How To Chiffonade

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No, it's not some old-timey dance step. Or something draped over the lights in a brothel. Chiffonade is a technique used to cut leafy vegetables and herbs into slender ribbons.

To complete this How-To you will need:

A chef's knife
A cutting board
A leafy vegetable or herb

Step 1: Wash vegetable

Wash the vegetable or herb, cutting off any stems that are still attached.

Step 2: Stack leaves

Stack a handful of leaves on top of each other.

Tip: If you're using basil, stack up about 8 leaves at a time; for leafy greens, stack about 3 leaves.

Step 3: Hold stack

Roll the stack up tightly and hold it horizontally on the board in front of you with one hand.

Step 4: 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 5: Hold roll

Hold the roll with your non-knife-wielding hand close to the area you will cut.

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

Step 6: Slice on angle

Starting at one end, make thin slices with your knife at a 60-degree angle to the roll. Make the slices about 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch apart—creating very slender ribbons.

Tip: When cutting, be sure to keep your fingers tucked in from the blade and allow your knuckles to guide the blade across the roll.

Step 7: Add more greens

If you need more greens, stack, roll, and cut another handful of leaves until you have enough for your garnish.

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[apersonfromporlock]

Americans and Englishmen speak different versions of English, neither of which is incorrect. We can pronounce things differently, spell things differently, and use slightly different terms for things, and yet still understand each other. Petty bickering is stupid, the language we share is ancient and noble and I for one am just glad I was born into it.

[randigaleandtk]

Word fight. XD

[BamOGrady]

I for one couldn't less how it's pronounced. Last time i checked, good technique and skills are more valuable than phonetics in a kitchen.

[yosoccerboy]

I'm gay and the chick's hot.

[xmass65ify]

@MeMeXx its erb you fucking dumbshit are you 2years old?

[Bannanaboyz]

@apersonfromporlock wht about thongs

[spylok85]

learn to say the word chiffonade correctly! the "A" makes an "Aah" sound you tard!

[bag3lmonst3r]

is that chica cute or what? i completely forgot why i watched this in the first place :)

[K9girl29]

@apersonfromporlock i lived in england for 3 yrs (im american) a loooooooooooong time ago dont they also eat fries with forks?? gotta luv engalnd :D (and london)

[MiHao1964]

How company this knife ?

[DerPiper34]

How to teach a yank to shred a vegetable....classic stuff, I must say....very entertaining....

[MaskedManiac225]

Say what you want, it doesn't exactly matter.

But I say "Erb"