Watching “Top Chef” may not be enough to teach you some proper kitchen methods. We’re here to help.
DICING ONIONS
If done properly, dicing an onion is simple. It’s little more than three basic cuts.
Before you begin, make sure your chef’s knife is very sharp so it slides easily through the onion. (This will help your watering eyes too.)
* Cut off the stem end of the onion, trim the root end, then halve the onion from top to bottom. This will give each half a flat side to place on the board.
* Leave the root end (which will be tighter than the stem end) intact to hold the onion together, peel off the skin and, starting with one half, face the root end away from you on the cutting board.
* Holding the onion firmly on either side, proceed by making vertical cuts along the onion half, spacing them according to the desired thickness of the dice. You’ll want to angle your knife inward at the sides to hold the onion together as you cut along the half. Again, leave the root end intact and don’t cut all the way through to the root.
* Next make horizontal cuts. With your knife parallel to the cutting board, slice the onion, spacing according to your desired dice size and not cutting all the way through the root end.
* Finally, cut the onion cross-wise, releasing the diced onions in each layer as you cut toward the root end. When you’ve reached the final piece, lay it flat on the cutting board and make cuts in both directions to finish the dice.
This technique also can be used to dice shallots.
SEGMENTING CITRUS
Orange or other citrus segments, also known as supremes, make a beautiful presentation when they are removed from the peel, pith and membrane. They’re great on salads, over fish or in desserts. The peeling portion of this technique can be used for any rounded fruit with a rind, such as melons and pineapples.
* Cut off the top and bottom of the fruit so it sits flat on the cutting board.
* With a small, sharp knife, cut away one section of peel and bitter white pith, following the natural curve of the fruit from top to bottom. Continue around the citrus, cutting away sections of the peel and pith as you go. Trim any leftover pith once the peel has been removed.
* Holding the fruit in your hand with a bowl underneath, make two cuts within the membrane on either side of a segment, and with the second cut, lift the segment out of the membrane.
* Place the fruit on a plate or in another bowl. Continue around the whole fruit in the same fashion. The juice will drip into the bowl as you work, allowing you to save it for another use, such as vinaigrette.
