Term | Pronunciation | Definition | Context/Example |
Batonnet | bat-oh-nay | 1/4 x 1/4 x 2-inch / 6mm x 6mm x 5cm strips | "Cut the carrots into batonnet." |
Bias cut | by-uhs kuht | Diagonal slicing | "Bias cut the green onions." |
Blanch and shock | blanch and shahk | Briefly boil then immediately plunge them into ice water to stop cooking | "Blanch and shock the green beans to preserve colour." |
Brunoise | broo-nwahz | 1/8-inch / 3mm fine dice | "Brunoise the shallots for the vinaigrette." |
Brunoise fine | broo-nwahz fyn | 1/16-inch / 1.5mm ultra-fine dice, smaller than standard brunoise | "Fine brunoise the shallots for the sauce." |
Butterfly | buht-er-fly | Cut through the centre and open flat without separating | "Butterfly the prawns before grilling." |
Carve | kahrv | Slice cooked meat or poultry for service | "Carve the roast at the table." |
Chiffonade | shif-oh-nahd | Thin ribbon cuts of leafy items | "Chiffonade the basil for garnish." |
Chop | chahp | Rough, irregular cuts | "Chop the onions for the sauce base." |
Clarify | klair-ih-fy | Remove impurities from butter or stock | "Clarify the butter for the hollandaise." |
Clean | kleen | Remove inedible parts — gills, innards, sinew | "Clean the squid before slicing." |
Concassé | kon-kah-say | Rough chop, peeled and deseeded (usually tomatoes) | "Make a tomato concassé." |
Crosshatch | kross-hach | Score in a crisscross pattern | "Crosshatch the mango for easier eating." |
Debone | dee-bohn | Remove all bones | "Debone the chicken thighs." |
Dice | dys | Uniform cube cuts | "Dice the celery into quarter-inch / 6mm pieces." |
Emincé | ay-mahn-say | Very thin slicing | "Emincé the onions paper-thin." |
Filet | fil-ay | Remove bones to create a boneless cut | "Filet the whole fish." |
French | french | Trim the meat away from the bone end for presentation | "French the lamb rack before roasting." |
Grate | grayt | Shred using a grater | "Grate the Parmesan fresh." |
Julienne | zhoo-lee-en | 1/8 x 1/8 x 2-inch / 3mm x 3mm x 5cm strips | "Julienne the bell peppers." |
Large dice | larj dys | 3/4-inch / 2cm cubes | "Large dice the eggplant." |
Lard | lahrd | Insert strips of fat into lean meat before cooking | "Lard the venison to keep it moist." |
Lozenge | loh-zenj | Diamond-shaped cuts | "Cut the carrots into lozenge shapes." |
Macerate | mas-er-ayt | Soften or break down food by soaking, usually in liquid or sugar | "Macerate the strawberries in sugar." |
Mandoline | man-doh-lin | Use a flat blade slicer for ultra-thin, uniform cuts | "Mandoline the fennel paper-thin." |
Medium dice | mee-dee-uhm dys | 1/2-inch / 1.25cm cubes | "Medium dice the potatoes." |
Mince | mins | Very fine irregular cuts, smaller than a chop | "Mince the garlic cloves." |
Oblique | oh-bleek | Irregularly angled cuts, rotating the ingredient between cuts | "Oblique cut the carrots for a rustic look." |
Pare | pair | Thinly remove skin with a paring knife | "Pare the apple before slicing." |
Paysanne | pay-zahn | 1/2-inch / 1.25cm flat, thin cuts in varied shapes (square, round, triangle) | "Cut the potatoes paysanne style." |
Peel | peel | Remove the outer skin of a fruit or vegetable | "Peel the potatoes before dicing." |
Pick | pik | Remove herb leaves from stems by hand | "Pick the thyme leaves before adding." |
Portion | por-shun | Cut into specific serving sizes by weight or count | "Portion the salmon into 180g fillets." |
Rough chop | ruhf chahp | Uneven, rustic cutting | "Rough chop the herbs for rustic presentation." |
Rondelle | ron-del | Round coin-shaped cuts | "Slice the carrots into rondelles." |
Score | skor | Make shallow cuts in the surface | "Score the duck skin in crosshatch." |
Shred | shred | Cut or tear into thin strips | "Shred the cabbage for coleslaw." |
Slice | slys | Cut into flat, even pieces | "Slice the bread for service." |
Small dice | small dys | 1/4-inch / 6mm cubes | "Small dice the carrots." |
Spatchcock | spach-kok | Remove the backbone and flatten the poultry for even cooking | "Spatchcock the chicken before grilling." |
Supreme | soo-preem | Segment citrus, removing all membrane and pith | "Supreme the oranges for the salad." |
Tourné | toor-nay | Football-shaped seven-sided cut | "Tourné the potatoes for presentation." |
Trim | trim | Remove unwanted parts such as fat, sinew, or skin | "Trim the fat from the tenderloin." |
Zest | zest | Scrape citrus peel to extract aromatic oils and flavour | "Zest the lemon over the pasta." |