Vegetable Cuts
Cooking Skills: Knife Skills 1
Chapter 4 · Vegetable Cuts
Skill goal
Cut vegetables to a consistent size so they cook evenly.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Standard vegetable cuts have names because they do a job: the same size means the same cooking time. If the pieces in a pan are all different, some burn while others are raw. Each cut starts with a flat, stable base.
Cutting a baton: the method behind most cuts
- Trim and square it. Cut the ends off, and cut a thin slice from one side so the vegetable lies flat and can't roll.
- Make planks. Cut slices of the thickness you want your sticks to be.
- Stack and cut the planks (3 or 4 at a time) into sticks of the same thickness.
- Turn the sticks and cut across them to make cubes: dice (the same size as the stick thickness), or brunoise (very fine dice from julienne).
| Cut | Size | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Large dice | 20 mm | Stews and roasting |
| Medium dice | 12 mm | Soups, roast vegetables |
| Small dice | 6 mm | Salsas, mirepoix, soups |
| Brunoise | 3 mm | Garnishes, fine sauces |
| Batonnet | 6 x 6 x 50 mm | Roasting, crudités, chips |
| Julienne | 3 x 3 x 50 mm | Slaws, stir-fries, garnishes |
| Rondelle | Coins, 3 to 10 mm thick | Soups, stir-fries, roasting |
| Diagonal | Angled slices | Stir-fries (more surface, better browning) |
- Make the cut stable first. It is the most important safety rule.
- Keep your claw tucked and the blade tip near the board.
- Choose the size to suit the cooking: large for long cooking, small for quick.
- Trimmings aren't waste: keep the odd ends and peelings for stock.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Roast roots in even batons
Batons (batonnet) are the starting cut for most others. Make them even, and everything on the tray is cooked at the same moment.
Ingredients (3 portions)
- 300 g carrots, peeled
- 200 g parsnips, peeled
- 1 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
- 1 tsp thyme leaves (optional)
- 1 pinch salt
- Heat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional, gas 7). Cut the carrots and parsnips in half crossways, so each piece is about 6 cm long. Thick parsnip tops can be quartered lengthways.
- Turn each piece so it sits on a flat cut side. Slice into 6 mm planks, stack the planks and cut into 6 mm sticks.
- Toss with the oil, thyme and salt, spread on a tray in a single layer, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until golden and tender.
Go for gold
Go for gold. Starchy foods such as potatoes and root vegetables form a chemical called acrylamide when roasted or fried at high temperatures, which the Food Standards Agency says could raise cancer risk. Its advice is to cook to a golden yellow, not dark brown. A balanced diet matters more than any single food.
Level 2 · Fine
Julienne carrot and apple slaw
Julienne is a very thin stick, about 3 mm. Each carrot is cut into thin planks first, then stacked and cut into sticks. It takes patience, but the texture is lighter than grated carrot.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled
- 1 crisp apple
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley or mint
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- Cut the carrots into 6 cm lengths. Lay each piece on a flat cut side and slice into 3 mm planks. Stack 3 or 4 planks and cut lengthways into 3 mm matchsticks.
- Cut the apple into planks and then matchsticks the same way, working fast so it doesn't brown, and toss in the lemon juice.
- Mix the carrot and apple with the oil, herbs and seasoning.
Level 2 · Dice
Mirepoix and red lentil soup
A mirepoix is a diced mix of onion, carrot and celery, softened to start a soup, stew or sauce. The dice should be about 8 mm and the same size so they cook together.
Ingredients (3 portions)
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots, peeled
- 2 celery sticks
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 60 g red lentils, rinsed
- 700 ml hot vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- Dice the onion (chapter 2). Peel the carrots and cut into batons, then dice into 8 mm cubes. Cut the celery lengthways into 2 or 3 sticks, then across into 8 mm dice.
- Heat the oil in a large pan and soften the onion, carrot and celery for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic for 1 minute.
- Add the lentils, stock and tomato purée. Simmer for 20 minutes until the lentils are soft.
- Season, and blend partly or fully if you like. Serve with the parsley.
Level 3 · Prep first
Stir-fry with everything prepped in advance
A stir-fry takes 5 minutes, so there is no time to cut once it starts. This is where good knife skills pay off. Cut the vegetables so they cook in the same time: harder ones thin, softer ones thicker.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 1 red pepper, deseeded
- 1 large carrot, peeled
- 100 g broccoli florets
- 3 spring onions
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp water
- Prep first, then line up the ingredients next to the stove. Slice the pepper into 8 mm strips. Cut the carrot into thin diagonal slices, about 3 mm (see the diagram). Cut the broccoli into small florets. Slice the spring onions on the diagonal, keeping the white and green parts separate.
- Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil and water in a small bowl.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add the carrot and broccoli and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the pepper, the white spring onion, ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Pour in the sauce, toss for 30 seconds, and add the green spring onion. Serve at once.
Hot wok
Have everything ready before you heat the pan. Hot oil can spit if the vegetables are wet, so dry them well, and never leave a hot wok unattended.
Experiments
Experiment
Even or uneven
Does size really matter?
- Cut two trays of carrot sticks: one even at 6 mm and one deliberately mixed (some 3 mm, some 12 mm).
- Roast both together for 25 minutes and look at the results.
Look for: On the uneven tray, the thin sticks are dark or burnt while the thick ones are still hard. The even tray is done at once.
Experiment
Julienne or grated
Which slaw do you prefer?
- Make a carrot slaw with julienne carrot and another with grated carrot, with the same dressing.
- Compare texture after 15 minutes.
Look for: The julienne stays crisp and distinct. The grated carrot goes soft and wet, and soaks up more dressing.
Experiment
Thick or thin rondelles
Coins of different thickness.
- Cut carrot coins at 3 mm and 10 mm. Cook both in a frying pan with a little oil for 5 minutes.
- Compare how cooked each is.
Look for: The thin coins are tender and browned, the thick coins are still firm in the middle. Match the cut to the cooking time.
Experiment
Diagonal or straight
Stir-fry carrots two ways.
- Cut carrot into straight coins and diagonal slices of the same thickness. Stir-fry both for 3 minutes.
- Compare the browning and how they look.
Look for: The diagonal slices have more cut surface, so they brown more and cook slightly faster.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roast root batons | ||||
| Julienne carrot slaw | ||||
| Mirepoix soup | ||||
| Stir-fry | ||||
| Even vs uneven | ||||
| Julienne vs grated | ||||
| Thick vs thin coins | ||||
| Diagonal vs straight |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Pieces uneven | No flat base, or rushing | Square the vegetable first; go slowly |
| Vegetable rolls | Round surface | Cut a slice off to make a flat side |
| Sticks bend or break | Planks cut too thin or knife blunt | Cut slightly thicker; sharpen |
| Pieces cook unevenly | Sizes differ | Cut hard vegetables smaller than soft ones |
| Stir-fry soggy | Pan crowded or wet vegetables | Dry the vegetables; cook in two batches |
| Tired hand | Gripping too tight | Relax your grip; use the pinch grip |
Knife and food safety
Knife safety: a sharp knife is safer than a blunt one, because it needs less force and slips less. Always cut on a stable board (put a damp cloth underneath), tuck your guiding fingertips back (the claw), carry a knife with the point down and the edge away from you, and never try to catch a falling knife: step back and let it fall. Wash knives by hand and dry them at once; never leave one in a sink of water where you can't see it. Store them in a block, on a magnetic strip or in guards, not loose in a drawer. A cut-resistant glove on your guiding hand is a sensible aid while you learn. If you cut yourself, apply firm pressure with a clean cloth, and get medical help for a deep cut or one that won't stop bleeding.A mandolin cuts all of these quickly, and is also a leading cause of kitchen injuries: always use the guard or a cut-resistant glove. Go for gold. Starchy foods such as potatoes and root vegetables form a chemical called acrylamide when roasted or fried at high temperatures, which the Food Standards Agency says could raise cancer risk. Its advice is to cook to a golden yellow, not dark brown. A balanced diet matters more than any single food.
Hygiene: wash your hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water after handling raw meat, fish or eggs, and don't use the same board for raw meat and for food that won't be cooked. Wash fruit, vegetables and herbs that you eat raw.
Leftovers: cool cooked food quickly (within 1 to 2 hours), keep it covered in the fridge, and eat it within 2 days. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through, and only once.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can square a vegetable and cut a baton.
- I can cut julienne, dice and rondelles.
- I know why even pieces cook evenly.
- I can prep a stir-fry before I start cooking.
- I know how to use a mandolin safely, or I avoid one.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Knife Skills 1, chapter 5 is Fruit, Peppers and Awkward Shapes: cutting round, slippery and hard things safely.