How to Large Dice
This technique has nothing to do with the large fuzzy dice found in souped-up muscle cars; it has everything to do with the large diced veggies found in souped-up soups.
Instructions
- Step 1: Wash & peel Wash and peel the vegetable, if necessary.
- Step 2: Grasp knife Grasp the knife in your dominant hand, holding the handle close to the blade with three fingers: your middle, ring, and pinkie. Curl your forefinger around one side of the blade while holding your thumb on the opposite side.
- Step 3: Hold vegetable With your non-knife-wielding hand, hold the vegetable firmly on the cutting board close to the area you will cut.
- TIP: Curl your fingers so that the tips are firmly planted on the vegetable and the knuckles point outward—in the food world, this is called the 'claw grip.'
- Step 4: Cut off ends Cut off the ends of the vegetable.
- Step 5: Cut off sides Cut off the sides of the vegetable. It should now resemble a block with 4 long flat surfaces—this will make it easier to cut uniform pieces.
- Step 6: Slice lengthwise For a large dice cut, you are aiming to make dice, or cubes, that are ¾ inch on every side. Begin by slicing the vegetable lengthwise into uniform slabs ¾ inch wide.
- TIP: Keep the point of the knife on the board and use a steady rocking motion to slice—not saw—the vegetable with the full length of the blade.
- Step 7: Stack & cut slabs Stack the slabs on top of each other and again cut them lengthwise into ¾ inch wide sticks.
- Step 8: Make crosscuts Line up the pile of sticks, and make ¾ inch crosscuts along their length, creating ¾ inch cubes. What you do with them is up to you, but we don’t recommend hanging them from your rearview mirror.
- FACT: A finished large dice cut vegetable is the same size as a standard gaming die—3/4' by 3/4' by 3/4'.
You Will Need
- A chefu2019s knife
- A cutting board
- And a vegetable to cut
