9 Essential Knife Skills To Master | Epicurious 101

Professional chef and culinary instructor Frank Proto returns with another Epicurious 101 class, this time teaching you each of the knife skills you’ll need to master in order to produce restaurant-quality dishes at home. From chopping and cubing to slicing and dicing, Frank explains it all step-by-step so you can achieve results you never thought possible in your own kitchen.


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Check out chef Frank on his YouTube Channel, ProtoCooks!
Follow him on Instagram at @protocooks

Directors: Matthew Hunziker, Gunsel Pehlivan
Director of Photography: Jack Belisle
Editor: Charlotte Carpenter
Talent: Frank Proto
Sr. Culinary Director: Kelly Janke
Producer: Mel Ibarra
Culinary Producer: Jessica Do
Culinary Associate Producer: Leslie Raney
Line Producer: Jen McGinity
Associate Producer: Michael Cascio
Production Manager: Janine Dispensa
Production Coordinator: Elizabeth Hymes
Cam Op: Kirsten Potts
Audio: Amelia Palmer
Production Assistant: Sophie Pulver
Post Production Supervisor: Andrea Farr
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Eduardo Araújo
Assistant Editor: Diego Rentsch
Graphics Supervisor: Ross Rackin
Graphics, Animation, VFX: Léa Kichler


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0:00 Introduction
0:41 Chapter One - Handling Your Knife
2:25 Chapter Two - The Cuts
2:45 Rough Chop
3:31 Dice
5:32 Slice
7:12 Baton
7:57 Julienne
8:59 Bias
9:58 Mince
10:46 Chiffonade
11:30 Oblique
12:11 Conclusion
12:31 The Kendall Jenner



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[epicurious]

Shop for products Frank uses in this demonstration:

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[timetoengage_]

I start work as a prep cook this Saturday. Frank Proto has essentially taught me at least 75% of my knowledge on cooking, and this video is exactly what I needed to help prepare me. Very grateful for these videos.

[haleywagner]

Frank is absolutely awesome. He's thorough, calm, and it's obvious he loves what he does and enjoys teaching.

[elibradley]

After my first day in my new kitchen job, I decided it was finally out a little effort into my knife skills. I came home and watched this video. The very next day, I was told to use one of these cutting techniques. Thank you for your instruction.

[stevenarvizu]

As a cook I can confirm these are actual good cuts that you should learn. Usually there are 3 kinds of cutting styles people have. Home cooks, who cut safe, slow and easy which focuses on making cutting easier for the cook, but it takes more time and is good enough for your personal food. There is culinary arts style, which is also slow but requires much more skill and is generally dangerous without experience, but leads to beautiful product. Then there are these chef cuts, which are the most efficient way to still make good cuts, good for when you have lots of cutting to do but still want your food to look good.

No matter what kind of cook you are these cuts are all very good to learn. Beautiful food that doesn’t take 30 minutes to cut

[tainshabinnez]

I started cooking when covid hit. Always looking for great beginner vids. Looked at a dozen beginner knife skills vids and they're all the same. "Hold the knife in one hand and make the claw with the other. Now take out a ruler and cut the pieces all the same size." Frank shows the correct way to hold the knife, explains the basic cuts then explains to push the knife forward while cutting, don't crush-cut, move the knife, not the veggies, etc." After watching knife skill vids for 2 years, I finally found one that explains what you're supposed to do, not "Watch me cut these veggies into identical pieces in 3 seconds." Thanks for a REAL educational video, Frank. I'm watching only you from now on.

[tgh]

Great info! The oblique cut is a revelation, thank you.

[MangoTurtlenova]

i’m just glad to see frank getting all the love he deserves in the comments

[robertbouley]

Excellent video. Oblique was a helpful takeaway for me.

[rudolphpohl]

Can't believe this is so interesting to watch. Guess it's easy to watch someone who is super expert and gives such an easy, professional presentation

[angrypotato_fz]

I love how chef Frank shows and explains all the techniques without over-emphasizing the ones used mainly for aesthetics in high-level restaurants. His lessons are perfect for a home cook! Great video!

[NaturaPug]

NGL, The way Frank chopped some of those veges, had me holding my breath!

Great episode again Frank & Epi!!

[Novedrake]

Was so excited for Chef Frank to teach me that butterfly knife twirl thing the bad guys always do. I mean, I learned a ton about culinary knife skills, but what about knife skills for the streets?

[franglish]

Legend says Frank forges his own knives out of Valyrian Steel

[chcknwnx]

Really informative video! Frank's an absolute legend

[ilovecocoman]

Frank is the best I love him so muchhhh❤❤❤

[Jeffreyshaner]

Thank you for this very instructional, helpful and valuable lesson. As a green chef, I greatly my appreciate the help. This will make it much more efficient; the music is great too. Many thanks indeed!

[BlackPirate]

Thanks to Frank, my older brother who have cooked for me about 5 years, my wife who have cooked for me about 4 years, now I'm not only cook for myself but for them too, and they love it, i love to cook more and i love to cook for people around me more.

[ulogy]

What's fascinating is after 15 years cooking meals at home, I already did 7 of these. (Including the cutting round stuff bit!)

[loyael]

I always try to make a nice presentation when I cook for someone,
but end up butchering the slices.
This is gonna help me improve a lot :)