BASIC KNIFE CUTS & SHAPES

Why there’s a need to develop

knife skills and to know the basic

cuts?

1. Uniform cooking time.• Large pieces of vegetables take longer

to cook than smaller ones. • Consistent cutting technique ensures

your food is cooked to a uniform degree of doneness.

2. Enhanced visual appeal.

• Again, it's the art part of the culinary arts.

• Sloppy knife work makes for a sloppy-looking dish.

• Skilled knife work indicates a cook who takes pride in their work and doesn't take shortcuts. It's a way of paying a compliment to whoever you're serving the dish to — saying to them, in effect, "You're worth the trouble."

BASIC CUTS IN COOKING

ALLUMETTE • Definition: A strip cut measuring ¼ inch × ¼

inch × 2½ inches.• Pronunciation: al-yoo-MET• Also Known As: Matchstick cut

JULIENNE

• Definition: A strip knife cut measuring 1/8 inch × 1/8 inch × 2½ inches.• Pronunciation: joo-lee-ENN

BATONNET

Definition: A basic knife cut measuring ½ inch × ½ inch × 2½-3 inches.

• Pronunciation: bah-tow-NAY

CUBEDefinition: A cube shaped cut ½ to 1 inch

DICE• Definition: A Cube shape cut measuring ¾ inch × ¾ inch × ¾ inch. Smaller than cube cut

at about ¼ inch

FINE DICE• Definition: A cube shape cut measuring ½ inch × ½ inch × ½ inch.

BRUNOISE

Definition: A cube shape cut measuring 1/8 inch × 1/8 inch × 1/8 inch.

MINCE• To cut into very small pieces. This term means

the smallest possible pieces; smaller than dice or chop, but not pureed.

CHIFFONADE• herbs or leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and

basil) are cut into long, thin strips. This is generally accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly, then cutting across the rolled leaves with a sharp knife, producing fine ribbons.

• "Chiffon" is French for "rag" referring to the fabric-like strips that result from this technique. To chiffonade simply means to turn into rag-like strips, as seen in the picture.

TOURNE •French, turning•2 inches by 7 sides•Soccer ball