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Mince, julienne, chiffonade. The essence of French gastronomy is cutting, and from fillet knives for cleaning fish to tourné knives for carving spuds, cutlers in the town of Thiers have been making specialized knives for every sliver and slice of haute cuisine since the rise of the multicourse meal in the 1800s. Yet there was one knife that could do it all. With its straight triangular blade, the French chef’s knife is the culinary equivalent of the smartphone. The tip can be used for peeling and trimming. The cutting edge is honed for precision slicing. The heel has a wedge shape suited to butchering meat. When garlic needs to be crushed, just press the flat side into service. Non-Gallic manufacturers like Japanese masters Global have put their own imprint on the design. But no matter who makes it, the chef’s knife puts a French accent on any food it touches.
1 Soak the stone in hot water.
2 Hold the knife at a consistent angle throughout.
3 Draw the blade back and forth across the stone, applying pressure.
4 Flip the stone, moving from coarse to fine grit.
5 Turn lengthwise to finish.
Illustrations by Joe McKendry
