Three Essential Knife Skills You Need to Know to Cut Fresh Herbs
When it comes to slicing fresh herbs, you need to know how to properly cut into slices, chiffonade and stone chips. In this video, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt of Serious Eats demonstrates each technique and explains which one works best for certain types of herbs.
A slice works best for herbs like garlic or green onions. To do this correctly, you need to hold the knife blade just behind the handle between your thumb and forefinger, and make sure you keep your fingers bent back, your thumb underneath, and your knuckles resting on the blade. … Then, pull the blade back and forth using the weight of the blade to cut the grass horizontally as you retreat.
For a chiffonade that works best for herbs with large leaves, you need to make several stacks first. Once you’ve folded the leaves, from largest to smallest, fold everything into a cigar shape and follow the same slicing technique as before.
When it comes to herbs like parsley or cilantro, a stone chop is best. Gather the leaves into a loose ball and hold them together with your bent fingertips. Slice them, then place your free hand on top of the knife and rock them back and forth over the herbs until they are finely chopped. To store freshly cut herbs, place them in a container covered with a damp tea towel for several hours, or refrigerate in a plastic container for up to a day.
Knife Skills: How To Cut Grass | Serious food