I think it is high time I explain all of the standard knife cuts that professional chefs use. We had a demonstration by our chef, today at Allegany College of MD. I took a picture of the cuts that I made. That is the picture above. While I explain the cuts below, you can use this picture and the ones below as a reference. Before you even start learning the cuts, you must learn how to hold your knife and place your hands. You grip the blade itself, with the thumb and the index finger grasping the blade just to the front of the finger guard and the middle finger placed just opposite, on the handle side of the finger guard below the bolster. Those without culinary training often grip the handle, with all four fingers and the thumb gathered underneath When actually starting to cut, you hold your knife in one hand as stated above, then you hold the item to be cut with your fingers curled under. To avoid any kitchen accidents (believe me, I had my share of them before I learned my lesson), curl your fingers under so that your knuckles are closest to the knife and your fingertips are well out of the danger zone. The object is to use your knuckles as a guide for cutting. You just keep the blade against your knuckle, as shown in the picture to the right. This will feel awkward at first but, with practice, it will become natural and you will come away with all ten fingers in working order. Julienne- We shall start with the basic Julienne cut. This is the starting point for a few of the other cuts. It is basically described as a knife cut in which the food item is cut into long thin strips, similar to matchsticks. Trim the ends of the vegetable and the edges to make four straight sides. This makes it easier to produce a uniform cut. Trimmings can be used for stocks, soups, purees, etc. The measurement for julienne is ⅛ x ⅛ x 1 to 2 in (3 mm x 3 mm x 3 to 5 cm). After trimming or squaring off the vegetable you then cut uniform matchstick shapes. Fine Julienne- The fine Julienne is the same but, it is made into much thinner strips. Brunoise- The Brunoise is very simple to do. All you do is first Julienne the vegetable you are making then you turn it a quarter turn and make a fine dice of the vegetables. The standard size is 3mm or less or 1/8 inch thick pieces. Small Dice- This one is the same as the Brunoise, but you make it a little larger. The size is measuring 1/4 inch on all sides. Battonet- This, like the Julienne is the gateway to a few other cuts. You start out like the Julienne and trim or square off the vegetable. You then cut it in half. You are then left with your Battonet. The Batonnet measures approximately 1/2"x 1/2"x 2". Medium Dice- After you make your Battonet cut above, all you then do is like the Brunoise, turn the Battonet a quarter turn and dice into cubes with sides measuring approximately 12mm (½ inch). Large Dice- Once you trim or square off your vegetable, you cut it into large cubes measuring 3/4 inch on all sides. Paysanne- These are simple cuts to make. All you do is make flat wafer-shaped cuts measuring 1/2 by 1/2 by 1/8 inch thick. Tornee- This cut is rather difficult to master. It is a cut with 7 sides. A football-shaped cut. It is a difficult cut to master and for that reason is seldom seen in the fast-paced restaurant environment. Chiffonade- you see this cut a lot with herbs like basil and mint. You stack up leaves of different herbs, you then roll the stack up tight like a cigar then you make slanted julienne-like cuts. This creates little curls of herbs. This is just all of the basic cuts that you learn when you start at restaurant or culinary course at a college. They are very useful to know, as a matter of fact it is an essential skill to learn if you are trying for a cooking position in a restaurant. Have fun cutting!
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