Fruit, Peppers and Awkward Shapes
Cooking Skills: Knife Skills 1
Chapter 5 · Fruit, Peppers and Awkward Shapes
Skill goal
Cut round, slippery and hard fruit and vegetables safely by making a flat base first.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Round, slippery and hard things are where most knife accidents happen, because they roll, and the knife slips off the skin. The answer is always the same: make a flat face first, so the food sits still.
| Food | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Pepper | Seeds and pith, awkward shape | Slice the sides off the core |
| Tomato | Slippery skin, soft inside | Sharp or serrated knife; cut the core out; seeds optional |
| Avocado | Stone, slippery | Cut round, twist, use a spoon to remove the stone |
| Mango | Flat stone, slippery skin | Cut off the cheeks either side of the stone, score, flip |
| Melon and pineapple | Large and round | Cut off the ends, stand upright, slice off the skin |
| Apple | Core | Quarter first, then cut out the core |
- Use a sharp knife. A blunt knife skids off tomato and pepper skin.
- A serrated knife is good for tomatoes and soft fruits.
- Wash the outside of melons and other fruit before cutting: the knife carries any bacteria on the rind into the flesh.
- Hold the stone side away from your hand for avocados and mangoes.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Pepper strips with hummus
The fastest way to prepare a pepper: slice the sides off the core, leaving the seeds behind.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 2 peppers (red, yellow or orange)
- 100 g hummus
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 pinch paprika
- Stand the pepper upright. Slice a lobe off each side of the central core, close to it, so you have 3 or 4 curved pieces and a core with the seeds and pith still attached.
- Lay each piece skin-side down (the flesh is softer, so the blade bites in) and slice it into strips about 8 mm wide.
- Serve with the hummus, drizzled with the oil and sprinkled with the paprika.
Level 1 · Slippery
Avocado on toast
Avocados are slippery, and the stone is a hazard. Never hold the avocado in your hand while you cut it.
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 slices of wholemeal bread
- ½ lemon, juice
- 1 pinch chilli flakes, salt and pepper
- Set the avocado on the board. Cut lengthways all the way round, until the blade touches the stone, then twist the halves apart.
- To remove the stone safely: leave the stone in one half, and use a spoon to lift it out, or tap the blade of a heavy knife into the stone and twist. Don't cut towards your hand.
- Run a spoon between the flesh and skin to remove each half. Place it flat side down and slice, or mash it with the lemon juice and seasoning.
- Toast the bread, top with the avocado and sprinkle with chilli flakes.
Avocado hand
Avocado stones cause many hand injuries. Hold the avocado on the board, not in your palm, and never cut towards your hand.
Level 2 · Dice
Tomato, mango and avocado salsa
Three foods with three different textures cut into the same size dice. The mango hedgehog is the most fun skill here.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 2 ripe tomatoes
- 1 ripe mango
- 1 ripe avocado
- ½ small red onion, finely diced
- 1 lime, juice
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- 1 pinch chilli (fresh or flakes) and salt
- Tomatoes: halve, cut out the core and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Cut the flesh into strips, then 8 mm dice.
- Mango: stand the mango on its end, stalk up. Slice down each side of the flat stone to take off the two 'cheeks'. Score each cheek in a grid through the flesh but not the skin, push the skin up from underneath, and slice the cubes off.
- Avocado: halve, remove the stone, and cut the flesh in the skin into a grid, then scoop out the dice with a spoon.
- Mix everything gently with the onion, lime juice, coriander, chilli and salt. Eat within 2 hours or chill, as avocado browns.
Level 3 · Project
Mixed fruit salad
Melons and pineapples are big, round, tough-skinned and slippery. The trick is making flat faces before you do anything else.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- ¼ small melon (cantaloupe or honeydew)
- ¼ pineapple
- 1 crisp apple
- 1 ripe mango
- 150 g grapes
- ½ lime, juice
- 4 mint leaves, cut into ribbons
- Wash the melon rind before cutting. Slice a thin piece off each end so it stands on the board. Cut off the rind in strips from top to bottom, following the curve. Cut in half, scoop the seeds, then slice and dice.
- Pineapple: cut off the top and base, stand it upright and slice off the skin in strips from top to bottom. Cut the flesh into quarters lengthways, remove the core from each quarter, and slice into chunks.
- Apple: quarter it, cut out the core from each quarter, and slice or dice. Toss in the lime juice so it doesn't brown.
- Mango as in the salsa. Halve the grapes if they are large.
- Mix everything with the mint and chill for 15 minutes.
Experiments
Experiment
Flat face or rolling
Why a flat base?
- Cut a thin slice off one side of a round tomato or potato, so it lies flat. Slice both the flat one and a rolling one, slowly.
- Notice how stable each is and how even the slices are.
Look for: The flat one doesn't move, and you can cut it safely and evenly. The round one rolls and needs constant correcting.
Experiment
Serrated or plain on tomatoes
Which edge?
- Slice a tomato with a sharp chef's knife and another with a serrated knife, then with a blunt knife.
- Compare how clean the slices are.
Look for: A sharp knife and a serrated knife both cut cleanly. The blunt knife squashes the tomato and slips on the skin.
Experiment
Storing cut avocado
How to stop browning?
- Cut an avocado into three portions. Leave one plain, brush one with lemon juice, and cover one tightly with cling film pressed onto the surface.
- Check after 2 hours.
Look for: The plain portion browns quickly. Lemon juice slows it, and pressing film on the surface (keeping air off) works best.
Experiment
Mango two ways
Hedgehog or peeled cubes?
- Dice one mango with the hedgehog method and another by peeling the cheeks and cutting them on the board.
- Compare the speed, mess and shape of the pieces.
Look for: The hedgehog is quicker and less slippery. Peeling and cutting gives tidier cubes but is messier and more dangerous.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepper strips | ||||
| Avocado on toast | ||||
| Tomato, mango and avocado salsa | ||||
| Fruit salad | ||||
| Flat vs rolling | ||||
| Serrated vs plain on tomato | ||||
| Avocado storage | ||||
| Mango methods |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Knife skids off tomato | Blunt knife | Hone or sharpen; or use a serrated knife |
| Food rolls | No flat face | Slice a thin piece off to make a base |
| Pepper seeds everywhere | Cutting through the core | Slice off the sides instead |
| Mango slippery | Wet skin | Dry the mango; use the hedgehog method |
| Avocado brown | Air | Lemon juice and cling film on the surface |
| Fruit salad watery | Cut too early | Cut near serving; drain the juice |
Knife and food safety
Knife safety: a sharp knife is safer than a blunt one, because it needs less force and slips less. Always cut on a stable board (put a damp cloth underneath), tuck your guiding fingertips back (the claw), carry a knife with the point down and the edge away from you, and never try to catch a falling knife: step back and let it fall. Wash knives by hand and dry them at once; never leave one in a sink of water where you can't see it. Store them in a block, on a magnetic strip or in guards, not loose in a drawer. A cut-resistant glove on your guiding hand is a sensible aid while you learn. If you cut yourself, apply firm pressure with a clean cloth, and get medical help for a deep cut or one that won't stop bleeding.Avocado and mango stones cause many hand injuries: never hold them in your palm while cutting. Hygiene: wash your hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water after handling raw meat, fish or eggs, and don't use the same board for raw meat and for food that won't be cooked. Wash fruit, vegetables and herbs that you eat raw. Cut fruit should be kept chilled and eaten within 2 days; cut melon especially should not be left out for more than 2 hours.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can cut a pepper without scooping seeds.
- I can remove an avocado stone safely.
- I can cut a mango into cubes.
- I can make a flat face before cutting round fruit.
- I wash the outside of melons first.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Knife Skills 1, chapter 6 is Squashes, Roots and Hard Vegetables: cutting big hard things without slipping.