Basic Knife Skills – Bruno Albouze

Summary

Chef Bruno Albouze demonstrates various basic to advanced knife cuts, emphasizing uniformity and precision for culinary applications, including fine brunoise, julienne, different dice sizes, paysanne, roll cuts, diagonals, and the challenging tourné technique.

Highlights

Introduction to Knife Cuts00:00:06

Bruno Albuz introduces various basic knife cuts used in the culinary world, highlighting the importance of uniformity in size and shape for professional results.

Fine Brunoise (Very Fine Dice)00:00:27

The first challenging cut is the fine brunoise (1.5mm cuts). To achieve this, square off the item, slice it lengthwise into 1/16th inch (1.2mm) thick rectangles, superimpose these slices, cut them into fine julienne, and then dice the julienne into equally shaped fine brunoise.

Brunoise (Twice Bigger Cut)00:01:13

Next is the brunoise, which is twice the size of fine brunoise, with sides measuring approximately 1/8 inch (3mm). This cut is excellent for julienne, matchsticks, spring rolls, salads, and dishes like tamagoyaki.

Small Dice (Macédoine)00:01:42

The third cut is the small dice or macédoine, twice the size of brunoise (1/4 inch or 6mm slices). Batonnets are cut into small dice.

Medium Dice (Parmentier)00:01:59

The fourth cut is the medium dice or parmentier, twice the size of macédoine. This involves trimming and cutting carrots into 2-inch (5cm) portions, squaring them off, slicing lengthwise to 1/2 inch (1.2cm) thickness, and then cutting into batonnets and dicing.

Paysanne Cuts00:02:38

Paysanne cuts can be flat, round, or triangle. Bruno demonstrates a creative way to make these cuts using a lemon zester to create an 'old clock' design.

Roll Cut (Oblique) and Diagonals00:03:02

The roll cut, or oblique cut, is achieved by holding the knife at a 45-degree angle, making a cut, rolling the item a half turn, and repeating. Diagonals are the easiest, simply holding the knife at a 45-degree angle and slicing evenly, which can then be used to make batonnets.

Tourné Technique00:03:40

The challenging tourné technique involves holding the item between the thumb and forefinger and using a paring knife to cut seven curved sides, creating a football-shaped product.

Essential Tools and Waste Reduction00:04:01

To achieve these cuts, excellent knives (chef's knife and paring knife) are essential. Bruno also shows how to use carrot scraps in a healthy carrot ginger puree, suggesting that rabbits would enjoy them.