Paring knife

A paring knife is a small, pointed knife with a blade about 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) long. It is made for close, detailed work that a large chef's knife is too big for, often done in your hand instead of on a board. Most cooks reach for it for peeling, trimming and cutting small things. The Japanese petty knife does similar work but is usually a little longer, about 12 to 15 cm (5 to 6 in).

How to use it

On a board, use it like any knife, with a pinch grip and your free hand in a claw. In the hand, which is where it is most useful:

1. Hold the food in your free hand, with your thumb on top and clear of the blade's path.
2. Hold the knife with your fingers around the handle and your thumb free.
3. Draw the blade toward your thumb with small, controlled strokes, stopping before it reaches your skin.

Good jobs for it:

• Peel apples, pears and potatoes, and trim the ends off beans.
• Core tomatoes and apples, and hull strawberries.
• Devein shrimp (prawns in the UK).
• Cut citrus into segments.
• Score the skin of meat or bread, and check if potatoes are cooked through.

How to store it

Keep it in a knife block, a magnetic strip or a blade guard. A paring knife loose in a drawer is easy to grab by the blade. Wash by hand, dry right away and sharpen it like a larger knife.

Common mistakes

• Using it for big jobs such as cutting onions or squash. The short blade has no room to work, and you push too hard.
• Cutting toward your palm or fingers without control. Use small strokes and keep your thumb out of the path.
• Letting it go dull because it is cheap. A dull paring knife slips off round, smooth food like apples and tomatoes.
• Cutting on a plate. It dulls the edge fast.

In recipes

"With a small knife" or "with a sharp paring knife" in a recipe means a task such as trimming, peeling or scoring that needs control more than power.