Mastering basic culinary knife techniques can help any chef, professional or amateur, create visually appealing food that is evenly cooked. Proper cutting methods not only reduce injuries but also enhance flavorful dishes.
Consistency in knife skills enhances the aesthetic appeal of your dishes while helping ensure ingredients cook evenly to achieve their desired doneness. There are many terms associated with shapes and sizes of cut food; to help make this process simpler for you quickly we have summarized some of the most commonly used cutting techniques so you can start creating instantly!
Mastering basic knife techniques will give you an advantage in creating delicious and evenly cooked meals, whether you are new to cooking or experienced home chef.
Batonnet
Batonnet (French for "stick") is a cutting method commonly employed when making food items such as patties, French fries and vegetable platters. The batonnet cut produces thick square pieces which are easier to manage and relatively sturdy compared to their alternative options.
Steps for Cutting Batonnets:
1. Prepare Your Ingredients: Trim any ends that protrude and slice ingredients into approximately 2-inch long sections using a chef's knife. 2. Shape Your Edges: To ensure uniformity of design, shape each section by trimming its edges into rectangles using scissors.
3. Slicing: Cut the shaped sections lengthwise into quarter-inch thick pieces, and then divide those pieces into 1/4-inch wide sticks.
Julienne Cutting
Julienne (also referred to as matchstick cutting) is a method for creating thin matchstick-shaped strips in food, usually root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, apples and pear. Typical length is two to three inches at 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch thickness.
Steps for Cutting Julienne Veins:
1.Trim Off Ends Trim away any round ends on the ingredient to create a square shape. 2. Slice Thin Pieces
2.Slice into Thin Pieces：Cut the ingredient into thin slices between 1/8-1/16 of an inch thickness before stacking them up for display.
3. Cut into Strips: Slice each lengthwise piece lengthwise into 1/8-inch wide strips for uniform thickness.
Brunoise
Brunoise (pronounced broon-WAHZ), also known as small cube, is an ancient French technique for cutting flavorful dishes such as soups, stews and broths into bite-sized cubes - adding visual appeal while simultaneously flavorful dishes. It is used regularly today.
Basic Steps for Cutting Brunoise:
1. Chop into Long Strips: Cut the ingredient into long, even strips that have consistent thickness.
2. Slicing Crosswise to Form Cubes (or Cubes) : Splice each long strip crosswise into 1/8-inch small cubes until each cube has uniform size.
Paysanne
Paysanne, which translates to "country style", is an effective and decorative cutting technique used for emphasizing natural shapes of ingredients rather than uniform cuts. For instance, carrots can be cut into circles of varying diameters to highlight their individual forms. This method works great when cutting potatoes, carrots, onions and celery; making it great for soups and stews.
Basic Paysanne Cutting Steps:
1. Prepare Ingredients: Arrange all your ingredients on a cutting board and ensure their stability. 2. mes Natrual Cutting: Cut slices according to their natural shape and desired thickness, cutting as desired to capture their original form and ensure even slices.
Chiffonade
Chiffonade is a technique designed to cut leafy greens and herbs into long thin strips with curled ends that resemble ribbons, used as an elegant decoration on pizzas, pasta dishes or vegetable salads.
Basic Chiffonade Cutting Steps:
1.Prep Your Greens: Lay leafy greens flat on a cutting board and gently roll them up into thin cylinders.
2.Slicing into Thin Strips：Cut your rolled up greens into strips of your desired width using the knife provided.
Chopped
Chopped is a quick and straightforward cutting technique used for quickly cutting ingredients into irregular but uniform pieces for dishes requiring long cooking times. Chopping typically doesn't require perfect uniformity and therefore works well in dishes like stews that call for longer prep times.
Steps for Chopped Cutting:
1.Slice Ingredients Thinly: Cut ingredients into even, thin slices using either horizontal or vertical cutting techniques.
2.Cut Slices Into Cubes: Continue cutting slices into cubes of equal sizes until all the slices have been used up.
Understanding kitchen knives and cutting techniques takes practice, but mastery will significantly advance your cooking abilities, ensure proper food preparation, make tasks simpler in the kitchen, and create a polished presentation. When in doubt, opt for professional chef knives; otherwise a set of sharp chef knives could serve just as well paired with a cutting board to practice various cutting techniques.
As you explore new recipes, we hope this guide proves helpful. While these terms might not be familiar to everyone, they're often seen on cooking shows and magazines.