Knives

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of using the highest-quality knives. Dull knives make any preparation laborious and frustrating, even for the most skilled cook. A good sharp knife not only makes your job easier but also is safer to use, ironically, because you do not need to push as hard and it is less likely to slip. For illustrated instructions on how to hold and cut with a knife.

In general, a good-quality knife should have a high-carbon stainless-steel forged blade. It should feel solid and well balanced in your hand. Although there are dozens of styles and sizes, I have found that 99% of the time I use one of four knives: an 8-inch chefs knife, a small paring knife, a serrated bread knife, and a flexible boning knife. The chef’s knife is the one I reach for most often. I use it for all my chopping, slicing, and dicing. A chef’s knife should have a gently curved blade which allows you to rock the knife back and forth as you chop or slice. The paring knife is for detail work, such as deveining shrimp or trimming an artichoke bottom. The serrated knife, in addition to slicing bread, is useful for paring citrus rinds and slicing tomatoes. The flexible boning knife is great for trimming meats and fish.