A Fabulous Hack For Cutting Peppers

How many times does cutting up peppers end in a mass of seeds surging across the kitchen counter? Do seeds shower down onto your sparkling floor like confetti when all you wanted was a simple stir-fry? Do spicy jalapeño seeds lurk in shadows on your cutting board waiting for the moment when you decide to slice an apple?

If you have a sharp knife, try the unconventional technique demonstrated for us by former Top Chef contestant and television personality Fabio Viviani for cutting all kinds of peppers from large bells to small and spicy jalapeños.

Grip the pepper by the stem and carefully slice through the side of the flesh vertically in a way that leaves the seeds intact and connected to the stem. Turn the stem and continue to slice the sides away from the seeds and stem and voilà!

An added benefit of this method comes into play when dealing with hot chiles. By holding the stem, your skin isn't as likely to come into direct contact with the seeds and juice as you cut. You also end up cutting away some of the membrane that surrounds the seeds, which packs quite a punch. If you like things spicy, then simply use the seeds still attached to the stem, and shake in as many as you like until you have reached your desired level of heat.

Remember to be careful when using this method. Compared to slicing a pepper directly on a hard surface, holding the stem makes the pepper less stable and more likely to slip while being cut. If you find yourself struggling to cut through the skin and flesh, your knife is probably not sharp enough, and absolutely everyone knows that a sharp knife is one of the not so secret restaurant tips that every home cook should know!