Knife skills explained
Skill level
Easy
How do you butterfly a chicken breast?
Slice a chicken breast partially in half horizontally and open like a book. You might stuff this cavity with cream cheese or garlic butter.
What does chiffonade mean?
To chiffonade means to slice leafy vegetables such as spinach into very, very thin strips. You can roll the leaves up together, like a cigar, and slice the ends off very finely. You might want to do this for salads and stir fries.
What does coring mean?
You can core apples or pears by cutting the fruit in quarters and chopping out the seeds and woody centre from the fruit. You can also core veg such as cabbage or fennel that have a woody centre but no seeds.
What does cubing mean?
If a recipe requires you to cube an ingredient, this means you need cut them into around 陆 inch cubes, a bit like large dice. You can cube vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, fruit such as apples and pear, but also meat and fish. You might do this when making recipes such as a curry or pie.
What does dicing mean?
Dicing is similar to cubing, but smaller. You chop them into the shape of small dice. This works well for pasty fillings and chunky soups.
What does slicing julienne mean?
Julienne is when you slice ingredients, such as carrots and cucumber, into match stick shapes. They are thin and long with straight ends. You might do this for salads, sandwiches and stir fries.
What is mincing garlic or onions?
If a recipe asks you to mince garlic or onions, this means to chop very, very finely. As finely as you can! Some people find it easiest to chop into slices lengthways and then slice horizontally until tiny, tiny dice. Some people find it easier to use a grater.
What is scoring?
Scoring means to partially cut through in lines. You can score pastry, such as the top of a pie for decoration, or pork skin to make crackling. Scoring can also be done to create more surface area for marinades or to help fat to render.
