The right way to Lower an Onion, In response to Cooks

Whether or not they play a supporting or starring position, onions are the all-purpose taste agent of the kitchen. They are often daring when sliced skinny and served uncooked as a burger topping, or silky and candy when julienned and slowly caramelized. Simply as there are numerous methods to serve the ever-present vegetable, there are plenty of alternative ways to prep an onion.

We reached out to a handful of cooks from throughout the nation to study the strategies they rely on for reducing onions at dwelling. Listed here are the easy-to-follow strategies they suggest to make the duty a breeze.

Begin by peeling

Earlier than reducing the onion, all of the cooks counsel peeling it first. This step could seem apparent, however it offers you extra management than in case you lower by way of the papery peel. 

“How I lower an onion depends upon the kind of onion that I’m working with and the appliance,” explains Matthew Niessner, company govt chef of Halls Chophouse, with places in South Carolina and Nashville. “Usually, I begin by reducing off the foundation finish and the highest finish, creating flat surfaces. Then, I put a really slight incision within the peel, which permits me to peel the outer layer with out reducing into the onion.”

After you have a peeled onion, you’ll be able to transfer on to reducing it into your required sizes and shapes.

The basic methodology

You’ve possible seen this method in case you’ve ever watched a celeb chef cube an onion. It was the strategy my very French chef-instructor from culinary faculty hammered into us in our first few weeks — and it’s basic for a motive.

The right way to do it

“I nonetheless stick to the standard methodology I discovered in culinary faculty,” says Greg Garrison, chef and associate of Repeal 33 in Savannah, Georgia. “I’ll lower the onion in half, lay it flat, and slice into it horizontally first. Then I’m going vertically down from the highest. The hot button is holding the onion regular on the edges along with your fingers tucked in, and utilizing a clear slicing movement with a pointy knife. After that, reducing throughout offers you a fast, even cube each time. Easy, environment friendly, and at all times constant.”

This primary approach works effectively for chopping onions or dicing them into cubes. You may as well get a finer cube with thinner slices. “If I wish to brunoise (a really high-quality cube), I’ll depart the stem on and do very skinny cuts from the foundation to the bottom after which make some skinny cuts horizontally, after which slice my knife vertically” by way of the small cubes, explains Manuela Carbone, govt chef of Florería Atlántico and Brasero Atlántico in Washington, D.C. 

You may as well get skinny slices like a julienne (matchstick) lower by following this method. “If I want a julienne, I’ll lower off the foundation and make skinny cuts [following the lines] of the onion,” Carbone says.

This system means you received’t need to over-chop the onion, which may make for a harsher sulfur taste and watery texture. 

Utilizing a mandoline

If you’re in search of extra precision or very constant slices, think about using a mandoline. Whether or not utilizing a skinny Japanese or bigger French mandoline slicer, you’ll be able to simply modify the thickness relying in your supposed use. This instrument will produce exceptionally constant slices of onion that you should utilize as is or slice additional for a tiny brunoise lower. “This can be a easy and efficient approach we do day by day at Counter Service to be used in our hottest sandwiches,” says Andrew Black, chief culinary officer of the New York Metropolis sandwich store with three places.

The right way to do it

Remember to defend your fingers with a guard or perhaps a cut-resistant glove, because the blade on a mandoline could be very sharp. Arrange your mandoline on a sturdy base like a reducing board, then modify the blade to your required thickness. A typical brunoise is about 1/8-inch thick, whereas a high-quality brunoise is 1/16-inch thick. Select a thicker setting in order for you slices for onion rings otherwise you plan to make half-moon strips.

Much like the basic approach, remember to peel the onion first and trim a bit off the other finish from the stem to create a flat floor. Lower it in half if you wish to make half moon slices or a high-quality cube. If you would like rings, depart the onion complete. Regardless, remember to depart the foundation on the onion to carry the vegetable collectively and provides your self one thing to grip.

“I do use the basic culinary approach for many dicing, however once I desire a actually high-quality cube, I’ll slice the onion as thinly as attainable on the meat slicer or mandoline, then stack the slices and chop right into a high-quality cube,” says Karin Feeny Farrell, chef and co-owner or Kitchen Sync in Greenville and Greer, South Carolina.

Shredding with a field grater

If you wish to cut back a number of the moisture from the onion and have it mix simply into different elements, cooks suggest turning to a quite common kitchen instrument. “Field shredders (graters) are nice for shredding onions,” Niessner says. “Shredded onions are excellent for functions if you want the flavour of onion, however don’t wish to detect the feel. I exploit this methodology for potato pancakes and latkes.”

The right way to do it

Like the opposite strategies, peel and prep the onion so the stem continues to be intact however the reverse finish is flat. For notably giant onions, like Vidalia, take into account reducing in half. Medium and small onions could be left complete. Set the field grater on a sturdy reducing board and grip the onion by the stem finish. Fastidiously run the trimmed finish of the onion alongside the big holes of the grater and apply light strain. Let the grater do a lot of the work, however maintain the onion tightly so it doesn’t slip out of your grip.

When you end grating, you’ll have a pile of finely shredded, watery onions. You’ll sometimes wish to use a clear kitchen towel to squeeze out some, or most, of the surplus water. Regardless, the shredded onion is now able to be combined into quite a lot of dishes. “For my pimiento cheese and potato salad, I exploit the big holes on a cheese grater,” Farrell says.