Anne Willan

Dicing & Chopping Onion

Appears in
top 1000La Varenne Pratique
La Varenne Pratique

By Anne Willan

Published 1989

  • About
An onion can be sliced, then cut into even dice, then chopped more finely if called for in the recipe. The thickness of the initial slices will determine the size of the dice.
  1. Peel the onion, leaving the root on to hold the onion together. Cut the onion in half and lay one half, cut side down, on a chopping board.

  2. With a chopping knife, make a series of horizontal cuts from the stem toward the root. Cut just to the root, but not through it.

  3. Make a series of lengthwise vertical cuts, cutting almost but not quite through the root.

  4. Finally, cut the onion crosswise so that it falls into dice. Guide the blade of the knife with your bent fingers.

  5. To chop the onion into smaller pieces, continue chopping, bouncing the knife up and down on the board and holding the point down with one hand. Continue until the onion is chopped as finely as you like.