The Chef Knife Guide

A great chef needs exceptional knives to stay on top of their game. There are a range of chef knives that will make you neater, faster and more productive in the kitchen. Great knives also reduce the possibility of injury. To help you get equipped with an elite kit of knives for the kitchen, here is the ultimate chef knife guide:

Chef’s knife

A chef's knife will be one of your best friends in the kitchen. It has a longer blade, which makes it ideal for finer vegetable preparation, such as julienne or brunoise. It's also great for neatly preparing and cutting meat and fish. Because it will get used a lot, it may be susceptible to frequent blunting, so make sure that you keep it sharp for accuracy and ease.

Second knife

A second knife tends to be a slightly smaller chef's knife and is used for smaller vegetable preparation, such as chilli julienne and shallots. The smaller blade means a bit more control on these smaller items.

Boning knife

A boning knife is the ultimate tool for kitchen butchery as it is specifically designed for meat. Boning knives are incredibly strong, sharp and durable, as they're designed to tackle bone and cartilage. Don't use your best knives for this kind of work, as other knives may not be strong enough and will damage. Uses for a boning knife include jointing a chicken and removing the leg from a leg of lamb.

Filleting knife

Filleting knives are designed for fish, and are incredibly slender to make filleting easy and neat. They can also be slightly flexible, so you can keep the knife really close to the bone.

A serrated knife

A serrated knife is the only knife that is effectively used when chopping tomatoes. A straight knife can cause the tomato to squash. You'll find this knife beneficial when trying to cut anything that is harder on the outside and softer on the inside.

Bread knife

The largest of serrated knives will help you to neatly cut bread without compromising the shape or crumb.

Paring knife

This small, accurate knife is perfect for chopping smaller vegetables, such as garlic and mange tout, with its blade being about 3-4 inches long and a short handle for precision that is great for detailed cutting and peeling.

Utility knife

Utility knives are incredibly versatile and multi-functional. These middle-sized straight blade knives are perfect for practically any product, but especially accurate for paring fruits and vegetables and cutting cooked poultry.

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Pan Fry The Perfect Chicken

To pan fry the perfect chicken, all you need is a good frying pan, a couple of fresh chicken breasts (preferably free-range) and a few other ingredients. Pan frying the chicken breasts and bringing a delicious midweek meal to the table takes hardly any time. This recipe couldn’t be simpler and includes just a few ingredients, but you can chop and change it as much as you like, depending on the ingredients you have to hand. With a good quality frying pan - and a little patience - you’ll be cooking like a pro!

Pan fried chicken in a creamy leek and tarragon sauce
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
2 boned chicken breasts (skin on, if preferred)
3 tbsp butter
1 medium size leek finely sliced
Small bunch fresh tarragon finely chopped
250ml double cream
Salt and pepper to taste

If the chicken breasts are thick it’s best to butterfly them, as they will cook quicker and more evenly. Place breasts smooth side down on a cutting board and trim off the small inner fillet (save for later or freeze) and any connective tissue. With a sharp knife perpendicular to the board, cut the breast in half width wise, but not all the way. Now turn over and flatten out – there’s your butterfly!

Get your frying pan medium hot. Season the breasts lightly with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the frying pan and when the foam subsides, add the chicken breasts. This is where a little patience is required as you need to resist the temptation to move the chicken around. Leave it be and you’ll get a nice crust forming. After 3-5 minutes, depending on thickness, flip the butterfly chicken breast and cook on the other side for the same time. When finished, remove from the frying pan and set aside on a warm plate.

Add another knob of butter and toss in the finely sliced leek and cook until just soft and tender, then add most of the chopped tarragon and the cream. Increase the heat and reduce the sauce slightly, before returning the chicken to the frying pan for another minute. Serve the chicken and leeks with mashed potatoes, spooning over the sauce and adding fresh tarragon to garnish.

Cooking the chicken with skin on will take longer but you can get a deliciously crisp skin if you allow the frying pan to do its magic and don’t move the breast around. Instead of a creamy sauce, you can add finely chopped fresh tomato or a glass of white wine to leeks, onion or shallots. Fresh parsley can be used instead of fresh tarragon.

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Give The Gift Of Cookware This Christmas

If you've been to your local high street in the last few weeks, chances are you will already have seen signs that Christmas is very much on the way! It's the time of year when many people start turning their attention to gifts, and more specifically, what they are going to buy and for who.

Cookware sets are a wonderful Christmas gift idea, and they really are a perfect example of a gift that keeps on giving too. A good quality cookware set will last the recipient for years and help them to create all manner of delicious meals time and time again.

Perhaps you need a gift for a son or daughter who has gone off to university? Most students opt for whatever cheap and cheerful cookware they can get when they move into halls of residence, but if they are planning to move into their own private accommodation, an attractive cookware set can be a welcome addition, and may even inspire them to be more adventurous in the kitchen!

Any friend or relative who has recently moved or purchased their first home will be delighted to receive a wonderful cookware set to kit out their new kitchen. Buying a house can be a costly process, and often the new homeowner will have spent all their money on actually getting the keys so there's little left over to personalise their new home. A well-chosen cookware set is a thoughtful gift which will help to make their new house a happy, well fed home.

And of course any friend, mother, auntie or other relation who is an avid cook or baker will always be grateful of receiving a new cookware set to add to and update their collection. With the continued popularity of shows such as 'The Great British Bake-off', as a nation we simply love to cook. And with so many people looking to improve their diets, to eat less processed food and so on, more and more of us are taking to the kitchen pans with more enthusiasm than ever before, making a good collection of top quality cookware a definite must!

Last but not least, why not treat yourself? A new cookware set can really boost your motivation and inspiration in the kitchen - perfect if you're planning to be a perfect host serving up a delicious Christmas meal for your nearest and dearest!

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