Feb 08 2009
Vegetable Chopping
When coming to dinner guests prefer their vegetable medleys to be finger free. Use the techniques below to chop a mean vegetable while leaving some finger for next time. Chopping should always be done with a cleaver, or
some equivalent broad-bladed knife.
• First, hold the cleaver in your right hand (or viceversa for lefties).
• Next, put your left hand upright. Your fingers should be pointing straight down and pinning the food to the cutting board.
• Next, angle (5-10 degrees) the blade away from your fingers so that the upper part of the knife is resting on your knuckles and the blade is touching the cutting board.
• Start chopping by sliding the broad side of the cleaver forward and backward (without the knife leaving the cutting board).
• The flat side of the knife should ride along your left knuckles (which are still upright but slightly bent).
Chop in this manner with short, controlled movements across the length of the vegetable, or whatever you’re chopping. When you get the hang of it, this method is extremely quick. A dozen mushrooms can be chopped in seconds flat. If you keep your fingers bent, and keep the side of the knife on your knuckles, you’ll never have the unfortunate experience of serving a flesh salad. Don’t go gonzo with the blade and lift it over the height of your knuckles while you’re chopping, unless you want to recreate the scene from Evil Dead II when Ash removes his possessed hand. “Who’s laughing now?”