KITCHEN PRACTICE 2 — Julienne a Carrot, Chiffonade Some Greens
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TASK
Practice both cuts on real ingredients — a carrot for the julienne,
basil or a leafy lettuce for the chiffonade — and compare how each
technique actually feels.

WALKTHROUGH — JULIENNE (carrot)

Step 1 — Trim and flatten.
Top and tail the carrot. Since it's round, slice a thin strip off one
long side (this chapter's own "flatten round vegetables first" tip) so
it sits flat and stable rather than rolling.

Step 2 — Cut into planks.
With the flat side down, slice the carrot lengthwise into thin, even
planks — roughly 3mm thick.

Step 3 — Stack and cut into matchsticks.
Stack 2-3 planks at a time and slice them lengthwise into thin strips,
again roughly 3mm wide, using the claw grip throughout. The result
should be even matchsticks, roughly 3mm x 3mm x however long the
carrot piece was.

Step 4 — Assess evenness.
Julienne is judged mostly on consistency — matchsticks that are all a
similar width so they cook at the same rate. Uneven ones aren't unsafe,
just a sign to slow down and keep the plank thickness more consistent
next time.

WALKTHROUGH — CHIFFONADE (basil or lettuce)

Step 1 — Stack the leaves.
Take 4-6 leaves of a similar size and stack them neatly on top of each
other.

Step 2 — Roll them tightly.
Roll the stack up like a cigar, as tightly as you can without crushing
the leaves.

Step 3 — Slice thin ribbons.
Holding the roll steady with your claw hand, slice thin cuts
perpendicular to the roll. Unroll the cuts and you'll have fine
ribbons — that's chiffonade.

Step 4 — Compare the two techniques.
Julienne is a cutting-board technique, working with something firm and
stable. Chiffonade works because rolling a soft, flexible leaf turns it
into something firm enough to slice cleanly — genuinely different
handling for a genuinely different kind of ingredient.

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WHY THIS MATTERS
Julienne and chiffonade look similar (both produce thin strips) but
solve different problems: julienne is about cutting a firm vegetable
into a consistent delicate shape, while chiffonade is about making a
soft, awkward-to-cut leaf firm enough to cut cleanly in the first
place, via the roll. Recognising which situation you're in is most of
the skill.