The right cut can make a big difference. Indeed, a carrot is a carrot, and will always be a carrot. It looks like a carrot and it tastes like a carrot. Right? Something like. The way the carrot is cut can give it a different look and texture. It will even change the way the carrot flavors interact with the other flavors. So a carrot, or any vegetable, can be more or less itself based on now that it is prepared and then used.
The following six cuts are the basic ones, although they have names in French. Don’t be intimidated by the names. These cuts are actually quite simple. Although it will be useful to know some of the basic knife skills, as I will refer to them by name below.
chiffon
It is a specific cut for leafy vegetables and herbs. It consists of chopping the leaf into extremely fine slices. Each slice should only be around 1mm wide. This cut is used to prepare aromatic herbs for seasoning, to chop vegetables for a salad, or to make a light garnish.
To make a chiffonade cut, place the sheets to be cut in a pile or roll tightly. Then use a smooth rock chop to cut very thin strips. If this move is new to you, it’s best to start slowly to get a consistent size, then speed up as you master the technique.
Juliana
This cut is generally used for firm vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, or celery. It consists of cutting thin strips or sticks to use them both as an ingredient and as a garnish. The exact measurements of the julienne should be 5cm to 10cm long, 4mm wide and 4mm thick.
To cut in julienne, follow these steps:
1) First cut your vegetable into the desired length (either 5cm or 10cm).
2) Next, cut the vegetables into flat, longitudinal slices 4 mm thick. This is usually easiest by placing the vegetable on one of the cut ends and trimming to length.
3) Lay slices flat on cutting surface, either individually or in a stack for faster cutting.
4) Then use a rock cut or slicer to cut them into 4mm wide strips. Go slowly at first to make sure you’re cutting each one the same width.
brunoise
A brunoise is a very finely diced cut. It results in small 5mm cubes on each side. Brunoise cuts are often used in sauces because the small pieces cook well and release a lot of flavor quickly. Alternatively, a brunoise can also be sprinkled on a plate as a nice colorful garnish.
To prepare a brunoise, follow these steps:
1) First cut the vegetables in juliana.
2) Then take the julienne and cut it into small cubes, taking care that they remain in very small cubes.
planter
These are sticks or sticks cut from the vegetable of choice. Planters are usually shorter than juliennes, but much thicker. There is some debate as to exactly how big a planter should be, but they typically range from 2cm to 4cm long. They are anywhere from 4mm by 4mm thick to 10mm by 10mm thick. In its smallest form, the planter looks like a short julienne. In their largest form, they resemble the vegetables used in a vegetable dish and sauces. Vegetables cut this way can be used to add texture to a soup or stir-fry. They can also be prepared together as a vegetable garnish.
To make these cuts, follow the instructions for julienne, with the following settings:
1) Cut the vegetables in the length you need.
2) Then cut the vegetable into longitudinal slices of the desired thickness. It’s easiest if you cut the length while placing the vegetable on one end.
3) Place slices long side down on your cutting surface.
4) Chop or slice the vegetable into widths equal to the thickness.
Fruit salad
These are larger, thicker cubes. Just as brunoise is based on julienne, Macedoine is based on jardiniere. Macedonian cuts are typically 1cm cubes used in soups, sauces and anywhere you want a thicker texture for the vegetable component.
To cut fruit salad, first prepare your Jardiniere vegetables. Then spread out the stick or sticks and cut them into cubes (a tap strike or rock strike works well). Work carefully to make nice cubes of the same size on each side.
peasant
Another Jardiniere-based cut, Paysanne is a wide, skinny cut. It differs from Macedonia in that it is not a cube, but a thin slice. It is used when a thicker texture is desired from small pieces of vegetables that cook quickly and release a lot of flavor. A Paysanne often used in Mirepoix, stir-fried vegetables used as a base for sauces, soups, stocks, and anywhere else vegetables are needed for texture and flavor.
Like Macedoine, Paysanne needs vegetables first cut Jardiniere. Then, using a rock chop or tap chop, slice the canes into thin slices, 1mm to 5mm thick.
These are some of the basic cuts used in the kitchen, but it is not a complete list. There are a variety of more complex cuts, many similar to the preparations listed here with slight variations. Soon there will be publications on more advanced techniques.
