How to Chop an Onion

The foe of the home cook is often the onion. How do you chop it quickly and correctly? It's easier than you think!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board
• Wet paper towel
• Onion

1. Make sure you have a clean cutting board and a sharp knife that is approximately twice as long as the onion. Place the wet towel underneath the cutting board to keep it from slipping.

2. Place the onion in the middle of the cutting board on its side with the root end facing you. Hold the onion firmly with your non-knife-wielding hand. In the other hand, hold the knife at a 90 degree angle to the onion with the blade facing the onion.

3. 4. Position the blade so that it will slice the onion in half vertically, cutting through both the root and the stem end. Place your non-knife-wielding hand over the blade, holding the onion steady. Cut the onion in half.

4. Lay each onion half cut-side-down on the cutting board. Slice off about ½ inch from both the root and stem ends and discard. Peel the papery skin from both halves and discard as well.

5. Position the knife blade halfway up the side of the first onion half and make one horizontal slice through the center. Keep the onion intact.

6. On the same half, slice the onion by pulling the knife 3 to 4 times vertically through the onion

7. Next, turn the onion 90 degrees and make 3 to 4 slices perpendicular to the previous slices.

8. Repeat steps 6 through 8 with the second half. You have now chopped an onion!

Tips & Warnings

• You do not want to cut the onion in half with the root and stem intact but separated on either side. This makes chopping the onion much more difficult.
• In French, this method of chopping an onion is called ciseler.