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 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 French names. Don’t be intimidated by the names. These cuts are actually quite simple. It will be helpful to know some of the basic knife skills though, as I’ll be referring to them by name below.

chiffon

It is a specific cut for leafy vegetables and herbs. It consists of chopping the leaf into extremely thin slices. Each slice should only be about 1mm wide. This cut is used to prepare aromatic herbs for seasoning, to chop vegetables for a salad or to make a light side dish.

To make a chiffonade cut, place the sheets to be cut in a stack or roll tightly. Then use a soft 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 and then speed up as you master the technique.

Juliana

This cut is typically 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 between 5 cm and 10 cm long, 4 mm wide and 4 mm thick.

To julienne, follow these steps:

1) First cut your vegetable to the desired length (either 5cm or 10cm).
2) Next, cut the vegetables into flat, longitudinal slices 4 mm thick. This is usually made easier by laying the vegetable on one of the cut ends and trimming the length.
3) Lay the slices flat on the 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 thin cut into cubes. 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 pretty colorful garnish.

To prepare a brunoise, follow these steps:

1) First cut the vegetables into julienne strips.
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. Window boxes are usually shorter than julienne, but much thicker. There is some debate about the exact size a planter box should be, but they generally range between 2cm and 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 and sauce dish. Vegetables cut this way can be used to add texture to a soup or to stir fry. They can also be prepared together as a vegetable side dish.

To make these cuts, follow the julienne instructions, with the following settings:

1) Cut the vegetable into the length you need.
2) Then cut the vegetables into longitudinal slices of the desired thickness. It is easier if you cut the length while placing the vegetables on one end.
3) Place slices long side down on your cutting surface.
4) Chop or slice the vegetables in widths equal to the thickness.

Fruit salad

These are larger, thicker cubes. Just as brunoise is based on julienne, Macedoine is based on planter. Fruit salad cuts are usually 1cm cubes used in soups, sauces and anywhere you want a coarser texture for the vegetable component.

To cut fruit salad, first prepare your Jardiniere vegetables. Then, lay out the stick or sticks and cut them into cubes (a tap tap or rock tap work well). Work carefully to make nice cubes that are the same size on each side.

peasant

Another cut based on Jardiniere, Paysanne is a wide, slim cut. It differs from Macedonia in that it is not a cube, but a thin slice. Use when a thicker texture is desired from small pieces of vegetables that cook quickly and release lots of flavor. A Paysanne often used in Mirepoix, sauteed vegetables used as a base for sauces, soups, broths, and anywhere else vegetables are needed for texture and flavor.

Like Macedoine, Paysanne needs Jardiniere cut vegetables first. Then, using a rock chop or tap chop, cut the sticks into thin slices, 1mm to 5mm thick.

These are some of the basic cuts that are used in the kitchen, but it is not a complete list. There are a variety of more complex cuts, many of them similar to the preparations listed here with slight variations. More advanced techniques will be published soon.