How to Chop Onions With Only a Knife
They make it look so easy on TV. With just a few quick motions, chefs turn whole onions into perfect little cubes. How do they do it? Is it really that easy? Yes. If you follow these few easy steps, you'll have a perfectly chopped onion every time. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Cut the onion in half by using a chef's knife to cut the onion in half from root to bud. This step will make it much easier to peel the onion.
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Remove the bud end. It's important that you only remove the bud end. This ensure that the onion holds together and makes it easier to chop.
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3
Peel the onion. Once the bud end is removed, you will be able to easily peel the onion. If a bit of the skin sticks to the root, that's okay. It's not worth damaging the root trying to remove it.
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Cut the onion into planks. Place your hand on the top of the onion, with your fingers curled inwards. Take your knife in the other hand and cut planks into the onion, from top to bottom. The number of planks you get will depend on the size of the onion.
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Slice the onion into sticks. Once you've cut the planks, you need to slice the planks, cutting side to side. These sticks will allow you to chop the onion into perfect little cubes.
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Chop the onion into cubes. After the sticks have been sliced, simple cut the onion from front to back, making sure to keep your fingers out of the way. As you chop through the onion, use your knife to push the cubes to the side to make room for more.
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Tips & Warnings
The size of your planks, sticks, and chops will determine how big your onion cubes are.
When cutting the onion into slices, securely hold the root end and keep your fingers curled inwards.
When cutting the planks and sticks, be sure to stay far enough away from the root to not damage it. Your want your onion to stay intact until you chop it.
- Photo Credit Kerry A Adamo
