How to Hold a Knife and Chop: From the Claw Grip to Sliced Onions

Speed and confidence in the kitchen both begin with the knife. A sharp knife held properly halves your prep time and lowers the risk of accidents. In this lesson we will learn how to hold the knife, how to protect your other hand and the cuts you will use most.

Holding the knife properly

Most beginners hold the knife only by the handle, with the index finger stretched along the spine. It feels controlled, but it tires the wrist and lets the blade wobble sideways. Here is the grip professionals use:

1. Wrap your middle, ring and little fingers around the handle.
2. Place your thumb and index finger on either side of the blade, just in front of the handle, as if pinching it.
3. Keep your wrist straight and your shoulder relaxed.

This "pinch grip" may feel odd at first, but within a few days the knife will feel like an extension of your hand.

The claw grip: insurance for your fingers

The hand that is not holding the knife matters just as much. When holding food, curl your fingertips inwards so your hand looks like a cat's paw. The flat side of the blade rests lightly against the middle knuckle of your middle finger. The blade meets your knuckles, not your fingertips, and cannot cut them. Tuck your thumb behind your other fingers too.

Do not chop by hammering the knife straight up and down. Keep the tip close to the board and slice forwards and down. After each cut your claw hand moves back a little, setting the width of the next slice.

Start with a stable base

• Put a damp cloth under the cutting board so it does not slide.
• Round foods (onions, potatoes, carrots) should be halved first, or have a thin slice taken off one side, so a flat face sits on the board. Rolling vegetables are the number one cause of cuts.

The basic cuts

• Rounds and half-moons: Slice carrots, courgettes or cucumbers crosswise. For half-moons, halve the vegetable lengthwise first.
• Julienne (matchsticks): Cut the vegetable into 5-6 cm lengths, slice them 2-3 mm thick, stack the slices and cut again into 2-3 mm sticks. Used in salads and stir-fries.
• Dice: Slices, then sticks, then crosswise cuts. Sizes are named by thickness: roughly 1.5-2 cm for a large dice (stews, boiling), about 1 cm for a medium dice (vegetable dishes) and 3-5 mm for a fine dice (sauces, fillings).
• Mincing: Roughly chop parsley, dill or garlic first, then keep the tip of the knife on the board and rock the handle up and down, like a lever, until fine.

Diced and sliced onions

Cutting an onion is the official opening ceremony of any cooking course.

For diced onion:

1. Cut off the stem end but leave the root end on; the root holds the layers together.
2. Halve the onion from root to tip and peel it.
3. Lay it flat side down. With the tip of the knife, make lengthwise cuts that stop just short of the root.
4. If you like, hold the knife flat and make one or two horizontal cuts.
5. Now slice crosswise using the claw grip; the onion falls apart into neat dice.

For sliced onion (the half-moon slices used in Turkish piyaz and salads): Halve and peel the onion again, then trim off both the root and the tip. Slice thinly from root to tip, following the grain. Onion cut along the grain holds its shape when cooked and stays crisp in salads. To soften its bite, rub the slices with a little salt and rinse.

If your eyes are stinging, make sure your knife is sharp (a dull knife crushes the onion and releases more of the irritant) and chill the onion in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Keeping your knife sharp

It sounds like a paradox, but a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one. You press harder, and when it slips it goes straight for your hand.

• Honing steel: It does not actually sharpen the knife; it realigns the edge. Before each use, draw the blade along the steel a few times on each side at an angle of about 15-20 degrees.
• Whetstone: If honing no longer helps, sharpen on a stone every few months. Soak or wet the stone as the maker recommends and slide the blade across it, keeping the same angle.
• A simple test: Hold up a sheet of paper and slice down through it. If the knife cuts cleanly without tearing, it is sharp.

Safety rules

• Never try to catch a falling knife; step back.
• Never leave a knife in a sink full of soapy water, where you would reach in without seeing it.
• Walk with the knife pointing down and the edge facing backwards.
• Do not leave a knife at the edge of the counter with the tip sticking out.
• Do not rush. Speed comes naturally with good technique.

Chop one onion every day this week. After seven days, you will see the difference for yourself.