Cooking Lessons Essential Knife Skills 4

Question 1

Which knife cut produces very fine ribbons of leafy herbs like basil?

Accepted Answer

Chiffonade

Answer

Chiffonade involves stacking and rolling leaves, then slicing them crosswise into thin ribbons.

Question 2

When dicing an onion, why do you leave the root end intact until the final cuts?

Accepted Answer

It holds the layers together for safer, more even cutting

Answer

The root end acts as a natural anchor holding the onion layers together while you make horizontal and vertical cuts.

Question 3

What is the safest technique for cutting a round vegetable like a butternut squash or onion?

Accepted Answer

Cut it in half first to create a flat, stable surface

Answer

Creating a flat side prevents the vegetable from rolling, which is a major cause of knife slips.

Question 4

Which motion is most efficient for mincing garlic with a chef's knife?

Accepted Answer

A rocking motion with the knife tip anchored on the board

Answer

Keeping the tip on the board and rocking the blade lets you mince quickly with control.

Question 5

In the batonnet cut, roughly what size are the finished pieces?

Accepted Answer

1/4 x 1/4 x 2-3 inches

Answer

Batonnet is a stick cut about 1/4 inch square and 2-3 inches long, larger than julienne.

Cooking Lessons Practice Test