4.2 Holding and cutting with a knife

Knife skills come first among everything a cook learns: "Knife skills are the single most important and the most fundamental skill a chef must acquire." Speed and output grow only with practice. Three things support that practice: a well-organized workstation, knives kept sharp, and a disciplined way of working.

The chef's knife

The knife you will hold most often is the chef's knife, also called the French knife. You will spend more time with it than with any other tool.

The knife hand

A firm grip gives you control. With control, your cuts are more accurate and faster, the knife is less likely to slip, and accidents become less likely.

To hold a chef's knife well, do not grab only the handle. Pinch the blade where it meets the handle (the heel) between your thumb and your first finger. Then close your other three fingers around the handle.

The guide hand

Your other hand has a job too. It holds the food steady and moves it toward the blade.

• Curl your fingertips under, so the hand makes a claw. Never cut with the fingers lying flat on the food.
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• Let the flat side of the blade rest against the second joint of your curled fingers. That joint guides the knife.
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• Using that joint as a guide helps you control how thick each piece is.
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Let the edge do the work

Do not push straight down on the food. Draw the blade across it in a sliding stroke. When the edge is sharp, it passes through the food with very little force.