Wanted: Quick and efficient tips for chopping chocolate
It seems like a simple thing, and yet I can't seem to get it right. I'm currently making a mousse cake the requires chopped chocolate*. I didn't have the patience to chop with a knife so I tried chopping in my Magic Bullet (flat blade) because according to the infomercial, it can do that. Like the previous attempt, it failed (previously I'd also tried freezing the chocolate first, and that didn't work either). Then I tried a plastic bag and hammer. Failed.
So, back to the knife and chopping board, chopping roughly with my palm pressing down on the back of the knife. I cut my hand and the process was messy with chocolate chunks flying over my counter.
Any tips? Is the secret to chopping chocolate a good knife?
Thanks.
*I'm making a chocolate espresso mousse cake recipe that I found at David Lebovitz's blog awhile bag, replacing some of the espresso with Kahlua.
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8 Comments:
I use a mezzaluna. I get out a big cutting board and roll over it starting on one side then to another. Chocolate is best to shop after you warm it a bit with your hands. Lay your hands on it briefly, too long melts it in your hands. Before I did that I would just use a big chef's knife (8 inch) and work from the sides in. Scharffen Berger started selling chocolate petit nibs in boxes. Also a chocolate chipper http://www.scharffenberger.com/prodinfo.asp?number=CHIPPER
take a look for that and some various brands of chocolate already chipped at Williams-Sonoma you can find some of the varieties.
JerzeeTomato at 6:22PM on 05/18/08
Shorter edges are easier to cut so chop on the corners. When the edge gets to be about 2 inches or so, rotate it so you are cutting from a new corner. And keep both your hands on top of the knife -- one toward the tip and one on the handle. Just lift the handle hand to move the blade, keeping your other hand on the tip end. This keeps your hands away from the blade.
kjgibson at 6:33PM on 05/18/08
I saw an episode of Simply Ming with Jaques Torres as a guest and Torres said to use a serrated knife for chopping chocolate. Aim for shaving more than a straight up and down chopping motion and it should go a bit more easily and you should be able to keep more control. A bigger knife will give you more leverage, too.
ccbweb at 7:49PM on 05/18/08
I always use a long serrated knife when I chop chocolate. I put the center of the knife against where I want to chop (a corner usually), and then gently rock the knife between the handle and the top of the knife (using heel of free hand). In that regard I guess it's sort of like a mezzaluna. No sawing back and forth action.
Jacquie at 12:42PM on 05/19/08
I use a serrated knife, but have also found that my mandolin set to make fairly thick slices works pretty well for chopping chocolate.
branny at 12:46PM on 05/19/08
If you don't want to chop, why not buy the proper weight and variety in chocolate chips (say, semisweet)? If it would work with your recipe, it would definitely be a time saver. Other than that, a good sturdy serrated knife works well.
beth1 at 2:01PM on 05/19/08
Serrated knives often work better than straight edges in part because of the sawing motion. However, very long thin serrated blades usually don't have the heft to be very efficient.
If you are using a straight edge knife a common mistake is to use one that is too small for the task. (I am always surprised at the number of people who consistently use knives that are either too large or too small for what they're doing.)
Ideally you want a knife whose tallest dimension back near the handle is at least twice as thick as what you're cutting. Break the large bar into smaller more manageable bits, and chop along short edges, shooting for thick shavings. You can cut across these if you need.
It also helps if the chocolate is warmer rather than colder. I wouldn't lay hands on it, but getting the temp of the bar into the middle 70s will help a lot, especially for dark (it should not be necessary for milk).
Finally, and most obviously, make sure the knife is sharp. Quick question: What's the best knife sharpener in the world? A: The one you use. I keep a sharpener with flexible tines coated with carborundum in the drawer closest to may main work area in my kitchen. It's easy to take the knife sharpener out and set it up (takes about 5 seconds) and run the knife through a couple of times to touch up the edge.
Makes all the difference in the world for this kind of work.
:: Clay Gordon
creator and moderator @ www.thechocolatelife.com
Clay Gordon at 2:08PM on 05/19/08
i use my large chef's knife. put the piece/block of chocolate on a wooden cutting board. If you're right handed old the tip of the knife in your left hand, hold the handle in your right. Using the left hand to stabilize the knife, put the tip of the knife of the board and using the fat part if the blade slice down into the chocolate all the way to the board. Someone already said it's easier to attack the corners and take a little off at a time and that your chocolate shouldn't be at all cold.
nightmoon at 3:55PM on 05/19/08