Written by Matt Sorrell
Photography by Rob Grimm
FEAST, September 2010
Chefs usually have no problem weighing in on culinary subjects, and knives are no exception. We asked four local chefs about the blades they use to ply their trade, and what you should consider when choosing your own.
CHEF’S KNIFE
Fujiwara 8-inch Gyuto – FKH Series, 180mm
Brian Hardesty, executive chef at Terrene, likes his knives, and while he has some pretty pricey ones at his disposal, the one that gets used most is his 8-inch Fujiwara chef’s knife, or gyuto.
“It’s a really good utility knife and you don’t have to drop a whole lot of money on it,” Hardesty says. “The blade is very thin and flexible, goes right through vegetables, meat, whatever. You can do any job with that one knife. If you have to decide on one knife, then always go to the gyuto style.”
Hardesty generally prefers Japanese-made knives for their blade flexibility as well as their keen edge. However, he cautions that the Fujiwara he uses, as well as many other types of Japanese cutlery, has a carbon steel blade, which holds a great edge but does require frequent sharpening. It also is prone to corrosion and pitting, so diligent maintenance is a must.
PARING KNIFE
Wüsthof-Trident Classic 3½-inch paring knife
“You don’t need a whole lot of knives,” says Greg Ziegenfuss, executive chef at Butler’s Pantry, just a few must-haves: a chef’s knife, a good bread knife, maybe a boning or slicing knife. Although not as beefy as the others on his list, Ziegenfuss says having a quality paring knife on hand is also paramount.
His choice is a Wüsthof-Trident Classic paring knife with a 3½-inch composite steel blade, which can be sharpened to – and hold – a fine edge. It also has some flex, which is important when doing detail work like turning vegetables.
In addition to handling its main mission of coring and peeling, a paring knife is also a good choice for users who aren’t comfortable with a bigger blade or who cook on a smaller scale, says Ziegenfuss.
“A lot of things you can do with a chef’s knife you can do with a paring knife,” he says. “It’s versatile for a home cook who doesn’t need to dice up a handful of green onions, but maybe only four or five.”
$40; Kitchen Conservatory, 8021 Clayton Road, Clayton, kitchenconservatory.com
BONING KNIFE
Forschner 5½-inch boning knife
Marc Del Pietro, executive chef at Luciano’s Trattoria, knows a thing or two about butchering, and his choice for a boning knife is a Forschner with a 5½-inch blade. One of the primary things to avoid in a boning knife is a straight blade, Del Pietro says. A pronounced curve on the tip of the blade is key, since that’s the part that does about 60 percent of the cutting. Del Pietro says the Forschner has curve to spare.
He prefers boning blades of stainless steel, since they’re resistant to pitting and corrosion, which can happen in no time flat when carbon steel is exposed to blood and fluids, and stainless is also pretty flexible. Handle-wise, he says wood is a good choice because it doesn’t get as slippery when wet, and control is über-important during butchering.
“The biggest thing with any knife is balance,” says Del Pietro. “You really want a well-balanced knife for your hand.”
$20-$25; Bertarelli Cutlery, 1927 Marconi Ave., The Hill, bertarellicutlery.com
BREAD KNIFE
Bertarelli 10-inch serrated bread knife
When it comes to slicing bread, a traditional flat blade just won’t cut it, as they say.
“You really need to be able to saw through a loaf of bread, as opposed to using a flat chef’s knife to slice,” says Josh Allen, owner of Companion Bakery. Of course, sharpness is imperative, as is a serrated edge, but blade length is crucial as well. You’ll see a lot of bread knives out there with 8-inch blades, but Allen says the best bet is 10 to 12 inches of steel.
In the Companion kitchen, the choice is a 10-inch Bertarelli serrated bread knife. In addition to the length, Allen likes the stiffness of the blade. It has precious little flex, a quality of utmost importance when making your way through a particularly crusty loaf.
$15; Bertarelli Cutlery, 1927 Marconi Ave., The Hill, bertarellicutlery.com