Asked by: Inaki Vilana
food and drink barbecues and grilling

How do you thinly chop an onion?

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Think of the Onion as a Globe
To thinly slice our onion, we wanttocut along those lines of longitude, top to bottom. Trimoffthe tip and the root, cut the onion in half frompoleto pole, and then slice each half radially, with yourknifeslightly angled toward the middle oftheonion.


Furthermore, how do you slice an onion for fajitas?

How to Slice Onions for Fajitas

  1. Peel the onion and cut it half, from the stem to the rootend,on a clean cutting board.
  2. Lay one half of the onion on its flat side on thecuttingboard.
  3. Position the knife on one side of the onion, closest tocuttingboard and at an angle so you are following the lines ontheonion.

how do you cut and peel an onion to halve? Follow These Steps
  1. Cut the top, then slice in half. Using a sharp chef'sknife,slice about a half an inch off the top of the onionanddiscard.
  2. Peel off the papery layers. Remove and discard the skin.
  3. Chop vertically. Take one onion half and lay it flat onyourcutting board.
  4. Chop horizontally.

Then, how do you dice an onion?

How to dice an onion

  1. Cut the onion in half, slicing downwards through the root,thenpeel.
  2. Cut 5-6 vertical slices into each half, leaving therootintact.
  3. Lay the onion half flat, slicing horizontally and keepingtheroot intact.
  4. Slice downwards across these cuts to dice.

What does soaking an onion in water do?

All you need to do is give theslicedonions a good soak in a bowl of waterbeforeserving them. The sulfur compounds responsible for thatharsh“biting” flavor and onion's powerfulaftertastedissipate into the water from the cut surfaces oftheonion.

Related Question Answers

Saloum Irazola

Professional

Which bit of the onion makes you cry?

It's not actually the whole onion thatmakesyou tear up. Cutting just the root and attached shootpart ofan onion (otherwise known as the onion's“basalplate”) releases an enzyme into the air. Whenthat enzymecombines with water (like the water in your eye) itcreatessulfuric acid, which irritates your eyes.

Pauna Anguis

Professional

Does putting a spoon in your mouth stop you crying?

The theory behind this old wives tale is thatthesulfurous enzymes released by cutting the onion, bind withthemetals in the stainless steel spoon en routetoyour lachrymal glands (the ones responsible forreflexivetears). Carryn and Tim, our teaspoon free choppers,hadmixed emotions towards their onions.

Ruxandra Esquiliche

Explainer

Does freezing an onion keep you from crying?

Freeze the onion or soak it in coldwaterfirst.
According to Greatist, the cold will slow theconversionof sulfoxides into the gases that hurt your eyes.Freezing apeeled onion supposedly does helpwith the tears, butit will also leave your hands feelingalmostfrostbitten.

Many Xian

Explainer

Does chewing gum while cutting onions help?

It irritates the lachrymal glands, causing themtoexcrete tears.Chewing gum while cutting onionspreventstears by forcing you to breathe through your mouth. Thisdispersesthe irritant so that a significantly smaller amountreaches thelachrymal glands, preventing them from being irritatedenough torelease tears.

Atila Chehovsky

Explainer

How do you keep your eyes from watering when cutting onions?

Cut the root last—it has ahigherconcentration of enzymes. Chill or freeze onions tominimizethe amount of gas released into the air. Light a matchbefore youpeel or slice the onion. The sulfur disables thecompoundsin onions that make your eyeswater.

Tina Novelli

Pundit

Why do my eyes water when cutting onion?

Onions produce the chemical irritantknownas syn-propanethial-S-oxide. It stimulates theeyes'lachrymal glands so they release tears. Scientists used toblamethe enzyme allinase for the instability ofsubstancesin a cut onion. Lachrymatory-factor synthase isreleasedinto the air when we cutanonion.

Narjisse Amati

Pundit

Can onions damage your eyes?

However, onions pose no serious threattoyour visual health. "Chopping onions can causesomeburning and irritation and tears. Other than that, it's prettysafeon your eyes. Goggles can prevent the gasfromreaching your eyes while cutting onions, buttheyaren't really necessary, he added.

Masseye Gillan

Pundit

How do you cut peppers and onions for kabobs?

Lay the bell pepper walls flat and cuttheminto pieces roughly 1 to 1 1/2 inches square -- about the samesizeas the meat on the kabobs, if you are using meat. Sliceanonion in half lengthwise. Lay the onion halves onthecutting board cut sides down and chop offeachend.

Etelvina Vinyes

Pundit

What kind of steak is best for fajitas?

Rump, skirt or flank steak are thebestcuts for fajitas! I prefer skirt steak(pictured).It's more tender and flavourful than flank and can becooked welldone (for those who prefer well) without getting toughand chewy.Flank steak is a leaner cut and isbettercooked rare — medium.