by Purusoth Reddy
Nov 16, 2024

10 Basic Cutting Techniques

10 Basic Knife Cutting Techniques Every Cook Should Know

10 basic knife cuts you must know before it’s too late!

Whether you're a home chef or a seasoned cook, you can prepare and present dishes with neat, unparalleled cuts.

Your dishes will cook uniformly and absorb tastes more effectively.

This blog covers the 10 fundamental knife cuts and basic cutting techniques, focusing on vegetable cutting styles.

10 Basic Cutting Techniques - Knife Cuts

Knife cuts are a great aid when prepping ingredients for a recipe. Let's now discuss the 10 basic knife cuts of vegetables and their uses. Using specialised chef knives, santoku knives, paring knives, or utility knives may provide better control.

1. Chopping

Chopping is one of the most straightforward knife cuts, slicing veggies into irregular but similarly sized pieces between ½ and ¾ inches.
Among the 10 basic cutting techniques, chopping is commonly used for onions, tomatoes, and root vegetables like potatoes and carrots
The idea is to chop them up into reasonably sized pieces so they cook uniformly; the pieces don't need an exact measurement dimension.
Example: Chopping vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms can facilitate uniform cooking of a stir-fry.

2. Dicing

Chop into small cubes: This technique is often called dicing, which, unlike chopping, uses precise cuts to create small, uniform cubes.
Diced pieces are typically ¼ inch for small dice or ½ inch for medium dice, ensuring even cooking.
The process is mostly applied to components like onions, garlic, or tomatoes while preparing salads, salsas, or soups.
Example: Diced onions and tomatoes are used to prepare fresh salsa or guacamole.

3. Mince

Mincing: Involves chopping ingredients into very fine pieces, usually smaller than ⅛ inch.
This is often done for aromatic ingredients like garlic, ginger, or herbs to make them release their flavours even more thoroughly while being cooked.
Example: Minced garlic often gets sautéed in oil to create the flavour base of soups, sauces, and stir-fries.

4. Bias Cut

The bias cut is diagonal, often applied to vegetables such as carrots or asparagus.
This cut provides long, oval-shaped slices, which also expose more surface to facilitate rapid, even cooking.
Bias-cutting is very attractive among the 10 basic cutting techniques.
It is good for use in stir-fries, soups, or as decorative pieces.
Example: Sliced carrots on the bias are good for stir-fries because they cook up quickly and evenly.

5. Brunoise

The brunoise knife cuts are likely among the smallest precision cuts, in which vegetables are diced into ⅛ inch cubes.
It is normally used to garnish or to add finely diced vegetables to a dish to prevent overpowering flavours.
Example: Finely diced carrots and celery in brunoise cuts are very common garnishes for soups or sauces.

6. Batonnet

A batonnet is cut more like a stick, for which vegetables are cut to pieces ¼ inches thick and about 2 to 3 inches long.
In fact, it is often the first cut to a dice since it provides the resultant long sticks of vegetables that can be diced into cubes.
Batonnet cuts are commonly used to prepare potatoes for frying or to serve raw vegetables as snacks.
Example: Batonnet-cut carrots or cucumbers make excellent additions to crudité platters.

7. Chiffonade

The chiffonade technique is used mostly when cutting leafy greens or herbs into thin ribbons.
To achieve this cut, the leaves are stacked, rolled really tight, and sliced down to produce thin strips.
This technique is very useful when trying to garnish or create a subtle addition of greens for the dish.
Example: Basil leaves are mostly cut using the chiffonade technique to be used to garnish pasta dishes or salads.

8. Rondelle

A rondelle is simply a round slice.
It is a cut in which cylindrical vegetables like carrots, zucchini, or cucumbers are sliced into thin, round pieces.
The thickness of rondelles can vary, but they are typically about ⅛ to ¼ inches in thickness.
Example: Rondelle-cut carrots are especially popular to add to soups, stews, and salads.

9. Lyonnaise

The lyonnaise cut is slicing the onions very thinly, normally to ¼ inch thick, as half-moons.
The onions are peeled and halved before being carefully sliced as thinly as possible from root to tip.
This cut is particularly useful for caramelising onions or incorporating them into stir-fries and salads.
Example: Use lyonnaise-style thinly sliced onions for French onion soup or caramelising.

10. Slicing

Slicing is an easy method where the vegetables are cut into even, thin slices, usually to the thickness of ⅛ to ¼ inch.
This is especially great for fruits like tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers.
Example: Tomatoes sliced are used in salads and sandwiches.
Be specific in usages — use tomato knives for the veggie and bread knives for the loaf.

A Few Other Knife Cutting Techniques You Must Know

While the chops listed above cover the bare essentials, here are a few more knife cuts that can complete your kitchen skillset. Here is a bonus of 10 basic cutting techniques – (yes 10 more)

11. Diagonal

A diagonal cut is performed by slicing vegetables at changing angles to produce wedge-shaped pieces.
This is generally done to root vegetables such as carrots and parsnips.
The pieces of vegetables become larger, increasing the surface area, which is perfect for roasting or glazing.

12. Tournée

The Tournée cut is a French classic technique in which slices of veggies, such as potatoes or carrots, are usually cut into seven-sided football-shaped pieces.
This technique is more of an aesthetic quality than cooking itself, as it helps yield a perfectly shaped vegetable for more refined presentations.

13. Julienne

The julienne cut produces long, thin strips, almost like matchsticks.
The pieces are generally around ⅛ inches thick and 2 to 3 inches long.
This cut is often used for carrots and peppers in salads or stir-fries.

14. Supreme

The supreme technique is used primarily on citrus fruits.
It removes the segments from the membrane, leaving clean, pith-free slices.
This is often done for salads or as a garnish for desserts and drinks.

15. Fanning

Fanning: This technique makes slashes in various vegetables or fruits without removing them.
This technique creates a fan-like effect for aesthetics.
They work very effectively with avocados, strawberries, or potatoes.

16. Crushing

Crushing is one of the techniques applied to garlic or ginger.
The ingredient is crushed with the side of the knife to the point that juices start flowing and break up the piece into something crushable.
This method produces a very intense flavour in dishes.

17. Segmenting

Segmenting is another technique similar to the supreme cut, used to separate fruit flesh from the membrane.
It is often done on citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits.
The clean and juicy segments produce stunning results.

18. Scoring

Scoring involves making shallow cuts on the surface of food, primarily meat or vegetables, to allow flavours to penetrate or to prevent curdling during cooking.
It is widely applied to foods like fish, eggplant, and duck breasts.

19. Spatchcocking

Spatchcocking is a prep technique in which you butterfly the bird by removing the backbone.
This lays the bird flat and allows it to be cooked quicker on both sides, ensuring even cooking.
It's very good for roasting chicken or turkey.

You can also read about How to Sharpen a Knife here.

What Type of Knife is Best for These Cutting Techniques?

The type of knife you use plays a significant role in achieving precise and effective cuts for different techniques. A good chef's knife is versatile enough to do just about anything—beyond the 10 basic cutting techniques, the list goes on. Special cuts such as julienne or brunoise are better suited to a paring knife or utility knife. You can also read about Types of Knives here.

At Stahl Kitchens, our knives are stainless steel and built to last. They can cut whatever you want, above and beyond the 10 basic knife cuts. Stahl knives are ergonomic, providing comfort and control, making them perfect for mastering fundamental knife skills.

FAQs

Q1. What are the 10 basic knife cuts of vegetables and their meanings?

Ans. The 10 basic knife cuts of vegetables are essential for precision and even cooking:

Chopping – Rough, uneven cuts for fast cooking.
Dicing – Uniform ¼-inch cubes for even cooking.
Mincing – Finely chopped pieces, perfect for aromatics.
Bias Cut – Diagonal slices, commonly used in stir-fries.
Brunoise – Fine ⅛-inch cubes, often used for garnishes.
Batonnet – Long, stick-shaped cuts, about ¼ inch thick.
Chiffonade – Thin ribbons, ideal for leafy greens or herbs.
Rondelle – Round slices, perfect for cylindrical vegetables.
Lyonnaise – Thin half-moon slices, typically for onions.
Slicing – Uniform, thin slices for items like tomatoes or cucumbers.

Mastering these cuts helps achieve professional presentation and consistent results in cooking.

Q2. What are the most important knife-cutting techniques for beginners?

Ans. Most likely considered foundational among these necessary techniques for any beginner would probably be chopping, dicing, mincing, bias cutting, and brunoise.

For beginners, the three most crucial knife-cutting techniques are chopping, dicing, and slicing. Using these will build the confidence of the chef in your kitchen.

Q3. How can I improve my knife skills?

Ans. Practice is most important. Practise basic cuts such as chopping and dicing. From there, you can progress to more complex techniques like brunoise and chiffonade. Appropriate handling of knives and having a sharp blade are also important.

Q4. What is the difference between chopping and dicing?

Ans. Chopping involves cutting vegetables into irregular shaped pieces, while dicing refers to cutting them into uniform cubes.

Q5. What safety tips should I follow while using a knife?

Ans. The following are the safety tips you should follow while using a knife:

Always use a sharp knife to reduce the risk of slips.
Keep your fingers tucked (using a "claw grip") while cutting.
Use a stable cutting board with a non-slip base.
Avoid distractions and store knives properly after use.

Q6. What foods/vegetables are ideal for practising knife techniques?

Ans. Carrots, onions, potatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers are great for practicing knife techniques. Their different textures and firmness allow you to master various cuts like dicing, slicing, and chopping.

Q7. Can I use a single knife for all cutting techniques?

Ans. A chef's knife is versatile enough to handle most cutting techniques, such as chopping, dicing, and slicing. However, for precision cuts like julienne or brunoise, using specialised knives will give you better control and expertise.

For example, Stahl’s Chef Knife is a versatile tool with a razor-sharp German stainless steel blade and an ergonomic walnut wood handle, perfect for precise and effortless cutting tasks.