Terminologies of Cuts - Page 3

Quote:

Originally Posted by SissyAtHome 

Never did find the answer to my query (what are the dimensions of the macedoine cut?) because I got sidetracked by some negativity from six years ago.

Well I'm sorry for the OT ranting and rambling and for the miss-information. Cuts are precise. As such they are not subject to interpretation nor do they change with the size of knife you are using.  Macedoine is  (.5cm x .5cm x .5cm) and is cut from Alumette. It does not change unless the Chef says it changes. Even then it does not change in the classic sense...ever.

Alumette is 1/8 x 1/8 x 2". Batonnet is 1/4 x1/4 x 2". Nothing haphazard about it.

The same for a brunoise. It's 1/8x1/8x1/8 all day long, every day, in every country irrespective of the language.

I think FP hit the nail on the head up thread (or perhaps I should say years ago) when he suggested consistency is the goal.

At the end of the day if a given Chef asks for a precise size and you don't deliver as expected, terminology aside, you need not worry.

The Chef will let you know.

Dave

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chef Kaiser 

Hi to all,

it always happens to me, when young chefs come with some recipe ideas form the internet, that chefs mention the word small cubes, medium cubes, large cubes, finely chopped, chopped and etc.

For myself this are very unspecific terminologies. Why is it, that in the US chefs dont use the traditional vegetable and potato cut terminologies, which are used by most European chefs, we can say for centuries?

Vegetable cut terminologies:
Bruinoise
Jardiniere
Macedoine
Mirepoix
Matignon
Paysanne
Carrot Vichy
Batonettes
Turned vegetables
Chiffonade
Julienne
etc.

just wondering, as this cut names are expressing, cubes of different sizes, strips etc.

well just wondering.

regards

The world is made up of many different people and many different languages.

To some driving slow may mean a totally different thing than to others... hell most countries have different speed limits so you can't even use that as a benchmark.

Just show them what you want - it only takes a few seconds.

"... cut this into pieces like this... this is what I call XXXX, if I ask you to cut something up into XXXX in the future this is what I want.   Here... See?  Like this...  Put this one to the side and compare every now and then.. then take it home and... no just kidding don't take it home that is against the rules... just cut this entire 50 pounds of carrots like this...ok.  There you go, well done.  Why aren't you done yet?!?!?!"

:)

Part of the reason there is such a diversity of terms is because there is a huge variance in cut size.   I learned long ago that one 'chef's idea of bruinoise is not the same as the next chef's.   Often they aren't even close... and does it really matter?   I would just simply say Yes Chef, give it my best estimate and then take a few random pieces to him and ask if this is what he wanted?   Then adjust, check again and get hacking on that box of potatoes!  

Sometimes if I was lucky Chef was right there at my station and I could ask for him to make me a sample, those I would take home and get bronzed... just in case!  

If I wasn't lucky i'd get a board full of dice all within 0.5mm and they were all either above or below the 'accepted' standard (it did happen once... though I later thought he might have been playing a joke)

Anyway don't sweat it... unless it's paysanned!  Then by all means.

Careful all, this is a culinary forum, not an historical debating society nor a world politics educational forum. Levity is enjoyed by most but quash the politics please.