TO simple slicing includes cutting into slices, circles, cubes, strips, sticks, slices. Slicing is carried out using vegetable cutters, specialized drives with replaceable mechanisms and manually with kitchen knives if a small amount of vegetables is required.
Slices cut root vegetables and medium-sized potato tubers. Cut the vegetables lengthwise into two halves. We place the vegetable with the resulting cut on the board and make vertical cuts along the vegetable. Cut the resulting blanks crosswise into slices 1.2-2 mm thick. Or cut a medium-sized carrot into 2 or 4 parts, then cut each part into slices crosswise, 1.5-2 mm thick. Boiled potatoes and root vegetables are cut into slices for salads, vinaigrettes, and side dishes.
In their raw form, root vegetables in the form of slices are used for soups and main courses.
Whetstones cut large, medium, small. We cut the vegetables lengthwise into slices with a thickness: large ones up to 1 cm, medium ones up to 0.5-0.6 cm and small ones 0.4-0.5 cm. The resulting plates are cut along the thickness indicated above into long sticks 3 to 4 cm long.
Potatoes and root vegetables are cut into cubes for making soups with pasta and fried potatoes.
In slices cut small potato tubers and root vegetables. Cut the potatoes in half. We cut the resulting halves into several pieces, depending on the size of the potatoes. Root vegetables (carrots, parsley root, celery, onions) are first cut into cylinder-shaped pieces 2-3 cm long, which are then cut into cross sections. Potatoes and tubers are cut into slices for soups, stewed vegetables and meat dishes. Onions are also cut into slices for stewed meat and fish.
In circles cut potatoes and root vegetables (in round slices 2-3 mm thick) for second courses: baked fish, steak with onions, etc. Boiled potatoes are cut into slices for side dishes for cold dishes, as well as radishes, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers for salads and decoration of dishes.
Cubes root vegetables and potatoes are first cut into cubes (see above), which are then cut crosswise in thickness: large 0.5-0.7 cm, medium 0.3-0.5 cm and very small.
Vegetables are cut into large cubes for soups and stews. Medium - raw vegetables for fried side dishes, boiled vegetables for side dishes for herring, cold dishes, onions - for salads, sauces.
Straw. Cut the potatoes into thin slices 2 mm thick, which are then stacked on top of each other, slightly shifted and cut into strips 4-5 cm long. Beets, carrots, onions, green onions, parsley roots, celery are cut into strips.
The cabbage is shredded into strips as follows: first, cut the head of cabbage in half, remove the stalk and cut into pieces 4-5 cm wide and chop them thinly. Potatoes, cut into strips, are placed in cold water, then lightly dried with a napkin and deep-fried (with a large amount of fat). Fry until golden brown, remove and salt with fine salt. Used for side dishes. This type of cutting is used for the root vegetables mentioned above - for noodle soups, sauces, vegetable cutlets, vegetable marinades, cabbage, for first courses, salads, stews; onions - for soups, sauces, marinades, dressings.
In various cuisines of the world there are as many types of cuts as there are dishes themselves. One can only admire the skill of famous chefs in making a real show out of preparing a dish!
According to amateurs, what could be simpler than cutting food: take a sharpened knife and go... I can imagine how this “dexterity” would make skilled cooks laugh. After all, every little detail is important in honing professional skills, even such as the perfect cutting of food. Slices, cubes, straws, sticks, plates - such terminology has nothing to do with true culinary art. What other words can be used to describe the types of cutting products?
How to cut and why?
Cutting products and heat treatment are processes that are inextricably linked. After all, unevenly cut products during frying can also cook unevenly.
Let's talk about the most famous ways of cutting food.
Carpaccio is not only a world-famous dish whose homeland is Italy. Today this term is also used to refer to the cutting method. Thin pieces of beef are seasoned with olive oil. To prepare real carpaccio, the meat is roasted and cut, but only across the grain; the thickness of the product should not exceed a sheet of paper.
Interestingly, the dish itself was invented in 61 of the last century, and it was named after the famous Renaissance painter Vittore Carpaccio, whose canvases abounded in various shades of red. There is also a legend that carpaccio was invented by the chef Giuseppe Cipriani especially for a certain countess. The lady was suffering from anemia, and the doctor recommended that she eat more meat. Carpaccio as a cutting method requires very delicate work, and in the literal sense of the word - the cut product should glow with its elegance.
Julien is also not only mushrooms or fish with sauce, but also a well-known method of cutting vegetables or shoots into strips for preparing sauces and soups, which gives the most tender consistency and brings the dish closer to readiness. Slicing using the “julienne” method has its own parameters: thickness up to 2 mm and length up to 2.5 cm.
A blanket involves cutting food into even bars intended for frying potatoes or preparing first courses.
Using the Brenoise method, cooks cut food into medium-sized cubes, for example, for stews. The resulting dish will be very tasty, everything will be stewed evenly.
Concasse translated from French means “small cube” and involves a unique cutting method, the meaning of which is to pre-clean vegetables from peels and seeds. Most often, tomatoes and sweet peppers are cut using the concasse method.
Crudite is another way to cut raw vegetables into uniform, small pieces. Meat delicacies, salmon and sturgeon are cut in this way.
Secrets of delicious cutting
The juiciness of the salad directly depends on the shape and size of the ingredients, as well as on the cooking time. The most delicious salad is the one that is prepared right before serving.
Spicy foods are cut finely or, conversely, coarsely: thus, the piquant taste is emphasized.
Stainless steel equipment is used for cutting vegetables.
Their morals
Chinese chefs, who have honed their cutting skills for centuries, meticulously chop all types of food. The chicken fillet is cut into cubes with an area of exactly one cubic centimeter, and the pork loin is cut into diamonds 2 centimeters high, 1 centimeter thick and 7 centimeters long.
The Japanese outdid everyone with the variety and originality of cutting methods. For example, Sainomegiri is a specific cut into 1.5×1.5 cm cubes, used for bamboo and potatoes.
Mizingiri - finely chopped onion. Sengiri - cutting into strips for vegetables. Koguchigiri is a method of cutting from the thin end not across, but perpendicular to the grain. Onions chopped in this way are served as a seasoning for soba noodles. The same thin cut used for carrots is called wagiri, and for cucumbers - usugiri.
Sasagaki is the cutting of bamboo, as well as burdock and carrots. Men-tori is a smoothing of the corners of carrots and daikon. Kakushibocho means "hidden knife" in Japanese. In thick mugs, make cross cuts on one side so that the vegetables cook better.
The cutting process is an art
Few people do not know about the world-famous dried meat jamon. The taste of this Spanish delicacy, by the way, largely depends on the cutting method, which requires unsurpassed skills from the master. The profession of a cortadora, a professional jamon cutter, is one of the most prestigious in the country. To experience the true taste of real jamon, you need to cut it very thinly, and this, you see, is a whole art.
The chefs of the Roll Hall restaurant work masterfully, using professional cutting methods. See this for yourself by visiting our banquet hall. Only for you exquisite dishes from different cuisines of the world, enchanting presentation and absolute service. You can reserve a table, as well as family and corporate events, by calling a multi-line phone in Moscow: 8-495-255-01-11.
Food can be a person’s main desire, addiction and even bad habit, but often it is not only the taste that makes our hearts flutter in anticipation of gastronomic pleasure, but also the sight of the very food that we so want to eat. One of the ways to aesthetically decorate dishes is the correct cutting of vegetables, and this is what we will talk about.
Main types of cutting vegetables
Slicing can be simple or curly, the first is the basic methods of everyday preparation of vegetables for further preparation of a dish; methods of cutting curly vegetables have the only purpose - decorating a festive dish.
Circles
Nothing complicated - cutting off a small layer of potatoes and root vegetables to give them a cylindrical shape. This type of cutting of vegetables is the easiest to do. To perform this, hold the knife at an acute angle, resting the tip of the blade on the cutting board. The knife should move down and slightly forward, cutting all the way through the vegetable, as shown in the photo.
Cubes
Cubes are the most common type of cutting; they can be small, medium or large. Small cubes have a side of 0.2-1 cm, medium ones - 1-2 cm, large ones - more than 2 cm.
This cutting method requires a well-sharpened knife; the smaller the cubes, the sharper the cutlery should be.
Let's look at dicing using onions as an example:
- Cut the peeled onion into two halves lengthwise. Place the onion half on the board and make deep vertical cuts.
- Next, cut the onion in half horizontally.
- Cut the onion into cubes.
Straw
Cutting into strips occurs as follows: potatoes and root vegetables are cut into plates, and then cut into strips. If the recipe “talks” about shredding, then the product must be cut into thin and long strips; white cabbage is most often cut this way.
Such types of cutting vegetables as julienne and shredding are performed using a regular knife, a hatchet, and a mandoline grater.
Thin straws are cut into strips 3-5 cm long and 2-3 mm thick; thick straws are characterized by the following dimensions: 4-6 cm x 5-6 mm. If thin straws are mainly used for preparing fillings for pies, then thick ones are used for soups, stews, and pilaf.
Whetstones
To form cubes, vegetables are first cut into thick plates, then the knife is turned into a vertical position and the plates are cut into cubes. These forms of cutting vegetables require a well-sharpened knife and caution. The blocks can be thin or thick, the former are characterized by dimensions of 5 x 2 x 1 cm, and the latter - 6 x 3 x 2 cm.
Slices
What are slices? This is a type of vegetable slicing that can be done lengthwise, crosswise, and also diagonally. For example, potatoes and root vegetables are cut into 2 or 4 parts lengthwise, and then slices are made from each part.
They can be small, ranging in size from 1 to 4 millimeters, or medium, measuring from 0.5 to 1.5 centimeters. Small slices are typically used for dishes that involve boiling vegetables and then chopping or pureing them, while medium slices are used in salads, stews and soups.
Half rings and rings
Half rings and rings are the types of cuts most typical for onions and leeks. Vegetables are cut into circles across the axis and then divided into rings. Accordingly, for half rings, the rings are cut in half.
For preparing salads and appetizers, it is best to make thin rings, ranging in size from 1 to 4 millimeters, while thick rings (from 0.5 to 2 centimeters) are used for baked dishes, and, of course, battered onions.
About the methods of curly cutting
Beautiful cutting of vegetables is used to decorate the dish. Let's give a simple example of cutting carrots into shapes. 4-6 grooves must be cut along the entire length of the carrot, their depth should not exceed 4-5 millimeters.
Three-dimensional figures from vegetables can be obtained using carving devices, but if you use a little skill, you can make an interesting three-dimensional decoration even if you don’t have any at hand.
How to make a rose from a cucumber
Let's look at an example of creating a rose from vegetables (such a rose can be made from cucumbers, carrots, beets):
Take a vegetable peeler and pickles. Cut into long and thin slices. You don't need peeled slices.
In order to prepare any dish correctly and efficiently, so that it does not turn out raw and is beautiful, it is necessary to use a certain cutting method. In total, there is 7 main types of cutting vegetables. The proposed memo will help you remember them, remember them if you forgot, or got confused about them. If all the skills and knowledge have been achieved, then it’s time to have a good rest. And this, of course, is a worthwhile thing in any case. First of all, you, as a woman, need to understand one truth as much as possible - you deserve quality rest. And there simply cannot be a better rest for a housewife than the bathroom!!! And for this you need to arrange your bathroom as much as possible... But if you still have a good comfort in your home, then don’t forget about the bathroom. This is truly a room where you can do everything flawlessly. And this impeccability will be very useful to you, for example FRESH tiles (Keraben) which can be found in the store: keramogranit.ru, wonderful tiles that you simply cannot refuse - I advise... It is also important not only what you cook, but also where you cook, and if you want good cuisine, then Julia Novars kitchens are what any housewife dreams of. After all, here both good quality and an excellent price play in the interests of the buyer.
Vegetable cutting form circles. Usually the thickness of the slice is up to 2-2.5 centimeters (depending on the dish for which the slice is made). Used mainly for deep-frying and baking (for example, the French country dish "Ratatouille").
Type of cutting vegetables slices. Typically 0.2 centimeters thick and 0.3 centimeters high. The thickest for baking, the thinnest for vinaigrettes.
Method of cutting vegetables in slices. Cut into lengths of no more than 3.5 centimeters. Typically used for making country-style potatoes and frying potatoes the basic way. And also for garnishing and garnishing (decorating and adding vegetables to the main dish).
Method of cutting vegetables straw. It is cut into lengths of 3-3.5 centimeters and has a cross section of 0.2×0.2 centimeters. Potato straws are used to make potato pie. The remaining vegetables are for making salads.
Method of cutting vegetables small blocks. Usually cut to a length of no more than 3-4 centimeters and a cross-section of 0.4×0.4 centimeters. The sticks are used to make French fries and add to soups and salads.
Type of cutting vegetables cubes. Typically the sizes range from 0.3 to 0.7 centimeters. This form of cutting vegetables is most often used to add to salads and soups.
Method of cutting vegetables - shredder. This is an arbitrary very small or large cutting of vegetables and herbs. It is used to decorate a dish and sometimes add herbs or garlic and onions to soups to make them less noticeable when eating the dish.
Also, for your convenience, we have taken photographs of the main cutting forms in the form of one image, which you can download to your computer and use as a reminder in case of difficulties.
But if you still made yourself a good home, don’t forget about the bathroom. This is truly a room where you can do everything flawlessly. And this impeccability will be very useful to you, for example FRESH Tiles (Keraben) which can be found in the store: keramogranit.ruBefore you start cooking, you probably check whether all the ingredients are in stock, whether you have the necessary frying pan and saucepan, whether you have forgotten skewers or foil... But it is no less important to know the technology of the process. How and which one to hold a chef's knife, how to properly cut vegetables into cubes or strips - all these subtleties of culinary skill will help you prepare a dish faster and make it tastier.
Squeeze the handle of the knife, as close to the blade as possible, with your thumb and bent index finger, the remaining three fingers wrap around the handle of the knife. Don't grip the knife too tightly, or you'll tire quickly, but don't hold it too loosely either.
The thumb of the second hand is pulled back - it seems to embrace a vegetable or fruit and push it towards the knife. The remaining fingers should be bent inward: the second phalanges of the index and middle fingers are located almost perpendicularly, the little finger is in no case protruding. The blade of the knife is pressed against the folds of the fingers and glides slightly along them when cutting.
The easiest way to cut is when the blade moves from top to bottom. And this can be done in several ways. Hold the knife at a sharp angle, the tip of the blade should rest against the cutting board, cut the vegetable with the central part of the blade. Start by moving the knife down and slightly forward, cutting all the way through the cucumber. When the blade is fully on the board, lift it and return the knife to its original position.
Hold the knife, slightly raised, at a sharp angle, the blade lies halfway on the board and is located in the middle part on the carrot. Start moving the knife down and slightly forward, without completely lifting the knife from the board.
The blade at the tip is the sharpest and narrowest part. It is usually used for delicate slicing, such as mushrooms or very ripe tomatoes, into very thin slices.
The central part of the knife is used in most cases - for cutting hard and soft vegetables and herbs.
The heel is the part of the blade opposite the tip. Typically used for labor-intensive cooking that requires a lot of effort, such as chopping the white part of a leek or chopping nuts. The force of the load can be increased if the palm of the other hand presses on the butt of the blade. This is also the most effective way to make sharp, rough cuts.
Cubes: small, medium, large.
This is the most common cutting method. Small are considered to be those with a side from 2 mm to 1 cm, medium - from 1 to 2 cm, large - over 2 cm. The smaller the cubes are needed, the better the knife should be sharpened. It is better to use a special vegetable knife - it can be easily identified by its small size and narrow, sharp blade.
Often used when cutting vegetables to prepare dishes of uniform consistency (sauces, puree soup) or those that require very quick frying.
If the recipe says “chop,” this means the product should be chopped almost into porridge.
Medium cubes indispensable when cutting vegetables (and other related products - meat, poultry, fish), when preparing filling, especially for pies.
Large cubes required in dishes whose recipe involves baking in the oven or stewing, for example, roast or stew.
1. Cut the peeled onion lengthwise into two halves so that the knife passes through both ends - the “butt” and the “tail”, and not through the middle. Place the cut side of the half on the board and use the tip of the blade to make deep parallel cuts along it.
2. Turn the knife horizontally and cut the onion in half from left to right. If it is large, 2-3 transverse incisions can be made.
3. Cut the onion into cubes using the middle of a knife blade. The smaller the intervals between cuts, the smaller the cubes will be.
If the recipe says “chop”, this means that the product needs to be cut into very thin, long strips. Most often, white cabbage is prepared this way, but it also happens that regular onions or leeks are also prepared. For such cutting, you can use either a regular knife, a hatchet (hatchet) or a special mandolin grater. If the straw turns out to be too long, it needs to be cut crosswise into 2-3 parts.
Thin straw cut into strips 3-5 cm long, 2-3 mm wide and thick. Most often it is used for various dishes from cabbage or pickling sauerkraut, as well as preparing vegetable filling for pies or caviar.
Thick straw cut into lengths of 4-6 cm, width and thickness of 5-6 mm. You simply cannot do without it if you decide to pamper your loved ones with soups that traditionally simmer over a fire for a long time, for example, borscht or cabbage soup. Thick carrot sticks are a necessary component for preparing classic pilaf.
1. Cut off the top of the pepper along with the stalk.
2. Cut the pepper lengthwise into slices: the thinner the strip you need, the more slices you can have.
3. Cut the slices lengthwise into strips.
1. Peel the carrots and cut them with a sharp knife across, but slightly diagonally, into slices no more than 3mm thick.
2. Place the sliced plates one on top of the other and cut into strips of the required thickness.
One of the most convenient ways to cut onions. It is used if you are going to simmer a dish for a long time and is simply ideal for preparing pilaf.
1. Cut the peeled onion lengthwise into two halves so that the knife passes through both ends - the “butt” and the “tail”, and not through the middle.
2. Place the half with the cut side on the board and, using the tip of the blade, cut lengthwise into slices 3-4 mm thick, moving clockwise.
Circles: thin and thick
This method is applicable to any vegetables that are round when cut, but cannot be separated into layers. These can be cucumbers, carrots, daikon, eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, etc., but in no case onions or leeks. As a rule, vegetables are cut this way for salads or dishes that are baked in layers, such as lasagna or Parmentier potatoes. The thickness of the circle can vary from 1 mm to 1.5 cm. If you want to get very thin circles, it is better to use a special mandolin grater or a very sharp thin knife for cutting vegetables.
Cut the leeks into rings.
If you are preparing a salad or appetizer, then the ideal option is thin rings, 1 to 4 mm thick. For dishes baked in layers, such as vegetable stew, or cooked in batter, thick rings are usually used, the thickness of which varies from 5 mm to 2 cm.
1. Peel the top layer of leeks.
2. Using a sharp vegetable knife, cut crosswise, but slightly diagonally, into rings of the desired width.
Cut the onion into half rings.
This cutting method is especially good for stewing - poultry, meat, fish.
1. Cut the peeled onion lengthwise into two halves so that the knife passes through both ends - the “butt” and the “tail”, and not through the middle.
2. Place the half with the cut side on the board and, using the tip of the blade, cut lengthwise into half rings 5 mm - 2 cm wide.
Cut carrots into cubes
Such cutting requires a well-sharpened chef's knife and accuracy, since all culinary flaws and irregularities will be especially noticeable. Thin sticks, measuring 5x2 x 1 cm, are indispensable in quick-frying dishes, especially Asian cuisine in a wok. Thick, measuring 6x3 x 2 cm, are often used when canning or baking dishes in the oven.
1. Peel the carrots.
2. Cut with a sharp knife in half lengthwise, then several more times - the width of the bars depends on what size you want them to be - thin or thick.
Slices: small, medium, large
Slices is a term that is understood quite broadly in cooking. This can be cut diagonally, lengthwise or crosswise.
Small slices with a piece thickness of 1 to 4 mm, they are often used for preparing dishes that require boiling and then grinding into puree. Medium slices, ranging in size from 5 mm to 1.5 cm, are used in salads, soups or vegetable stews.
Big chunks, exceeding 5 cm, are simply irreplaceable when baking, especially meat dishes - it could be a leg of lamb or a pork knuckle. Or if we are talking about an independent vegetable dish, say, cabbage or pumpkin, which can be baked, fried, cooked in breadcrumbs or batter.
1. Cut each mushroom in half lengthwise or crosswise.
2. Divide each half into thin strips, 1 to 4 mm wide.
Figured cutting