How To Perfectly Peel Apples With A Knife, According To Jacques Pépin
When it comes to chefs like Jacques Pépin, we'll take any advice the famous chef is willing to give as it'll surely lead us to becoming better cooks. As an acclaimed chef with a list of accolades ranging from 16 James Beard awards to an Emmy, and even being the recipient of a total of three of the French government's highest honors (via Jacques Pépin Foundation), there is no doubt that this French-born American chef knows a thing or two when it comes to making magic in the kitchen.
After all, 85-year-old Pépin hasn't hosted an impressive number of cooking programs and published 29 books in his trajectory as a chef for nothing (via Jacques Pépin Foundation). So while you might think there's nothing left to say, you'll be pleased to find that Pépin, a chef with over 50 years of experience, continues to find a useful hack for everything — including peeling apples.
It's all in the wrist and the knife
Jacques Pépin is a world renowned chef, known for his distinguished career that has involved working at several prestigious restaurants in Paris and the U.S., and even as personal chef for three heads of state, including Charles de Gaulle (via Biography). So there's no doubt that when it comes to advice, that this is someone who has thought of everything. While you might think your apple-peeling skills are top notch, allow Pépin to show you how one simple trick will make all the difference.
One of Pépin's many tricks are explained in a Bon Appétit video where the chef guides viewers on how to quickly and correctly peel and slice an apple using only a paring knife. Don't have a peeler or melon baller? No problem! The real secret lies in holding the knife blade properly by gripping it (not the handle) as you slowly guide it underneath the apple's peel while you rotate the apple with the opposite hand. The knife can even be used to remove the stalk, stamen, and core where the seeds are. We're willing to bet you'll be using this tip in the kitchen on more than just apples!