Description
A guide to mastering common culinary knife cuts for professional-looking and evenly cooked meals.
Instructions
Large Dice: A 3/4 inch x 3/4 inch x 3/4 inch square cut, often used for vegetables like potatoes and fruits like watermelon.
Batonnet: A rectangular stick measuring 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 2 1/2 to 3 inches. This cut is also the starting point for the medium dice.
Medium Dice: A 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch cut, a smaller version of the large dice. It's a good default for recipes specifying 'diced' ingredients.
Allumette: Measuring 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch x 2 1/2 to 3 inches, this is also known as the 'matchstick cut' and is the precursor to the small dice.
Small Dice: The smallest dice cut, measuring 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch. It's achieved by slicing the allumette into 1/4-inch sections.
Julienne: Measuring 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch x 2 1/2 inches, this is essentially the allumette cut lengthwise. It's used for carrots, celery, potatoes, and as a garnish.
Brunoise: Measuring 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch, this is the smallest dice cut and is typically used for garnishes.
Fine Julienne: Measuring 1/16 inch x 1/16 inch x 2 inches, this cut is often used for garnishes and is the starting point for the fine brunoise cut.
Fine Brunoise: Measuring 1/16 inch x 1/16 inch x 1/16 inch, this very small dice cut is also used for garnishes.
Mince: A cut that is less precise than a fine brunoise, intended to be finely cut. It's used for ingredients like garlic or other aromatics to distribute their flavor throughout a dish.
Chiffonade: Primarily used for leafy greens and fresh herbs like basil. The leaves are stacked, rolled, and sliced perpendicularly to create thin strips.