Classic French Knife Cuts
How to Hold a Chef’s Knife
The proper way to hold a chef’s knife is to grip the blade of the knife on the heel on both sides with your index finger and your thumb, then wrap the remaining fingers around the handle of the knife. This will give you the most control to prevent slippage and accuracy in your cuts.
Classic French Knife Cuts
Chop
Chopping is used when the vegetables will be strained or pureed in the dish and the shape is less important. Use an up and down motion to chop the ingredients until they are relatively uniform. The cuts need not be the same shape, but the pieces should be roughly the same size.
Mince
Mincing is a very fine cut where the vegetables are chopped until they reach a fine and unform size. Onions, garlic, shallots, and herbs are often minced. To mince chives or green onions, slice them into very thin slices, rather than chopping.
Chiffonade
A chiffonade cut is for leafy vegetables and herbs. The result is fine strips that are often used as a garnish. For larger leaves like lettuce, roll a single leaf and then slice in thin parallel strips. For smaller leaves like basil or mint, stack the leaves and fold or roll them being careful not to damage the leaves and then slice in thin parallel strips.
Julienne and Batonnet
These cuts are symmetrical strips and are the basis for dice cuts. Start by squaring off the sides of the vegetable then cut slices into the proper size. Stack the slices and cut into strips with equal square sides.
Fine Julienne
1/16” x 1/6” x 1-2 inch (1.5 mm x 1.5 mm 3-5 cm)
Julienne (Allumette)
1/8” x 1/8” x 1-2 inch (3 mm x 3 mm x 3-5 cm)
Batonette
¼” x ¼” x 2-2.5 inch (6 mm x 6 mm 5-6 cm)
Dices
To cut an even dice, start with the appropriate Julienne or Batonnet, then cut the strips into uniform dices
Fine Brunoise (Brunoisette)
A fine julienne cut into 1/16” cubes
1/16” x 1/6” x 1/16” (1.5 mm x 1.5 mm x 1.5mm)
Brunoise
A julienne cut into 1/8” cubes
1/8” x 1/8” x 1/8” (3 mm x 3 mm x 3 mm)
Fine Dice
A batonette cut into 1/4” cubes
¼” x ¼” x ¼” (6 mm x 6 mm x 6 mm)
Medium Dice
1/2” x 1/2” x 1/2” (12 mm x 12 mm x 12 mm)
Large Dice
3/4” x 3/4” x 3/4” (2 cm x 2 cm x 2 cm)
Other Cuts
Paysanne
From the word for “peasant”
1/2” x 1/2” x 1/8” (12 mm x 12 mm x 4 mm)
Fermiere
From the word for “farmer”
1/8” to 1/2” (4 mm to 12 mm)
Lozenge
A diamond cut made by cutting into slices, then strips in the appropriate size, and then cut on a bias
1/2” x 1/2” x 1/8” (12 mm x 12 mm x 4 mm)
Rondelle
Basic round shape of elongated shape by cutting on a bias
1/8” to 1/2” (4 mm to 12 mm)
