How to Chop an Onion
Before you start make sure you have a sharp knife (see Knife Skills School Series Lesson #3 [1]). This will not only make the job easier but it will prevent you from crying, and we definitely don’t want to be sad in the kitchen.
Here’s how to dice/chop an onion:
- First of all, make sure your cutting surface is secure and does not move around when you work on it. I lay a sheet of slip resistant rubber under my cutting board but you can also use a lightly dampened kitchen towel. This will prevent your cutting board from slipping around.
- Trim the opposite end to the root end off to expose the fleshy onion rings.
- Place the cut side down onto work surface (root side up). Cut the onion in half, down through the root, leaving the root intact on both halves. Peel the outer skin and discard.
- Using one half at a time, lay the cut half down flat on the work surface. If you are right handed ensure the root end of the onion is facing to your left. Slicing lengthways away from the root end, BUT keeping the root end intact, make a series of slices about ¼ of and inch (1/2 cm) thick through the onion. You should be able to pick the onion up with the root end, keeping it all together. This makes it easier to do the next cut.
- Turn the onion 90° so that you can make a slice across the slices you have already made. Use your left hand to hold the slices together carefully while you make the cut across those slices into fine dice or fine chop, or in French terminology: Brunoise. Repeat for the second half.
Check out my short video on dicing vegetables and onions [2]. Click Techniques 101, then choose "A-D" and scroll through the list of items to find a 4 minute how-to on Dicing. Now you’ll have great small diced onions and vegetables that will look amazing and cook beautifully in soups and sauces. Just remember everything takes practice.
Have fun and happy chopping and dicing.
Yours in food prepared with a sharp knife and with precision,
Chef James