BACK TO BASICS: HOW TO CHOP AN ONION
Originally published by Tramontina USA
Onions are a foundational part of many savory dishes. Unfortunately, the enzymes they release when cut can make you cry, and their layers make for an intricate labyrinth that challenges any novice cook’s knife skills.
First things first: if you’re trying to avoid reactive tears, make sure your knife is sharp to slice, dice and chop your onions quickly and cleanly. The less bruising caused by your knife, the less of a tear-jerker the process will be. You can also try refrigerating or peeling and soaking your onions prior to cutting them.
To quickly get a consistent chop every time and avoid tears of frustration, grab a cutting board, your sharpest chef’s knife, and get started with the steps below:
STEP 1:
Cut about ½ inch off the stem and discard. Turn the onion to let it rest on its new flat side and slice in half vertically
STEP 2:
Peel off the tough outer skins of each half. You may need to peel off multiple layers.
STEP 3:
Lay one half flat on cutting board, cut side down. As you hold the top of the onion steady, make several horizontal cuts from one end of the onion to the other instead of cutting vertically down towards the cutting board.r. You don’t want to slice all the way through in order to keep the layers connected. Make sure you are not slicing towards your body and your non-knife fingers remain on top of the onion.
STEP 4:
Grip the root with your non-knife hand, curling your fingers back and protecting your thumb behind them. Make several vertical cuts from the root end through the other pole, leaving space at the root end to keep the layers intact. The number of cuts you make will determine the size of the final result. Chopped onions, for example, are slightly larger than diced onions. For uniform sizes, do your best to keep the spacing similar to the horizontal cuts.
STEP 5:
Make multiple vertical cuts across the ones you just made, guiding the knife blade with your knuckles and holding the root with your fingertips. You’ll see your newly cut onions fall of the knife in a uniform cascade. Repeat steps 1-5 with the other onion half. This form of dicing can seem uncomfortable at first. But keep at it, following the same steps each time, and you will start to approach those onions with confidence.
