The Hack To Easily Mince A Bunch Of Chives

Chives are an excellent addition to many dishes, both savory and sweet. Whether you choose Chinese chives with their slight oniony flavor or opt for garlic chives for a little more zest, these members of the allium family increase the nutrition of a dish (per Medical News Today) and add an additional layer of flavor. They work well with any kind of meat, from beef to seafood, and you can add them to everyday side dishes, such as mashed potato recipes, to make them sing.

The one big issue many cooks have with chives is that they can be a pain to chop. The fine stems are difficult to keep a grip on, and they crawl out of your grasp, making it difficult to cut them evenly. What's worse, if you don't pay careful attention, it's easy to let the fingers of your support hand wander a bit too close to your knife blade.

If you love chives but hate cutting them, we've got you covered. By the end of this article, chives will be transformed from an ingredient you dread preparing to one you look forward to using. 

This tip comes to us by way of a June Instagram video from chef Genevieve LaMonaca. According to her video, she picked it up while working in a Michelin-starred restaurant.

To start, wash and dry the chives as you would when preparing them for any dish. Then, take a paper towel and lightly wet it, wring it out, and spread it on a flat surface. Next, take the paper towel and fold it in half. Then fold it again, in the same direction. Now wrap it around your chives, forming a bundle with about two inches of your chives sticking out.

The damp paper towel will hold the chives tightly together and make them a dream to chop. As you work, simply move the towel down the stalks of the chives keeping them firmly wrapped. This method also works well with spring onions, lemon grass, and other difficult-to-hold ingredients.