When you dice or chop an onion, using the right knife is essential. To get concise, clean cuts, try using a chef’s knife rather than a serrated knife.
What kind of knife should I use to cut an onion?
chef knife
Selecting the best knife for cutting an onion depends on its size, but generally a sharp chef knife or santoku knife work best for dicing medium to large onions. Their hollow ground blade design allows the knife to move smoothly through the onion when using a forward and down motion.
Are serrated knives good for cutting vegetables?
Serrated/Bread Knife
A serrated knife has a scalloped edge and gives you very smooth, clean slices. It’s perfect for slicing bread or soft, juicy fruits and vegetables. You only really want to use this knife for some sort of slicing duty – it’s not meant for chopping or peeling.
What is a serrated knife best used for?
Serrated knives, with their scalloped, toothlike edge, are ideal for cutting through foods with a hard exterior and softer interior, such as a loaf of crusty bread. The principle behind a serrated knife is similar to that of a saw: The teeth of the blade catch and then rip as the knife smoothly slides through the food.
How do chefs cut onions without crying?
For starters, make sure you’re using a sharp knife. The sharper your knife, the less likely you are to cry when you chop an onion. A dull knife will actually smash the onion rather than slice it cleanly, so the onion lets out more of the compound that irritates the eyes.
Is there a wrong way to cut an onion?
Since onion cells are longer pole-to-pole, cutting in that direction and going with the grain damages fewer cells. If you damage fewer cells, less of the stinging gas that typically irritates the eyes is released. Slicing with your knife against the grain causes a greater disruption and releases more oniony tear gas.
Do you peel onion before cutting?
Before you chop, cut off the top of the onion and remove the skin. Unless you’re making rings or grating, it’s easier to peel the onion after you chop it in half from stem to root. Keep the root intact. We’ll say it again: Always cut away from your fingers!
How do you cut thick onion slices?
Follow these steps for perfect onion slices or wedges every time.
- Cut onion in half lengthways from bulb end to tip. Remove papery outer skin.
- Place onion, cut side down, on chopping board.
- Using the tip of the knife, cut onion lengthways into even slices or, at a slight angle, into even wedges.
Do serrated blades do more damage?
They certainly don’t do more damage, at least not of the relevant type – when you’re fighting someone, you wan to open up an artery, cut a tendon or sever muscles to stop him from hurting you back, and serrated blade helps with none of that. It actually makes cutting through something in one motion harder.
Why do serrated knives cut better?
Serrated edges tend to “grab” or grip the surface of what you’re cutting easily. Because the high points on the serration meet the object first, there will be more pressure per area available at these high points (in basic English means there is more pressure on fewer points of contact).
Are serrated knives better?
In general, the serrated edge will work better than the plain edge for slicing cuts, especially through hard or tough surfaces, where the serrations tend to grab and cut the surface easily.
What foods are best for a serrated knife?
Serrated knives work well for cutting both “tender” foods, like bread, peaches and tomatoes (items that can tear or disintegrate easily with a smooth blade), and also for heartier foods, like a roast or a watermelon rind.
What do you cut with a serrated blade?
Serrated edges are blades that have some kind of toothed or saw-like edge ground into the cutting surface. These are intended to be used much like a small saw with a back-and-forth motion. They’re great for cutting through belts and ropes, fabric and various other textured materials.
Are chefs knives serrated?
Yes and no! While slicing bread you will most likely be using a serrated knife, but there are also a bunch of other knife types that have a serrated edge. For example, there are chef knives, steak knives, and even utility knives with serrated edges.
Does putting a wet paper towel next to an onion work?
“If you place a wet paper towel next to your onion while cutting, the wet paper towel will absorb the chemical instead of your eyes. “Now THIS is a tip you can use.”
Does everyone cry cutting onions?
Preparing onions often causes a chemical reaction that results in tears for most people. Some people are more sensitive to onions than others. Try chilling onions in ice before cutting to help reduce their sting. White, yellow, or red onions are also more likely to make you cry than green ones.
What should you not cut onions with?
Slice off the top (not the root). 3. Make parallel cuts from the end, being careful not to chop through the root. Note: For a finer dice cut cross ways through the centre of the onion at this point.
Where should you not cut onions?
Make your cuts.
Make cuts vertically through the onion, being careful to not cut through the root. Turn your onion so that the root end is now on the left and the non-root end is on the right (assuming you’re right handed—if you’re left handed this will be reverse).
Why do chefs cut onions horizontally?
If you don’t slice horizontally you’ll get bigger chunks. If you’re making mirepoix for stock, this doesn’t matter. If you’re making risotto, it WAY matters. You don’t want big onion chunks in risotto.
Do you wash onions after peeling?
Even if you can’t see mold, fungus spores are possibly there. It isn’t pathogenic if you eat it, but if you inhale enough spores you could get the rare disease aspergillosis. Still even if it won’t make you sick, you don’t want fungus spores in your food, so yes, you should always wash onions.
How do you store half an onion?
You can hang on to a halved or sliced onion in an airtight container in the fridge for about one week. Store them in an airtight container (preferably a glass one, as plastic will absorb odor) to decrease oxidation, moisture absorption, and stinkiness.