage or squash.
• Crushing. The broad side can
also be used to crush garlic
cloves or other ingredients.

Paring Knife
▪ for peeling and trimming
fruits and vegetables
▪ used for carving shapes
and garnishes

Serrated Knife
▪ For cutting bread, cake,
pastries.

Paring Knife
▪ for peeling and trimming
fruits and vegetables
▪ used for carving shapes
and garnishes
5. Pay Attention to What You’re Cutting

Though a commercial kitchen can be a hectic
place, always give the cutting task your full attention.
If you're distracted, stop what you're doing and deal
with the distraction before returning to cutting. That
way, you can stay safe and produce your best work.
6. Do not leave a knife in a sink full of water or under

the vegetable trimmings or skin
7. Do not catch a falling knife. If a knife slips from

your hand, let it fall. Trying to catch it can lead to
injury.
8. Carry a knife properly. Hold it beside you, point

down, sharp edge back away from you. Do not swing
your arm
8. Clean Carefully. When washing knives, hold

the blade by the handle and avoid putting your
palm directly on the sharp blade
TIPS ON HOW TO USE A KNIFE PROPERLY
1. Always use a cutting board when cutting ingredients. This
will allow you to cut consistently and protect your work
surface in the process
2. Take note of your hand positions when cutting. The hand

holding the knife should have a secure grip on the handle.
HOW TO USE A KNIFE PROPERLY
1. The hand holding the knife should have a secure grip on the handle.
Hold the handle firmly with all four fingers wrapped around it, with your thumb
resting on the side or top of the handle for support.
1. The hand holding the knife should have a secure grip on the handle.
2. Keep Your Fingers Curled. When cutting, keep your fingers

on the hand guiding the food curled under and away from
the blade. This prevents accidental cuts.
3. Bring your blade down and through your

ingredient in one smooth motion. This will help
you maintain control and produce a neater cut.
3. Maintain a Comfortable Angle. Hold the knife at a comfortable

angle to the cutting surface to ensure smooth, controlled cuts.
CUTS OF VEGETABLES
CUTS OF VEGETABLES
Vegetables are cut into various size and shapes for
various cooking purposes
CUTS OF VEGETABLES
•Dice •Chiffonade
•Batonnet •Paysanne
•Julienne •Fermiere
•Bruinoise •Wedges
•Rondelle •Segment
RONDELLE
▪ round ; a disk- shaped slices
BATONNET
Pronunciation : bah-tow-NAY
▪Square off the sides to regularize its shape
into a rectangle or square.
▪ Cut it into 5cm ( or 2 inches) long
▪ Then cut each of those pieces into 6mm
(or ¼ inch) thick slices. Stack those slices.
▪ Then, cut them lengthwise into sticks
6mm (or ¼ inch)
JULIENNE (match stick cut)
▪ Square off the sides to regularize its
shape into a rectangle or square.
▪ Then cut each of those pieces into 2-
3mm thick slices. Stack those slices.
▪ Then, cut them lengthwise into 2-
3mm wide sticks
DICE
LARGE DICE – measuring ¾ inch x ¾
inch x ¾ inch
MEDIUM DICE – measuring ½ inch x

½ inch x ½ inch
SMALL DICE – measuring ¼ inch x ¼

inch x ¼ inch, also called as
macedione
BRUINOISE (fine dice)
▪ Square off the sides to regularize its
shape into a rectangle or square.
▪ Then cut each of those pieces into
3mm ( or 1/8 inch) thick slices, then
cut them lengthwise into 3mm (1/8th
inch) wide sticks
▪Using a series of parallel cuts, cut the
batons into 1/8 inch cube
PAYSANNE
▪ Paysanne is an even-cut square
slices about 1 mm thick.
FERMIERE
▪ Hold the knife at an angle to the

vegetable, make a parallel cuts that
produce a fermiere cut
▪ Cut desired thickness, 1/8 to ½ inch
( 4 to 12 millimeters )
WEDGES
▪ Cut the vegetable / fruits in half
lengthwise, then cut those halves
into thirds or fourth.
▪Cut the wedges into equal sizes so
thet bake at the same rate
CHIFFONADE
▪ Itis a slicing technique in which herbs of
leafy green vegetables ( such as spinach
and basil) are cut into long, thin strips
▪ This is accomplished by stacking leaves,
rolling them tightly, then slicing the
leaves perpendicular to the roll.
▪ The technique can also be applied to
crepes or thin omelets to produce strip
FLORETS
▪ Cut the stalk off a head of broccoli with a sharp

knife. Make sure you cut high enough so that the
large individual florets fall away as you cut.
▪ Take each large individual floret and cut it in half.
▪ Gather together the two halves and cut them into
quarters. Repeat for each large individual floret. If
the broccoli florets are large, then simply cut it into
quarter.
SEGMENTS
▪ The first step is to slice the top and bottom
off the fruits
▪ Then, cut the peel off, trying to follow the
natural curve of the fruit.
▪ Remove as much of the white pith
▪Next, cut along the membranes that separate
each segment, cutting at a slight angle
inwards along the membranes.
▪ Once you have cut along both sides of each
segment, use the knife to loosen and remove
each segment
OTHER TECHNIQUES
MINCING
▪ Mincing is a food preparation technique in which food
ingredients are finely divided into uniform pieces
▪Minced food is in smaller pieces than diced or chopped
foods, and is often prepared with a chef’s knife or food
processor, or in the case of meat by a specialized meat
grinder

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BASIC KNIFE SKILLS

POINT / TIP : Used for slicing and handling small

EDGE : This is where all of the work takes place,

BACK OF BLADE : This is the smooth top part of the

BOLSTER : Part between the blade and the handle

1. Use a Cutting Board - Always use a stable cutting board

2.Keep Knives Sharp. A sharp knife is safer than a

Sharpening rod Sharpening stone

3. Grip Properly: Use a secure grip on the handle

4. Use the Right Knife for the Job. Different tasks

4. Use the Right Knife for the Job. Different tasks

4. Use the Right Knife for the Job. Different tasks

4. Use the Right Knife for the Job. Different tasks

4. Use the Right Knife for the Job. Different tasks

5. Pay Attention to What You’re Cutting

6. Do not leave a knife in a sink full of water or under

7. Do not catch a falling knife. If a knife slips from

8. Carry a knife properly. Hold it beside you, point

8. Clean Carefully. When washing knives, hold

2. Take note of your hand positions when cutting. The hand

2. Keep Your Fingers Curled. When cutting, keep your fingers

3. Bring your blade down and through your

3. Maintain a Comfortable Angle. Hold the knife at a comfortable

MEDIUM DICE – measuring ½ inch x

SMALL DICE – measuring ¼ inch x ¼

▪ Hold the knife at an angle to the

▪ Cut the stalk off a head of broccoli with a sharp

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