The founder of Knifewear explains what to do about it
Kevin Kent vividly remembers the first time he used a Japanese knife.
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It was about 20 years ago, when he was a chef in London, U.K., and still believed that German knives were the best. Then he went to a trade show and tried a Japanese knife. It was sharper and lighter, with a thinner blade that slipped right through vegetables.
“I thought, holy bananas—why is this so much better than anything I’d ever used before?” Kent says. “It blew my mind.”
A few years later and back home in Canada, he couldn’t find the knives he wanted to use, so he decided to start selling them himself. “I wanted to sell knives so I could buy more knives. That was my big plan,” he says with a laugh. Now he has seven Knifewear stores across Canada, including online and in Vancouver.
He firmly believes every home cook needs a good knife, but few of us actually have one.
“A lot of people don’t value the idea of a good knife,” he says. “But try to cook with a bad pan, a bad cutting board and a bad knife, and it takes all the joy out of it. When a knife actually cuts and you don’t have to put your whole weight on it, it changes everything.”
If you are in need of a new knife (and you probably are), here’s what he suggests.
Your go-to knife
“You need a knife that’s the right size for you. It’s like golf clubs—it’s not just physical size, it’s skill and confidence,” he says. “You want a knife that feels good in your hand and a knife that inspires you.”
For your first knife, he recommends a 165-mm stainless steel santoku style. (Carbon steel blades are sharper, but stainless steel is much easier to maintain.) The santoku is a comfortable size, easy to use and highly versatile.
Other knives you need
“The shape of the knife determines what it can do for you,” Kent says. While your santoku can handle most day-to-day tasks, you will likely also need a small paring (petty) knife, a bread knife and a meat slicer.
Kent also really likes the square blade known as a nakiri. Because the blade has no rocker, the entire edge hits the cutting board so it cuts vegetables all the way through. “It stops what I call ‘accordion-ing’ vegetables,” he says.
Japan vs Germany
Most high-quality knives are produced in Germany or Japan, and there are significant differences between them. Japanese knives tend to be thinner and sharper, and stay sharper longer; however, they are more delicate. Western knives are more rugged, better for things like, say, chopping up a whole lobster.
“The biggest difference is the Japanese knives are made with harder steel,” Kent says. “Think of it like the difference between a dull razor blade or a very sharp axe. The razor blade will still be sharper. You can either have rugged and not so sharp, or sharp, but you have to take care of it better.”
Sharpen your skills
Taking a knife skills class will make cooking easier, safer and more enjoyable. Find a class at a cooking school, online or at some retail stores. Knifewear, for instance, offers classes both in knife skills and sharpening. “The knife skills classes are fun,” Kent says. “The sharpening classes are very earnest.”
Shopping tips
Kent advises buying your knives from a store that has knowledgeable staff and offers a variety of different brands and styles. “Go to a knife shop that you trust and someplace that will help you take care of it. You want someone who knows how to sharpen your knife to do it for you,” Kent says.
Most importantly, he adds: “Let’s make knife-buying fun!”
Recipe: Caramelized Onion and Thyme Dip
If you want to give your knife a workout, this recipe will certainly do the trick. Onions are sliced fine, caramelized, then chopped again to create the base for a rich, creamy and deeply flavourful dip that will impress even the fussiest of guests.
Makes about 2 ½ cups
- 2 lb large yellow onions (4 to 5 onions)
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 to 4 sprigs thyme, plus additional if desired
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (a dry Riesling would be ideal)
- 3 Tbsp whipping cream, plus additional if needed
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp onion powder
- Garnish: 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Peel the onions, halve them, then slice them very thin.
Place the butter in a large frypan and cook over medium heat until melted. Add the sliced onions and thyme sprigs along with a generous pinch of salt and few grinds of black pepper.
Turn heat to medium-low and sweat the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn light golden brown. This should take 45 to 55 minutes; don’t be tempted to rush the process or you will likely end up with bitter, burnt onions rather than sweet, richly caramelized ones.
Discard thyme sprigs. Stir in the wine, scraping up any of the delicious browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep golden brown and completely caramelized, about 15 minutes longer.
Transfer onions to a baking sheet or work surface to cool, then return the pan to the heat and add the cream, stirring to incorporate all the oniony juices. Remove from heat and set aside.
When the onions are cool enough to handle, chop them fine and transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Stir in sour cream, mayo, onion powder and the juices from the frypan. Season with plenty of salt and pepper. Thin with cream, if needed.
Transfer to a serving bowl or ramekin. Garnish with chives and, if you like, a few additional thyme leaves or sprigs. Serve with potato chips or crudités. Dip will keep, covered and chilled, for up to three days.