Sometimes the most daunting part of cooking is the prep. The cooking part of the recipe looks straightforward, but the prep, my God, the prep!
- Chop onion to a small dice
- Finely dice garlic
- Mince fresh herbs
Wait…dice other veggies, like carrots and peppers? How do you get them all the same size? What to do?
Start with the Basics
This video shows how to cut an onion, specifically how to dice an onion. When you dice anything, you have the option of:
- Small Dice: 1/4″
- Medium Dice: 1/2″
- Large Dice: 3/4″
- Brunoise: (Fancy French Term for 1/8″, super small dice)
Try not to get intimidated by fancy French terms. If you are comfortable with them, fine, but don’t feel like a recipe is beyond you just because you see some words you don’t know. What’s most important is that you know how to cut your ingredients to a consistent size so they cook evenly. This takes practice. Be patient with yourself. And, well, practice!
How to Cut an Onion
Intro to Cutting: How to Set-Up
If you are new to cutting be sure to watch this video so you get yourself set-up properly. Don’t underestimate the importance of using the right cutting board on the right surface with the right knife. Safety, sanitation, technique, and equipment are critical!
Practice Makes…Better!
I think perfection is over-rated. Not to mention a major cause of stress. We don’t do our best work under stress, so check your stress at the door, relax, and have fun. Shoot to do better than you did the last time. Skills develop with consistent practive over time.
Most importantly, pat yourself on the back for your hard work and enjoy all the evenly and properly cooked food your knife skills will allow you to achieve. You will take your cooking to a whole-notha-level! 🙂
Leave a Reply