At Acquired Taste Magazine, we’re all about bridging the gap between the pros and the newbies. So we’ve started a column titled 101 that gives step by step pointers and tips on how to do anything and everything food related. Our first 101 shows the proper way to cut an onion. I’m sure most of you out there know how to do it, but here’s how to do it right.
Step 1: Take out your sharpest chef’s knife and cut off one end of the onion. Try to cut it so that the root is still intact. Doing so will keep the onion from falling apart when chopping it up and will hold it together. Then, do the same to the other side of the onion.
Step 2: Cut the onion in half.
Step 3: Take one of the onion halves and use your knife to slowly peel the skin off. If you’re not comfortable using a knife to do this, peeling with your hands will do. Just don’t rub your eyes after. Again, repeat with the other half of the onion.
Step 4: Lay the onion half on a cutting board and start to slice into it. Make sure each slice is roughly an inch apart. Also, it’s important that you do not slice all the way through the root as it is holding everything together.
To get uniform pieces you have to make sure that you are cutting fairly evenly.
Step 5: Next, take the knife and slice horizontally into the onion. A regular onion would only require about two slices horizontally and try not to cut through the root once more.
Step 6: The final step would require you to just start chopping the onion, starting on the side opposite of the root. Again, try to make sure each chop is even with the next. Most importantly, keep your fingers tucked in while chopping.
If you made your initial cuts, slices, and final chops even, your final onion pieces should turn out fairly uniform.
If there are any 101′s, tips or techniques you would like us to cover, let us know. You can email your suggestions to co@acqtaste.com.
Words by Chuck Ortiz
Photography by Greg Washington
Cutting An Onion: 101
At Acquired Taste Magazine, we’re all about bridging the gap between the pros and the newbies. So we’ve started a column titled 101 that gives step by step pointers and tips on how to do anything and everything food related. Our first 101 shows the proper way to cut an onion. I’m sure most of you out there know how to do it, but here’s how to do it right.
Step 1: Take out your sharpest chef’s knife and cut off one end of the onion. Try to cut it so that the root is still intact. Doing so will keep the onion from falling apart when chopping it up and will hold it together. Then, do the same to the other side of the onion.
Step 2: Cut the onion in half.
Step 3: Take one of the onion halves and use your knife to slowly peel the skin off. If you’re not comfortable using a knife to do this, peeling with your hands will do. Just don’t rub your eyes after. Again, repeat with the other half of the onion.
Step 4: Lay the onion half on a cutting board and start to slice into it. Make sure each slice is roughly an inch apart. Also, it’s important that you do not slice all the way through the root as it is holding everything together.
To get uniform pieces you have to make sure that you are cutting fairly evenly.
Step 5: Next, take the knife and slice horizontally into the onion. A regular onion would only require about two slices horizontally and try not to cut through the root once more.
Step 6: The final step would require you to just start chopping the onion, starting on the side opposite of the root. Again, try to make sure each chop is even with the next. Most importantly, keep your fingers tucked in while chopping.
If you made your initial cuts, slices, and final chops even, your final onion pieces should turn out fairly uniform.
If there are any 101′s, tips or techniques you would like us to cover, let us know. You can email your suggestions to co@acqtaste.com.
Words by Chuck Ortiz
Photography by Greg Washington