Knife skills may sound fancy but they
are actually
very basic and are essential for even
the beginner home cook.
A paring knife is an essential knife
that can be used instead of a peeler, to
peel fruits and vegetables,
to remove the core or hole, and for
smaller cutting jobs.
Make sure you are holding your paring
knife correctly.
For peeling, hold the knife close to the
blade and wrap your fingers around the
handle.
This will give you better control. To
peel an apple,
first remove the stem. Starting at the
stem end,
hold the knife at a slight angle and
slide the blade
just under the skin. Turn the apple
slowly as you pull the knife forward
under the skin,
blade towards you. Try to avoid peeling
too much of the apple flesh
away. Keep going until you've circled the
apple and removed as much skin as
possible.
Paring knives can also be used for
coring and hulling
foods like strawberries. Hulling removes
the top or stem cap
of a strawberry. It makes the strawberry
look better for serving
and also removes less of the fruit than
slicing off the top.
For hulling, hold the knife in your
dominant hand
so that the flat side of the blade rests
on the side of your middle finger
and your thumb rests on top. To hold a
strawberry,
gently push the tip of the blade into
the berry at the stem cap;
angling the knife towards the center.
Keeping the blade angled, turn the
strawberry not the knife
so that the knife circles the top of the berry.
Imagine trying to make a cone out of the
top of the berry.
The stem cap and the core of the
strawberry should come out easily.
Also, use your paring knife for cutting
small fruits and vegetables,
separating the sections of citrus fruits,
seeding peppers, and deveining shrimp.
These essential paring knife skills can
help you cook smart and eat smart.
Use them to make simple healthy meals
with fresh produce that look good
and taste great!
