For this knife techniques article, we collaborated with Paris based Chef Fulvio Pischedda. You will find the full video at then end of this article in which Chef Fulvio covers important knife techniques such as how to hold a knife as well as some essential knife cuts every chef or home cook should know.
How to hold your knife
The first and most important knife skill is how you hold your knife. Holding the knife properly will give you more control over the knife which makes it easier to cut and slice food. This strong grip is what allows chefs to chop with great speed as we know the knife won’t slide off. Read our how to hold your knife article here.
You should hold your knife with your dominant hand, note that some Japanese knives are made specific for right or left hand use, so make sure you are using the correct knife or opt for an ambidextrous one like Oishya’s Sakai Kyuba knives. Whenever you are cutting the other hand needs to hold the produce and with the fingertips tucked in forming a sort of claw. The steel of the blade has to rub on the knuckles that are holding the food. Practice doing this movement by cutting a vegetable. Read our how to do the claw grip article with Chef Olivia Burt here.
Basic knife cuts
In the video below, Chef Fulvio Pischedda demonstrates how to do four common knife cuts. These are:
- Julienne cut
- Brunoise cut
- Fine julienne cut
- Fine brunoise cut
https://youtu.be/-gpDf9YT0sA%20%20
Video transcript
Hello everyone, my name is Fulvio Pischedda, I’m a chef based in Paris. In this video, I will introduce you to Oishya’s Sakai Kyuba kitchen knife set and show you knife techniques such as how to hold a knife and basic knife cuts every cook should know.
This knife set comes with three knives and this is in part why I chose it. I love using this set. After all, when it comes to kitchen knives quality is more important than quantity. Lets now see some basic knife cuts, how to place your empty hand when cutting and how to hold a knife.
