This Is the Most secure and Quickest Technique to Cube an Onion, and Virtually No One Teaches It

Onions are one of many first issues any aspiring prepare dinner ought to be taught to chop. Whether or not you’re dicing them into giant chunks for soups and shares or mincing them finely for sauces and dressings, chopping an onion is an important kitchen ability. Most individuals be taught the identical primary methodology—however there’s a safer, simpler different that far fewer know.

Essentially the most broadly recognized methodology for dicing an onion goes like this: Set a halved onion on a chopping board and first make a collection of downward cuts by way of the onion (however not by way of the basis finish). Then make a collection of perpendicular cuts in towards the basis finish whereas holding the knife blade’s flat facet parallel to the chopping board.

These horizontal cuts—the place the knife runs parallel to the chopping board—are, nicely…dicey. No one likes these cuts. It is awkward and dangerous, requiring you slide the blade just below and in the direction of your non-dominant hand that’s sitting on high to carry the onion steady. A slip of the hand on a slick onion can ship you trying to find a band-aid.

Regardless of the problem and dangers, that’s the primary chopping approach taught to most residence cooks and cooks alike. As an alternative, I swear by an alternate methodology that requires none of these parallel-to-the-cutting-board horizontal slices. I first noticed this methodology years in the past throughout my very top quality on the Culinary Institute of America. It wasn’t a part of the official knife-skills curriculum—simply an informal demo from my teacher, Chef James Jennings. However it caught. Even after years working in skilled kitchens, that is nonetheless my go-to methodology: safer, quicker, and simply as exact.

For those who’re dicing a number of onions directly, you don’t must continually reposition your knife hand for various slicing orientations. You’re all the time chopping the onion in the identical path: down in the direction of the chopping board. Whereas I certainly not invented this chopping approach, I’ve been preaching its gospel each time and wherever I can. I’ve transformed recipe builders and editors at different main meals publications to it (one among my former coworkers even made a viral social video in regards to the methodology!).

In any occasion, now I current the steps for you in order that you can also undertake a safer and extra environment friendly methodology of chopping onions.

Step-by-Step: The Safer Onion Cube

Step 1. Halve the onion by way of the basis finish and peel it. Working with one half at a time, make a collection of evenly spaced vertical cuts from pole to pole (high to root), slicing down towards the chopping board however stopping simply earlier than the basis finish. Use a claw grip along with your non-dominant hand, letting your knuckles information the knife whereas your fingertips and thumb keep safely tucked away.

Step 2. Return and prolong the middle reduce to divide the onion half into two even quarters.

Step 3. Flip quarters onto newly reduce sides, then align quarters in order that vertical cuts are actually horizontal.

Step 4. Now make a second collection of evenly spaced pole-to-pole cuts down in the direction of the chopping board; as soon as once more remember to hold the basis finish hooked up.

Step 5. End by making a collection of evenly spaced vertical cuts perpendicular to the earlier ones, as soon as once more utilizing the knuckles in your non-dominant hand to information the final set of knife strokes. You must have diced onion items. 

Step 6. Repeat with the remaining onion half.