Knife skills
Whether a professional chef or a keen amateur our knifes need to be in good condition and sharp. There are many expensive brands on the market, however feel the weight of the handle and grip to get the knife that feels right to you.
Here are the main cuts for vegetables, you’ll find even more information online
Vegetable Cuts:
- Allumette Cut (Matchstick) – Dimension – 1/16” X 1/16” X 2′
- Julienne Cut (Double Matchstick) – Dimension – 1/8” X 1/4” X 2”
- Batonnet Cut (French Fry Cut)- Dimension – 1/4” X 1/4” X 2”
- Brunoise Cut (Square Allumette) – Dimension – 1/16” X 1/16” X 1/16”
- Macedoine Cut (Square Julienne) – Dimension – 1/8” X 1/8” X 1/8”
- Small Dice (Squar Baton) – Dimension – 1/4” X 1/4” X 1 / 4”
- Medium Dice – Dimension – 1/2” X 1/2” X 1/2”
- Large Dice – Dimension – 3/4” X 3/4” X 3/4′
- Slice – To Cut into uniform cross cuts, Example Slicing Onions
- Chiffonade – Roll up leaves of lettuce cabbage etc. and then slice
Knifes
The knives we have in our kitchens are all there for different reasons. We have sharp knives for chopping, serrated knives for bread, tomatoes or eating steak.
If you cook a lot, then you will understand the importance of having access to a different selection of knives whilst cooking. These are like different tools to a carpenter and need to be looked after.
How Do I Know a Good Set of Knives?
A good set of knives are made from quality steel with a full tang into the handle (the unsharpened part of the blade, leading to the handle). The handle should be made of a suitably strong material this might mean you will pay slightly more for them. That said, if looked after properly they will outlast most other cheaper versions.
How do I store my knives?
If you have purchased a set of kitchen knives, then invariably it will have also come with a storage block. This block has several benefits, the obvious one is for easy storage, it also keeps sharp edges safe, protects the edges and prevents damage. If you do not have a block use a magnetic holder which will prevent them from getting damaged. Avoid storing them in a drawer.
Care For Knives:
Other ways you can take care of your knives is by the way you wash and dry them. we recommend that you wash your knives in mild soapy warm water and dry immediately. If you wash your knives in the dishwasher you need to be sure to remove and thoroughly dry them prior to putting them away. If knives are not cared for properly then they may show signs of oxidising and slight surface rust.
The Cutting Edge:
In daily use of your kitchen knives, you will over time wear away at the cutting edge. This will happen by chopping, cutting and cutting against hard surfaces. You will need to sharpen your knives regularly with a quick run through a knife sharpener, honing steel or whetstone.
Recipes from the class
Ratatouille
Ingredients
- 1 Red pepper quartered and deseeded
- 1 tbsp Fresh basil leaves
- 1 Sprig Dried Thyme or Oregano
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil for cooking
- 1 Courgettes roughly chopped
- 1/2 Aubergine chopped into large chunks
- 1/2 Red onion roughly chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic sliced
- 1/4 tsp Granulated sugar to taste
- 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 400 g Chopped tomatoes 1 tin
- 1/2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Method
- Heat the grill to high. Lay the pepper quarters skin-side up on a baking tray and grill until the skins are black and charred. Tip into a bowl, cover and leave to cool. Peel the charred skin off the peppers, then cut into strips, and toss back in the juices collected in the bowl. Tie the basil stalks and thyme/ oregano sprig together using kitchen string and set aside.
- Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 4. Heat the olive oil in a ovenproof pan dish and fry the courgettes and aubergine for 15 mins until nicely browned. You may need to do this in batches, adding more oil to the pan as needed so the pan is never dry.
- Scoop the veg out of the pan and set aside. Add a drizzle more oil, tip in the onion and cook for another 15 mins until softened and starting to brown. Add the garlic and leave to sizzle for a moment. Scatter with sugar, then leave for a minute to caramelise and splash in the vinegar. Stir in the cooked vegetables along with the pepper juice, season generously, pour over the cans of tomatoes and bring everything to a simmer.
- Nestle in the herbs, cover the dish and transfer to the oven for 1 hr. Remove the lid and give it another 30 mins until everything is cooked down and jammy. Leave the ratatouille to cool until just warm, then stir through most of the basil leaves and the extra virgin olive oil. Scatter with the rest of the basil and serve with bread or toasted sourdough
Pont-neuf Chips
Ingredients
- 3 Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- Sea salt to taste
- Cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp Fresh thyme picked
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Square off the edges of the potatoes by trimming a slither off each side and both ends
- Toss the potatoes in a bowl with everything else.
- place on a baking tray and roast for 20-25 minutes, turning half way through.
Citrus Slaw
Ingredients
- 1 Lime or lemon zest and juice
- 1 tsp Caster sugar
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tbsp Fresh Coriander chopped
- ¼ Red cabbage shredded
- ¼ White cabbage or Chinese leaf shredded
- 1 Carrot grated
- 1 Banana Shallot sliced
- 1 Green chillies sliced
- 1 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise optional
Method
- Whisk the lime/lemon zest, juice, sugar, olive oil, and optional mayo in a bowl to create the dressing. Combine the shredded red cabbage, white cabbage, grated carrot, sliced shallot, chilli, and chopped coriander in a large bowl. Toss the salad with the dressing, seasoning with salt to taste
Vegetable Spring Roll
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Plain flour to make a glue.
- Water to make a glue
- 1/4 Red chilli thinly sliced, optional
- 1/2 Cloves Garlic to your preference
- 1 Carrot medium, Very fine strips/batons
- 40 g Chinese leaf or white cabbage.
- 20 g Bamboo shoots tinned, cut into strips
- 40 g Closed cup mushroom any type finely sliced
- 12 g Beansprouts
- 3/4 tsp Oyster sauce
- 1/4 tsp MSG or vegetable stock powder.
- 1 tsp Soy sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame oil to cook
- Sea salt to taste
- White pepper to taste
- 5 Spring roll pastry wrappers
- 4 tbsp Vegetable oil for shallow frying
Method
- Mix the flour and water together in a small bowl to create the "glue" and set aside.
- Heat the sesame oil in a pan. Add garlic (and chilli if using) and sauté until fragrant.
- Add carrot, Chinese leaf, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. Stir-fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add bean sprouts last and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the oyster sauce, MSG, soy sauce, and white pepper. Mix well. Remove from heat and let the filling cool completely. This is crucial to prevent soggy pastry.
- Place a spoonful of filling on a wrapper, fold according to package directions, sealing the edge with your flour glue
- Add vegetable oil to the pan and shallow fry for about 8 minutes
We hope you enjoyed the class!
If you have any feedback about the class or questions for chef get in touch. Email: lovetocook@foodsorcery.co.uk
Spread the word! let other know about your experience on TripAdvisor Deansgate Google Didsbury Google
Take a Look at our cookery classes. Gift vouchers are available and never expire.
