Lesson 5 | Knife Skills | Assignment | CWP

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Chef’s Knife

The most important and primary knife is called a chef’s knife. It is essential to have a good quality knife, preferably one that has a blade that goes from the tip to the very end, also called a full tang.

Here are some great knife choices.

Sharpen Your Knife

Sharpening your knife is crucial; actually, a dull knife is when most accidents happen. There are two steps to having your blade ready. The first is sharpening the blade, which can be done monthly with something called a wet stone. On a daily basis, you can use a honing rod to reset or recenter the blade. Always take great care when using your knife, sharpening your knife, honing your knife and moving about the kitchen.

Grip

Hold your knife with your dominant hand, gripping it comfortably. Your other hand should hold the food safely by using the claw grip. The claw grip is when your fingers are curled underneath and tucked away, with your knuckles as a guide for the knife. This will protect your fingertips.

Some people will grip the knife by the handle while others will balance the blade with the thumb and forefinger on the blade and the rest of the fingers on the handle. Practice with caution.

Cross Chop / Rock Chop

With this technique, the tip of the knife stays steady on the cutting board while you move and rotate the knife across its surface. Your other hand should be safely out of the way, pinching the top spine of the knife.