Using Kitchen Scissors #3: Kitchen Prep

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by Maggie Fox January 24, 2023

The latest in our video series: Top 5 Uses for Kitchen Scissors

Chatting with a friend this week, we wondered why North Americans generally don't use scissors for food prep. They're a common and heavily-used kitchen tool everywhere from Italy to South Korea, so it's a bit perplexing that folks on this side of the pond don't seem to be familiar with their utility.

That's part of the reason we started this video and blog series: to show what high-quality, hot-forged kitchen scissors can do. It's important to note that scissors crafted by our makers are worlds away from the common plastic-handled "scissors" lurking in many homes (and all-too-often featured on those so-called "Best Of" lists - an eternal source of frustration!). These are blades made in the same way as the finest knives: forged carbon or stainless steel, oil hardened, hand ground and assembled. In fact, David Pallarès will tell you that scissors are far more challenging to make than knives. It can take up to five years of apprenticeship to acquire the skills needed to assemble a pair of quality scissors.

This week we cover off basic kitchen prep. Herbs (no bruising!), trimming vegetables and making foods like grapes "toddler safe". We showcase the William Whiteley Classic British Kitchen Scissors, which sport a bone notch that's perfect for cutting fresh flowers, too (watch for the cameo from Ava, our lab-husky rescue!)

We start with snipping coriander, so we're sharing one of our related go-to recipes: Spicy Peanut Noodles. Both gluten-free and vegan, they're intended to be served room temperature and the recipe scales up really well - perfect for a crowd! In the past, we've served this dish in fun takeout containers, arrayed in rows on a buffet. It's also a great way to use up some of the 17,000 pairs of disposable takeout chopsticks sloshing around in your kitchen drawers (though that might just be us?).

Spicy Peanut Noodles
Serves 4 as a meal, 6 as a snack
1lb wide dried rice noodles (we like Rose brand rice stick)
2 tbsp sesame oil
3.5 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
1 tbsp rice or cane vinegar (white wine will do in a pinch)
3 tbsp natural crunchy peanut butter
1-2 tbsp sugar or to taste
1 tbsp grated ginger (we cheat and use the pre-prepared stuff in a tube)
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp chill oil or chili crisp, to taste

Boil the noodles in salted water until tender. Rinse in cold water to stop cooking and toss with 1 tbsp sesame oil to ensure they don't stick together. Mix other ingredients, whisking in oils to combine. Taste and adjust sauce seasoning to be as spicy (or not) as you like.

For the Topping:
1 bunch (thoroughly rinsed!) chopped coriander
1/2 European cucumber cut into matchsticks
1/3 cup crushed peanuts
Crushed chili flakes (I like to use Korean Gochugaru for nice colour without adding too much extra heat)
1 lime, sliced into 6 wedges

Right before serving, toss the noodles with the sauce, adding slowly to make sure you're happy with the texture. Divide up onto small bowls or fun containers, top with cucumber, peanuts, coriander & chili. Set lime on the side and serve.