How to Sharpen a Knife, The Definitive Guide. Part 1.
Learn how to sharpen your kitchen knives, and keep them sharp in this definitive guide. Part 1, using a whetstone.
Tag: knowledge
My Essential 12 tips for a Successful Christmas Dinner.
Christmas is really a once-a-year dinner party. And this is my guide to having a Successful Christmas Dinner, without all the stress.
Making The Best Basil Pesto.
In my opinion this is the best basil pesto you can make. I hate the off green sludge sold as pesto in the supermarkets. You can be sure its not made with the best of ingredients. It’s dull, flat flavour could put you off pesto for life, if you didn’t know better.
I want to see the ingredients I am using. This version of pesto has diced Parmesan Cheese and whole pine kernels though the sauce to give texture and added interest to any Pasta Pesto.
To put this into perspective, I once bought a jar of Harissa. A Smokey, peppery, red chili paste used in middle eastern cookery. When I studied the ingredients on the jar the main ingredient was not peppers or chilli, but Beetroot! Working on that basis the best part of my shop bought pesto may be grass clippings…..
The Best Basil Pesto.
This is my version of a classic Italian Pesto alla Genovese. Rather than been totally smooth I like my pesto to have some texture and show off the ingredients it made with.
If you’re a traditionalist this is a job for the mortar and pestle. If not, or if time is short use a small food processor. DON’T use a blender it will take all the character out of the pesto and emulsify the cheese into the oil.
A word on Parmesan Cheese.
For the cheese use a Parmesan or Pecorino as you prefer. I use Grana Padano Parmesan as I think it’s a waste to use good Reggiano in the sauce. Keep that for serving on the pasta or treating yourself with a glass of wine.
DON’T whatever you do buy the small tubs of ready grated cheese. You can get good pre-grated parmesan buy the stuff in the tubs smells like old socks. I have a theory relating the contents of the tubs. If you grate your own cheese, you will have noticed the thick skin that sits just under the thin rind. Grate a little of the skin and you will find it smells just like the cheap grated cheese. And personally, I think that’s what is in the tubs. Its Parmesan Jim, but not as I know it!
Rant over, let’s get going.
You will need.
Mortar and pestle or small food processor.
Chopping board and knife.
Small frying pan.
Fine grater.
Bowl scraper.
Small jar or ice cube tray for storage.
The Best Basil Pesto.
Makes about 300ml – 345g.
80g basil leaves – no stalks.
70g pine kernels.
40g grated parmesan cheese or pecorino if you prefer.
45g Parmesan cut into 4mm dice.
125ml light fruity olive oil.
large pinch flaky sea salt.
2 good cloves of garlic, 3 if they are small.
Extra sea salt and mill pepper as needed.
Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the pine kernels and toast them gently, keeping them moving all the time, turning from top to bottom. We only want to toast the pine kernels to a light golden brown. Its very easy to burn them so be careful. If you burn them, don’t use them. It’s a good idea to have some spare on hand just in case. Keep any leftovers in the freezer to keep them fresh until you need them. When the kernels are ready tip them onto a plate to cool down completely.
Peel the garlic and remove any green shoot from inside the clove. Add the sea salt to the garlic and crust to a smooth paste.
Place the garlic / salt paste into the mortar or processor and add 40g of the toasted kernels. Throw in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and work to a smooth paste. Use a light olive oil, not a dense peppery one or it will mask the fresh flavours. DON’T as some chefs advocate use vegetable oil! They will argue that the vegetable oil allows the flavour of the basil to come through. Bull%**t, they are just trying to save money and increase their profits.
Add the basil leaves to the mix and break down to a paste adding more oil as needed. I only use the basil leaves to make the pesto. Some people will add the finer stalks to the mix, again to save money. The choice is up to you, but I find the stalks can cause the pesto to discolour.
I wouldn’t mind betting the stuff in the jars has the stalks included, and God knows what’s in the mix.
Now we have a nice green sauce add the grated parmesan and any remaining oil. Don’t overwork the mix, we don’t want the cheese to become emulsified into the oil.
Finally, stir in the diced cheese and reserved pine kernels, check your seasoning and your ready to go. Store the pesto in a narrow-mouthed jar with a layer of olive oil on top to keep the air out. It should be good for about a week in the fridge. To store it longer its best frozen, again ice cube trays are the most convenient method.
TIP,
If you don’t have a greenhouse or polytunnel to grow your Basil don’t worry. Buy two or three fresh plants in the supermarket. Keep then in the kitchen near a window and out of draughts. Water them regularly with some house plant food and they will triple in size. That will give you a steady supply of fresh basil, cheaper and fresher than buying it in packets.
For me this is a essential store cupboard staple. Never mind pasta, it’s a great accompaniment to vegetable dishes like my Courgette and Tomato Tarts. Brilliant with fish, and a spoonful of pesto transforms a simple mashed potato. Give it a try….
Enjoy Life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
If you enjoyed your visit with us, please subscribe up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at The Westcoaster. Subscribe Here
©John Webber. 2023
How to Make Blackberry Jelly, and why fruit jellies work.
Want to know how to make Blackberry Jelly? It’s not that difficult, and so satisfying to make the best of the (free) autumn harvest.
A guide to Flour Types and uses.
This bakers guide will answer all your questions about flour. Types and grades of flour are explained. Along with a range of alternative flours. See our tips on baking and using different types of flour.
Making Bread at Home.
Making Bread at Home is one of those fundamental skills everyone should master. And get the whole family involved, kids love bread making. Bashing the dough around, watching it grow and seeing it bake. That gives them a better understanding of what bread and real food is. It’s not that flour-based sponge wrapped in plastic that keeps forever. If that’s your idea of bread, you might as well eat the cardboard box you brought your shopping home in.
Don’t be put off, It’s easy-
The wonderful thing about bread making is that it can be as simple or complex as you care to make it.
Let’s take a in depth look at some of the products and processes involved. Some of this is quite chefy, and I make no apology for that. You don’t need to absorb it all. Use the information to make sense of a recipe and gain an understanding of what’s happening, or why it’s not happening
Read this in conjunction with the bread recipes on our site and be sure to read our pages on Demystifying Perfect Pastry to compare the processes. Also be sure to read A Guide to Flour Types and Uses to understand the flour you are using, and What is Yeast to get the best from its powers.
I would also recommend having a look at breadopeadia.com for more tips on bread making.
So, let’s get on and make some bread.
In it’s basic form all we need to make bread is flour, water and yeast. Let’s work through the processes need to make our bread.
How warm is ‘warm water’?
If you’re not sure how warm your water should be, here’s a simple baker’s trick.
Take the temperature you want your dough to be, let’s say 26˚c then double it, that’s 52˚c.
Take the temperature of the flour you are using. Let’s say it’s been in the larder and is only 18˚c.
Take that from the target temperature, and that’s the water temperature you need- 52˚c-18˚c =34˚c.
How should I add yeast to my bread?
The straight dough method is the simplest. We simply add all the ingredients straight into the flour. It’s important we remember to keep the salt and sugar away from the yeast
The second method is to make a ferment. Here we mix the yeast with some of the flour to be used and leave it to naturally ferment and multiply. This gives the yeast a boost and a head start, perfect when making rich products like sweet buns.
When yeast starts to ferment, a complicated series of enzyme changes takes place. This causes the production of carbon dioxide and alcohol. This also allows the gluten of the dough to become softened and more elastic over time.
There are two routes we can take in starting our dough off.
Basic all in one method.
This is great for beginners. Dissolve the salt and sugar if using in the water. Crumble or mix in your yeast then work in the water followed by your oil or melted butter. You can then move on to kneading the dough and leaving it to prove.
The Autolyse method.
If time is not an issue this is a good way to insure as much of the protein in the flour forms gluten.
Autolyse is a French term relating to allowing the gluten to form naturally in the dough. Both moisture and time are needed to hydrate the dough. Often with the all in one method very little time is given before kneading. The idea was formed in the 1970s to combat the trend of overly aggressive production of bread. This spoilt the flavour and natural colour of the bread.
How to Autolyse
Measure out any salt or sugar needed and put to one side. Measure the cold water for the dough then add the yeast and mix into the flour. Form into a dough then cover the bowl and leave the dough to stand for twenty to thirty minutes. When the dough has had its rest, work in the reserved salt/sugar and any fats to be used. The theory is that by allowing gluten to form within the dough before the kneading starts, we need to knead less. This means less work, and produces a better quality of loaf.
Why do you knead bread?
Now we have a slightly sticky dough formed in the bowl the tendency is to want to dive in and begin to knead the dough. This is the part a lot of people love. The chance to take out all that pent up aggression on a ball of dough and improve the bread as well. But does it?
Kneading the dough has two advantages. The kneading fully mixing all the ingredients together producing a smooth dough. The kneading process also stretches the strands of gluten formed in the dough and makes then more elastic. Over kneading, however, will make a tough, stiff dough that will lack volume. Under kneading will give us a weak dough that will be unable to stretch enough in baking. The loaf will rise in the oven, then collapse giving us a flat uneven loaf.
How do you knead bread?
I have my own method of kneading I use. I find this works well without feeling like you have done a round in the gym afterwards.
Stand with the right foot a little ahead of the left. (If your left-handed, reverse this) Keep your right hand straight with the palm turned downwards. Place the base of your hand on the dough and rock forward onto the right foot. This will push the dough and stretch it forward. Roll the hand counter clockwise to turn the dough 90˚and pull it back towards you going back onto the left foot. Now rock forward repeating the stretching movement until the dough is smooth and elastic.
By using this method we are using our upper body weight to do the work and not relying on our arm muscles to do the work.
Why leave bread to ‘prove’?
We now need to the yeast time to work. The yeast cells will begin to feed on the carbohydrates in the flour. As they do this, they will produce waste gas (carbon dioxide). The yeast also divides and multiplies increasing the amount of yeast available in the dough.
It’s the carbon dioxide gas that’s the key to a light loaf. As the gas is heated within the bread it expands and forces the dough out and up to form the finished loaf. The kneading process has produced the elasticity the bread needs to swell in the oven without breaking.
How do I know if the dough is proved?
The common measure of when a dough has proven is that it has doubled in size. What’s important here is your perception of WARM. The ideal proving dough temperature is just below blood heat. Anywhere the dough is placed to prove should only be just warm. So many people put the dough next to the oven or radiator because of what THEY feel to be warm, not what the dough needs.
Tip.
In the hotel we would bake the bread twice a day, but only make it once. The breakfast person would mix the dough in the morning. The dough needed for lunch was removed and left in a cool place to prove. The balance would be stored in our cold room at about 3˚c. In the late afternoon the dough was brought back out, perfectly proved. We would then form our rolls to be baked later and served with dinner.
Second kneading -knocking back.
As I have mentioned the yeast feeds on the carbohydrates in the dough to produce the gas we need. The yeast cells can only feed on the food they are in contact with. So once all the food source has been used, gas production will stop and the proving stall. In conduction with this the yeast will stop multiplying within the dough.
To give the proving a boost we lightly knead the dough again. The objective where is not to toughen the gluten anymore but simply to expose the yeast to a new food source. As the yeast now has a foothold in the dough. It’s also a suitable time to introduce any products (spices, butter, dried fruits) that might have affected the yeast earlier.
Shaping the dough.
It’s now time to shape the dough into the finished item/s. As soon as the dough has been knocked back divide if necessary and form into your loaves or rolls.
For rolls form a ball with the flat of your hand by moving the hand in a circle. As you feel the dough forming a smooth surface against your skin. Start to bring your fingers in, so the dough forms a ball against the cup of your hand and the table. Lay these onto a floured baking sheet.
For a loaf, flatten the dough out, then roll the dough over itself to form a loaf shape. This can then ether be placed on a floured baking sheet or in a baking tin.
The second proving.
I find the best way of proving loaves of bread if you don’t have a proving draw is to use a bin bag. A clear one is best as you can see how the dough is progressing.
Open the bag right up and lay it on the table. Spray a mist of water into the bag then place the baking tray inside the bag. Grip the top of the open end with both hands then give a quick upward flick. Bring your hands down quickly and fold the end of the bag under the tray. This should create a balloon of air trapped in the bag with the tray inside. The dough will now create its own heat inside the bag proving the bread in perfect moist heat to avoid a skin forming.
Tip.
Some chefs in a hurry will waft the steam from a kettle into the bag to speed up the process. If you have a really cold kitchen, it a good one to keep up your sleeve.
What type of oven is best for bread?
At last, to the baking. What type of oven you use is personal preference. Commercial bread ovens tend to be of a letterbox shape.in these ovens, not only can the baking temperature be set but also how much of that heat comes from the top or the bottom. We also have an option to inject steam into the oven at the start of baking. This gives us total control of the baking. But if your oven at home is not as flexible a fan assisted oven is your best bet.
In general yeast good need, a high baking temperature. Bread rolls about 220˚c loaves of bread at bit cooler at about 195-200˚c. Rich buns containing a lot of sugar will be a bit cooler to avoid the sugar burning.
How do I get a good crust on my bread?
In order to get a good crust, the bread needs to start cooking in a steamy atmosphere. This hot steam forms the crust and produces gelatine on the surface to give the bread a nice shine. For that reason, a full oven always bakes better than a half empty one. A good dodge is to put a tray in the base of the oven as it warms up. When you put the bread into bake, throw a few ice cubes into the tray. The ice will form stream at first but then dry out to finish the bread off in a dry atmosphere.
With small crusty rolls spraying a mist of water with a little sugar dissolved will give a good glaze. This is done halfway through baking. However, this will only work if your oven can maintain its temperature with the door been opened. If not better to keep the door closed.
Dutch ovens.
This is basically a cast iron casserole with a shaped lid. The lid can become to cooking container or visa versa. The thickness of the metal means its less sensitive to the oven door been opened. And steam is retained inside the pot to help the crust. For a complete explanation look up theperfectloaf.com
Baking in a Dutch Oven can be done boy scout style outdoors but can also used indoors. This can be a very good way of baking a loaf when it difficult to keep and steam in your oven. If when you open the oven door you are greeted with a waft of steam and your glassed mist over, you’re ok. If not try out the Dutch oven.
How do I know if my bread is ready?
This is the traditional method of checking if your bread is ready.
After the recommended cooking time lift the bread using a tea towel or oven cloth. Tap the base of the bread and listen. The cooked bread should make a hollow sound. If the sound is a dull thud the centre is still wet and unrisen.
The second option is to use a probe thermometer. Lighter breads like Focaccia should be between 83˚c – 91˚c in the centre. Heaver rich breads should be between 88˚c – 91˚c in the centre.
To cool your bread, place it on a cooling wire to allow air to circulate freely around the loaf. Always remove your loaves from baking tins if used or the bread will sweat, and the crust become leathery. A good deal of restraint will be needed here. Nothing is as nice as freshly bread and good butter.
Finally, make sure your bread is completely cool before wrapping. Or again the crust will be spoilt.
Well, that’s about it. Use this information to help you make a better loaf. Come and go as you need, but don’t get overly wound up on all the details. It’s important that making your own bread remains fun, and the kids love it. You might need to book the cleaners in afterwards though…..
Enjoy Life!
John.
©John Webber. 2023
What is yeast? A Baker’s guide.
This baker’s guide to yeast will explain all you need to know about using yeast.
Learn the different types of yeast available and how to use them to get the best results in your bread and baking
Boiling, Poaching, Simmering, The duffer’s guide to wet heat.
The duffer’s’ guide to cooking with wet heat. Discover the correct way to use wet heat.
Make Your own Ghee at home.
Make your own ghee at home. It’s easy to do and very versatile. The homemade version has a more neutral buttery flavour that has several uses. Making a curry, producing French emulsified sauces, in bakery goods or high-temperature frying.
To get the best from your curry creations do read our posts on, – Make your own Garam Masala, – How to make Indian onion pastes, and Make your own Indian flavouring Pastes .
What is ghee?
Have you ever wondered what’s in that tin of ghee you religiously buy to make your curry as authentic as possible? Well, its butter, yes just butter. It’s not exactly identical as the butter on your toast. It has been cooked to remove the milky part of the butter and extend its shelf life.
Now if you’re into French classic cookery you may have come across clarified butter. Well, it’s basically the same thing. For the Indian version the base butter is different, and it cooked slightly longer to change the flavour.
But for all practical purposes we can make our own ghee to use for a curry or a hollandaise sauce as we wish. You can store the butter for up to a month and a half in the fridge. Or as I do freeze it in ice cube trays to have handy blocks ready when I need them.
Make your own ghee.
All we need is-
1x 250g block of unsalted butter
Small saucepan
Small ladle or soup spoon
Fine heatproof sieve
Heatproof bowl (pyrex is ideal)
A good result needs a good start and that’s the butter. You don’t need to buy the most expensive, but it must be unsalted. If you use salted butter for this, you will have a briny deposit in the pan that can spoil the finished product. As the butter cooks the milky part will rise to the surface and the solids will fall to the bottom of the pan.
Place the block of butter into the pan and pop onto a medium heat. Don’t use a lid as we need to keep an eye on the butter cooking
As the butter melts, foam will appear around the edge of the pan. Don’t worry that’s normal but we don’t want the butter to be rapidly boiling, just a gentle simmer.
When the foam covers the surface of the pan begin to skim it off the surface of the butter. You will see the liquid butter below becoming clearer. Listen to the pan it will be making a noise a little bit like a deep fat fryer after cooking chips. A kind of crackle as the last of the moisture in the oil evaporates. The butter in the pan is doing the same thing.
The tricky bit.
It’s very important you do not leave the pan at this point. Not only will you spoil the butter, but you will have the same danger as a deep fat fryer. If the fat becomes too hot it will burn and eventually ignite.
Keep a close eye on the pan and you will see the butter stop moving around. The sound coming from the pan will also all but stop. Both indicators tell you the butter is ready for straining. Don’t hesitate, strain it into the bowl at once.
The pan will have a deposit on the bottom, this should be a light brown and not welded to the pan. If it’s dark and smells a bit nutty, you have over cooked it a bit. You will have made what the French refer to as Burre Noisette (nut brown butter). It should be ok for a curry, but no good for hollandaise etc.
Let the ghee cool in the bowl and ether transfer to a lidded container or pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen tip out the cubes and store in a sealed plastic bag or box back in the freezer. NOTE, If the ghee is not stored in a sealed container, it will absorb the flavour of anything store close to it. In the fridge it will be good for six weeks, in the freezer up to three months.
TIP
When you go shopping, look out for unsalted butter that has been discounted as its close to its use by date. Take it home and cook it straight away, you will give the butter a new lease of life and save the waste of it been discarded.
As you can see it’s not difficult and only take a few minutes to do, give it a try.
Enjoy Life,
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
If you enjoyed your visit with us, please subscribe up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at The Westcoaster. Subscribe Here
©John Webber. 2023
All you need to know about – Eggs
All you need to know about _Eggs. Learn about the egg itself. what each part of an egg can do, and how we can use it in our cooking.
Demystifying Perfect Pastry.
Demystifying Perfect Pastry provides an insight into the ingredients and methods of making basic pastry.
The Cutting Edge, The knives to choose, and use.
The Cutting Edge. The knives to choose, and use. There is a quote from George Orwell which goes – ‘The Secret of a successful restaurant is sharp knives’. I think he was right, like any artisan using quality tools and looking after them is an essential part of craftsmanship.
Like any other hobby, cooking is addictive, the urge to create, develop, produce, and ultimately eat food is irresistible and with any dish product is king. But before we start looking at the produce let’s look at the basic tools we need for the job. Don’t go all out and buy everything at once, but do buy the best quality that you can afford. Not only will they do a better job that cheap tools they will last a longer and reduce the amount of money you spend in the long run.
Chopping Boards
Chopping boards should be end-grain. That is blocks of hard wood set with the grain of the wood running from top to bottom not side to side. This format gives the knife more grip and is kinder to the blade. The blade can work between the fibres of the board and is less likely to form deep cuts in the wood.
However, the end grain of wood is very prone to absorbing liquid so ensure your board is regularly treated with chopping board oil. This must be a food – safe oil meant for the purpose, I like Papa Oki chopping board oil, it’s organic and anti-bacterial. The board can be quicky washed to clean it but never leave it soaking in water or pop it into the dishwasher!!
Other considerations
Glass chopping boards are awful, they will damage your knives and may cause an accident if the knife slips. They might make a good cheese board but otherwise useless.
If you intend to work with meat or fish each will require separate boards. meat is usulay cut on a Red Chopping Board, and fish on a Blue Chopping Board. I would recommend you use a polycarbonate material which will not absorb liquid and can be cleaned in a dishwasher to be hygienic.
Kitchen knives, the cutting edge.
Now we have a good surface to work on we need something to work with.
There are endless types, brands, and styles of knife on the market. Most chefs will use anywhere between five and twenty knives in their armoury, some constantly in use, others for very special and occasional use. Every chef will have a preference, but the important thing is that it works for them.
There is no ideal knife and it’s a very personal choice. I would always recommend that whenever possible you hold a knife before purchase. How does it feel? Too heavy or too light? Is the grip suitable for your hands? If the knife feels awkward then it’s unlikely to work well for you. Good knives are an expensive purchase, but the quality of the knife is vital to its performance and life span, with the best quality knives offering value for money in the long run.
Good manufactures include:-
Zwilling – https://uk.zwilling-shop.com
Wusthof – https://www.wuesthof.com
F. Dick – https://www.dick.de
Global – https://globalknives.uk/
Knives should be stainless steel and constructed of one piece of machined steel. If fitted with wood handles riveted right through the steel. Plastic handles must be robust and securely bonded to the blade.
For the home cook five knives will perform most tasks in the kitchen, but the quality of the knife is just as important for home cooks as it is for the professional. It’s often cheaper to buy knives as a set but be sure that all the knives in the set are what you need. You are buying a knife to use not to look at!
A knife block or magnetic rack are the best options for storage, but of course keep them well away from children. Don’t leave your good knife rattling around in a draw, it’s dangerous and will damage the blades. Sharp Knives are the safest knives, blunt knives make you put force behind the knife. This will cause the knife to jump and jerk through the food cutting anything in its way. Possibly your fingers.
Cooks Knife
The king of knives and the one you will be using more than any other. As to size 24cm to 30cm overall is a good start. Weight is important here; it must feel right in the hand and not too blade heavy. It’s the Swiss Army Knife of the kitchen, a knife that will chop, slice, crush and even act a small cleaver all in one.
The key factor here is the shape of the blade, while all are similar there are different profiles on the market. I would recommend that to start that you look for a blade where the curve at the front of the knife is nether too flat or exaggerated. Its this curve that allows the classic chefs slicing movement, one of the first skills to learn
Slicing Knife
Does what it says on the tin, used for slicing This could be vegetable, fish, or meat and generaly performs slightly more delicate work than the cook’s knife. Aim for a blade length of about 18cm and it will be suitable to carve small cuts of meat. Don’t be afraid of longer blade lengths, they allow you to have long smooth cutting strokes avoiding steps in the cut.
Vegetable Knife
This and the fruit knife are where you can save a little money if needed. The handle needs to be comfortable in the hand so it can’t slip. A blade length of about 9cm is fine. Useful for a thousand and one jobs but don’t use it for slicing. The blade is too short which will make you press down on the food. The knife suddenly jerks down, and a cut finger is the result.
Serrated Fruit Knife
Very handy for soft or citrus fruit. This can be of a basic construction with a plastic handle and thin blade. Difficult to sharpen so generally just replaced when blunt.
Vegetable Peeler
Yes, this is a knife, the blade should be of the same steel as your other knives and kept sharp. I always prefer a fixed blade peeler as its more flexible in its uses. Have a swivel peeler as well if you must, it can be quite handy for some jobs. The key in usage is like all knives to slice and not push. If your peeler jams or digs in, you are pressing into the product to hard. And remember it’s not just a peeler but a slicing tool as well.
I would also expand this selection by adding in a good pair of kitchen scissors. Choose a strong pair made for the job. High quality stainless blades and a robust hinge. They should be capable of cutting through a chicken carcase. If you like to do lots of roasts a good carving knife is a benefit.
As your cooking expands so will your selection of tools, the choice is endless. I think at one point I had over 30 knives, total overkill. Of the 30 I probably only use 6 on a daily basis.
This is my traveling knife kit for demonstrations.
This will cover just about everything I might come up against, but total overkill for home cooking, so don’t get carried away. On one occasion back in my 20s I bought a cooks knife with a 20”- 50cm blade. It was on sale and great value, of course, when I came use it, I found out why, it was lethal. Anybody working near me was in danger of losing an ear! I still have it somewhere, useful for chopping firewood.
Setting yourself up with a good set on knives and learning how to use them properly and safely will both improve the quality of your cooking and your enjoyment of the process. Take your time and practice, practice, practice.
Further in the series I will cover the techniques in using the knives and the most common question of all. ‘How do I sharpen a knife ?