How do you cut a julienne? Explain each step

Step 1: Wash & peel

Wash and peel the vegetable, if necessary.

Step 2: Grasp knife

Grasp the knife in your dominant hand, holding the handle close to the blade with three fingers: your middle, ring, and pinkie. Curl your forefinger around one side of the blade while holding your thumb on the opposite side.

Step 3: Hold vegetable

With your non-knife-wielding hand, hold the vegetable firmly on the cutting board close to the area you will cut.

Tip

Curl your fingers so that the tips are firmly planted on the vegetable and the knuckles point outward—in the food world, this is called the 'claw grip'.

Step 4: Cut ends

Cut off the ends of the vegetable.

Step 5: Determine length

Determine the length of julienne your recipe calls for—2 inches or smaller is the standard—and cut the vegetable crosswise into sections of that length.

Step 6: Cut sides

Cut off the sides of one section. It should now resemble a block with 4 long flat surfaces—this will make it easier to cut uniform pieces.

Tip

Keep the point of the knife on the board and use a steady rocking motion to slice—not saw—the vegetable with the full length of the blade.

Step 7: Cut lengthwise

Cut the sections lengthwise into uniform slabs 1/16 of an inch thick.

Tip

Try to hold the sections together evenly—it makes for a neater cut.

Step 8: Stack slabs & cut

Stack the slabs on top of each other and—again holding them evenly—cut them lengthwise into sticks that are 1/16 of an inch wide.

Did You Know?

Julienne is a popular French girl's name meaning 'youthful'—and that's true.

Explanation: