Frequently, when I cook something with onion in it someone will say to me "Willoughby, these onions are so evenly diced, how do you do it?" Ok, that never really happens. But I do have a great way to dice an onion, even if you don't have the knife skills of a chef. Go get your onion, your knife and your cutting board. I'll wait.
And while I'm waiting, I would like to thank my son's girlfriend for demonstrating this technique for me. I could hardly cut an onion and take pictures at the same time, so I really appreciate her help. She took her ring off for the demo, but I wanted you all to see it. No, it's not an engagement ring, they're only teenagers!!
Start by placing the onion on the cutting board so that the root is on one side and the stem end is on the other. 
Place one half on the board, cut side down (set the other half aside). Holding the top firmly, place the tip of your knife close to the center and cut downward. Rotate the onion slightly and repeat. Continue cutting all the way around the onion. Basically, you want cuts radiating out from the center all the way around the onion.
And while I'm waiting, I would like to thank my son's girlfriend for demonstrating this technique for me. I could hardly cut an onion and take pictures at the same time, so I really appreciate her help. She took her ring off for the demo, but I wanted you all to see it. No, it's not an engagement ring, they're only teenagers!!Start by placing the onion on the cutting board so that the root is on one side and the stem end is on the other.
Now cut the onion right down the middle between those two points. Remove the papery skin from each half.
Place one half on the board, cut side down (set the other half aside). Holding the top firmly, place the tip of your knife close to the center and cut downward. Rotate the onion slightly and repeat. Continue cutting all the way around the onion. Basically, you want cuts radiating out from the center all the way around the onion.
Next, angle your knife at about a 45 degree angle and slice inward about 1/4 inch up from the bottom. Place the knife 1/4 inch higher than the first cut and slice inward again.
Do this all the way around the onion until you have a square "core".
Turn the core on it's side and slice straight down in 1/4 inch slices. That's it, you're done!
If you want a finer dice, hold the handle of the knife in one hand and place your palm flat on the straight side of the blade and, using a rocking motion, chop the onions until they are the size you want.
Your onions will be so nicely diced that people will comment on it! Well, maybe not.
Comments
And I second the tomato-slicing lesson. I always make a gigantic mess when cutting tomatoes, no matter what I try.