watch out...!!!

I grow up seeing my mom cooking our meals everyday in the kitchen and as far as equipment and tools in the kitchen, I only know of basic tools like spoon ladle, kitchen knife, usual pots and pans. I learned more of these things when I become a freshman HRM student at St. Paul College of Manila (St. Paul University now) and later on discovered a lot of different other things I have yet to encounter when I cook.

First, I wanted to share the different types of knife that I have encountered while I had the chance to work in a hotel’s kitchen..

  BUTCHER KNIFE

This is a heavy, broad, slightly curved blade used for cutting, sectioning and trimming raw meats.

CLEAVER

A very heavy, broad blade used for cutting through bones and heavy chopping.

  MEZZALUNA OR MINCING KNIFE

It actually gets its name because of its shape. In Italy, mezza means half and luna means moon. This knife is best used on a cutting board to chop small items like onions or fresh herbs. Use the knife in a rocking motion for best results.

 

FRENCH KNIFE

 This is the most widely used knife in the kitchen for chopping, slicing, dicing, etc. It is described as having a wide blade at the heel and tapers to a point. The blade length is 10 inches for general work. Larger types of this kind are for heavy cutting and chopping while smaller ones are for more delicate work.

  OYSTER KNIFE

It is a short, rigid, blunt knife with a dull edge used to open oysters (obviously, the name..hehe)

PARING KNIFE

This short knife, used for paring and trimming vegetables and fruits, has 2 to 4 inch blade

  CHANNEL KNIFE

A small tool used generally in decorative works such as in making garnishes

TOURNE KNIFE

This small knife, similar to a pairing knife has curved, pointed blade to make cutting the curved surfaces of vegetables easier.  

BREAD KNIVES

Bread knives are usually between 15 cm and 25 cm (6 and 10 inches). These are serrated knives that are able to cut soft bread without crushing it.

I may have not used all these types at home but I have definitely learned abut them a lot and now I’m able to identify their uses.  One of the interesting type of knife that I may have encountered is the boning knife or what is popularly know as the deboning knife.

BONING KNIFE

This is a thin, pointed blade about 6 inches in length used for boning raw meats and poultry. Stiff blades are sued for heavier work while flexible ones are used for lighter work and filleting small to medium-sized fish.

Today’s recipe calls for the use of a boning knife and I was really amazed with the kitchen people who did deboned a whole chicken for this special recipe:

Chicken Relleno 

1 whole chicken, deboned with shape kept

2 tablespoons calamansi juice (local lemon)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
 

Stuffing

1/2 kilo ground pork

1/2 cup bacon, diced

1 cup ham, diced

1 can Vienna sausage, drained and sliced

1/4 cup sweet green peas

1/4 cup carrots, minced

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup pickle relish

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

5 whole eggs, beaten

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Marinate chicken in calamansi juice, soy sauce and sugar. In a bowl, mix all stuffing ingredients well. Stuff the chicken in all parts. Sew the cavity opening and truss the chicken. Wrap chicken in aluminum foil. Heat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake breast-up for an hour or until chicken is cooked. Open the foil and rub chicken with butter and put back in oven until golden brown. 

happy eating!!!