The process of slicing onions seems very simple to many. You only need to take a good chopping board (which does not slip), put onions on it and cut with a sharp knife. Just. But in reality, everything turns out to be much more complicated. That is why in the culinary manuals to this issue stands out a whole section. And for beginning cooks, mentors always demonstrate by personal example how to cut onions into cubes.
What you need to know
Even experienced housewives are preparing for cutting onions as a small battle. Everyone knows how the tears flow. And if you need to cut a large number of vegetables, then you need to take measures in order to facilitate your task. It is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Today we will analyze in detail how to cut onions into cubes.
An onion is a small model of the globe in miniature. She has poles, this is the bottom and top, as well as the equator. The way you keep these poles when slicing and how to put the knife in relation to them will affect the final result. Onion cells contain many enzymes and sulfur. If you cut the turnip from the base to the top, then you will damage much less cells. At the same time, you can cut it almost without tears, and the taste will not be sharp, but soft. This works for any grade. Since cutting onions into cubes is a longer procedure than shredding with rings, such measures will be very useful.
Precautionary measures
Someone even wears a swimming mask to protect their eyes. Thanks to this, you can chop a large amount of onion without unnecessary torment. But there are other tricks to help you cope with the task.
- Before starting work, you need to check the sharpness of the knife blade and, if necessary, grind it.
- Peel the onion, but do not cut the base. It helps keep the layers of the bulb together.
- Turn on the hood in the kitchen.
- Place a cup of cold water next to the cutting board. It is necessary to dip the blade of the knife as often as possible.
Now let's look at how to cut onions into cubes.
Roasting technique
It is used for all soups. Often, the hostess, having mastered this technique, continues to grind the vegetable for salads and other dishes in the same way. That is why novice cooks are taught how to cut onions into cubes. A universal way is useful in any situation. The first step is to clean the turnip. If there were traces of sand on the husk, then it is worth rinsing it under the tap.
- Cut the onion into two halves.
- Now it will be convenient to lay them on the cutting board with the flat side.
- It is necessary to make longitudinal cuts at intervals of approximately 5 mm without cutting the bulb to the end.
- Now you can make cuts across the bulb. This is how neat, small cubes come out.
Large cubes
It is not always required to grind vegetables so. Sometimes, on the contrary, cooks try to make pieces large, but neat at the same time. To do this, we also cut the onion into cubes, but we make them several times the largest. This technique is widely used in France. Chopped onions are mixed with various root crops. This mixture is called mirapua. The technology remains the same. The only difference: you need to take larger turnips and retreat between the cuts not 5, but 10 mm. Then you get beautiful large cubes.
Finely chopped onion
This method is also suitable for working with shallots. With it, you can get very small pieces that are ideal for making salads. Dicing onions requires a certain skill. If you are a novice mistress, it is best to start with the technique described above. And when you get a little comfortable, you can try to make the cubes smaller and more even.
Why are cooks having difficulty? When the turnip is cut along, its layers begin to move and periodically break away from the base. That is, they creep under the knife, which complicates their accurate grinding. In order to facilitate your task, you need to take a very sharp knife and a special cutting board, which is equipped with small pimples. Then the bulb will not spread, and it will be much easier for you to complete your task.
So, what needs to be done to get a smaller cube?
- To do this, also divide the turnip into two parts.
- Cut each half vertically, observing a step of 3 mm. Do not reach the base of the bulb.
- Now in the same way you need to perform horizontal cuts.
- Carefully holding all the layers, cut again vertically.
other methods
What other options are there for chopping onions? Diced (the photo clearly shows the size of the pieces), it is good for salads or toasting. If you need onions for pickling meat, then you need to cut the turnip into rings. To do this, you need to hold the small bulb firmly on the board and use vertical knife to make vertical cuts. If you do not plan to put onions on a skewer, then you can simplify your task. To do this, cut the turnip into two halves. After that, lay one down on the board and perform a series of vertical cuts. You yourself can adjust the width of the resulting strips.
Instead of a conclusion
Virtually no dish is complete without onions. To get a rich pie, juicy dumplings or manti, you must definitely add this unique vegetable to the filling. It has a pronounced taste and literally transforms any dish. Today we examined the features of slicing onions in a cube. This is a simple technique, you only need to practice a little and the result will not be long in coming. Slicing onions requires some patience, because even with the recommendations of the eye, it will still pinch a little.