The BEST way to Chop Onions

Ok, this may seem patronising, but this is a subject which can get me really worked up! Well, not really, but it’s still a bit annoying.

I found a video for chopping onions - on a reasonably professional Cooking Tips website - that told you to ‘top and tail’ it. WRONG. It loses the anchor keeping all the layers together. Underneath it was a comment that said “Why are they wearing goggles?” (Yes they were wearing goggles) “All you need to do is run it under the cold tap to stop it from stinging your eyes!” WRONG! You’re washing away all the flavoursome juices!

The ACTUAL best way to do it is this:

Chop it in half, lengthways, so you halve the hairy end.

‘Top’ each half, but DON’T ‘tail’ them. Leave the scraggly hairy end on. I’m not sure why, but this reduces the chances of onion induced tears by around 90%. Using this method I only ever get a few tears if the onion is particularly strong, like one of those extra strong giant ones you sometimes get in the supermarket.

Peel the skin back and take it off from each side.

Cut each half down lengthways, never quite cutting through the whole way. You can make the strips thick or thin, depending on whether you want it diced, in strips, or in ‘squares’.

Then cut across the onion, once at the bottom for strips, or several times outside edge to furry end, for diced or squares. Keeping the furry end on keeps it all together and makes it much easier to hold, therefore reducing the chance of cutting your finger off into the bargain.
Voila!

This is the way that I have been shown by (most) chefs, as well as my own mum (after she saw me narrowly missing the top of a thumb) and it’s definitely the best. If you think you’ve a better way then let me know! ;p