Knife Handling
Steve and I took an advanced knife handling course at the LCBO which got us a really nice French chef’s knife and a boning knife, a honing steel, meat thermometer, cutting board, beautiful sea-grass wine holder, a copy of the lasest Food & Drink, a cotton bag with dividers for carrying bottles wine, and recipes by Chef Wolfgang Sterr from Wild Flower Market.
Dinner included wild trout (which we skinned), sauted onion and zucchini (which we diced), rice and apple pie. The accompanying wine was a 2006 Cabernet Rose by Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery, VQA in Beamsville. 750mL at 13% for $13.95.
Some of the neat tips I got from Chef Wolfgang:
- The positions of the hand are:
- Thumb on top of the blade for a straight or strength cut (zucchini or joints)
- Thumb on blade for side cuts (slicing into a diced onion, skinning fish)
- Thumb at choke for a rolling cut (lead with the tip)
- The types of cuts we learned were:
- julienne (also called a “matchstick”). Once julienned, turning the subject 90 degrees and cutting finely will produce brunoise
- baton cuts are like julienne but “fatter” such as french fries. Turning it 90 degrees will give you a dice.
- Roasted garlic in olive oil will keep up to 6 weeks in the fridge
- Blanche (varies per vegetable. Ex 3 min for zucchini) and refresh vegetables with ice water (keep in the fridge) and lightly saute to reheat.
- Keep vegetables scraps like onion skins/roots, tops of zucchini and peppers, etc in the freezer. Add to water and boil 15 min. Strain for stock. If cooking a chicken, freeze the bones. Add them to the water and cook with the vegetables for 30 min. Strain for stock.
- To debone a chicken, cut on the joint to separate wings and thighs and explore with your knife to remove the breasts.
- thigh: debone and roll up. Cook for 7 min at 375F to cook through
- breast: stuff under the skin with cream cheese mixed with sauteed zucchini and peppers (can keep in the fridge for up to 2 days). Pan fry skin side first. 5 min per side. Bake 30 min at 375F.
- tender: skewer, dip in sechwan or soy sauce, roll in sesame seeds. Bake at 375F for 5-7 min.
- Trout was cooked at 350F. Slit the thin edge to the skin (so you have something to hold)
It was a wonderful evening and we plan to visit the restaurant/market sometime in the future!
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