0:00:01.168,0:00:04.597
Dicing an Onion

0:00:04.597,0:00:06.540
Hello, my name is Helen Rennie,

0:00:06.540,0:00:08.509
I'm the founder of Helen's Kitchen cooking school,

0:00:08.509,0:00:10.811
and today we're going to learn to dice an onion.

0:00:10.811,0:00:11.624
Onion Anatomy 101

0:00:11.624,0:00:13.313
This is an onion top,

0:00:13.313,0:00:14.982
and this is the onion root.

0:00:14.982,0:00:17.018
The root is what's going to hold the onion together

0:00:17.018,0:00:18.135
as you're dicing it,

0:00:18.135,0:00:20.126
so keep as much of the root on as possible.

0:00:20.988,0:00:22.556
If you're dealing with a hairy onion,

0:00:22.556,0:00:24.792
I suggest giving it a buzz cut

0:00:24.792,0:00:26.927
to prevent the hairs from getting into

0:00:26.927,0:00:28.462
the finished product.

0:00:28.462,0:00:30.698
Cut the top of the onion off completely,

0:00:30.698,0:00:32.766
and set it on this flat surface

0:00:32.766,0:00:34.551
that you've just created.

0:00:34.551,0:00:36.837
Cut it in half.

0:00:36.837,0:00:38.475
Nick the outer layers with the knife

0:00:38.475,0:00:40.007
to make peeling easier,

0:00:40.007,0:00:42.109
and peel everything starting with

0:00:42.109,0:00:44.470
the first decent-looking layer.

0:00:44.470,0:00:46.735
Clean off your board.

0:00:46.735,0:00:47.882
Sit the onion on the board

0:00:47.882,0:00:49.863
with the root facing away from you.

0:00:49.863,0:00:51.018
We'll be cutting the onion

0:00:51.018,0:00:53.089
parallel to the lines in its layers.

0:00:53.089,0:00:54.488
Normally, we use the back of the knife

0:00:54.488,0:00:55.687
for cutting things,

0:00:55.687,0:00:57.825
but this time we'll use the tip,

0:00:57.825,0:00:59.360
so that we can keep the onion

0:00:59.360,0:01:01.482
attached at the root.

0:01:07.175,0:01:08.383
Now let's rotate the onion

0:01:08.383,0:01:10.137
so that the root is near your guiding hand,

0:01:10.137,0:01:11.838
and the top is near your knife hand.

0:01:11.838,0:01:13.473
You'll need one or more parallel cuts

0:01:13.473,0:01:14.839
through this onion.

0:01:14.839,0:01:16.141
Here are a few tips on them.

0:01:16.141,0:01:18.546
Set the onion close to the edge of the board,

0:01:18.546,0:01:21.148
and get the knife handle and your hand

0:01:21.148,0:01:23.751
off the board, to make sure that you are low

0:01:23.751,0:01:25.686
and parallel to the board.

0:01:25.686,0:01:28.856
Now make one or more parallel cuts.

0:01:28.856,0:01:32.726
For an onion this size, we need a couple.

0:01:32.726,0:01:36.063
Do not try to jam the knife through the onion head-on.

0:01:36.063,0:01:38.498
Start on the point of the onion that's closest to you,

0:01:38.498,0:01:40.734
and the point on the knife that's closest to you,

0:01:40.734,0:01:42.307
and go in a circular motion

0:01:42.307,0:01:46.573
that ends with the tip of the knife inside the onion.

0:01:46.573,0:01:48.971
The goal is not to cut all the way to the root;

0:01:48.971,0:01:50.155
that would be counterproductive,

0:01:50.155,0:01:51.412
your onion would fall apart.

0:01:51.412,0:01:54.782
The goal is to cut through the tallest point on the onion.

0:01:54.782,0:01:56.684
The last step is to slice the onion

0:01:56.684,0:01:59.515
perpendicular to the cuts you made in the first step.

0:01:59.515,0:02:01.622
Here, we're back to our normal way of cutting

0:02:01.622,0:02:03.457
where we use the back of the knife

0:02:03.457,0:02:05.078
and the claw grip.

0:02:07.570,0:02:11.606
If you want, you can work your way around the root,

0:02:12.945,0:02:15.563
or of course you can just discard it.

0:02:17.194,0:02:19.172
Hate that parallel cut?

0:02:19.172,0:02:20.408
Here's another option.

0:02:20.408,0:02:21.942
Start by slicing the onion

0:02:21.942,0:02:23.383
using the tip of the knife,

0:02:23.383,0:02:25.835
keeping it attached at the root.

0:02:27.481,0:02:31.318
Now cut the onion in half through the root.

0:02:31.318,0:02:35.122
Turn the two halves 90º,

0:02:35.122,0:02:37.491
and make a couple of cuts

0:02:37.491,0:02:39.359
that go all the way down,

0:02:39.359,0:02:43.345
but keep the onion attached at the root.

0:02:43.345,0:02:45.825
Turn the halves back 90º,

0:02:45.825,0:02:47.519
join them together,

0:02:47.519,0:02:48.902
rotate the onion

0:02:48.902,0:02:51.505
so that the root end is near your guiding hand

0:02:51.505,0:02:54.617
and the top of the onion is near your knife hand.

0:02:54.617,0:02:57.344
And finish slicing, using the claw grip

0:02:57.344,0:02:58.960
and the back of the knife.

0:03:02.483,0:03:04.151
From Helen's Kitchen in Boston,

0:03:04.151,0:03:06.153
happy cooking and baking to you.

0:03:06.153,0:03:07.454
Produced by Helen Rennie. Music by Django Reinhardt.

0:03:07.454,0:03:09.089
Copyright (c) 2011 by Helen Rennie. All Rights Reserved.

0:03:09.089,9:59:59.000
More techniques at beyondsalmon.com