Cut vegetables into consistent brunoise, batonnet, and small dice sizes
Use a chef’s knife to produce three standard, proportional cuts (brunoise, batonnet, small dice) so pieces cook evenly and predictably.
Brunoise is a very small cube, batonnet is a stick cut, and small dice is a small cube cut from batonnet sticks. The key evaluation is consistency: the three cuts should be precisely half/double in size relative to each other, and pieces within each cut should match.
The short version
- Consistency of cut leads to consistency of cooking.
- Small dice is made by cubing batonnet sticks.
- Avoid two-handed rocking/mashing that creates inconsistent cuts.
What you need
- chef's knifePrimary knife for standard vegetable cuts
How to do it
- 1
Use a chef’s knife (single-hand grip) to cut vegetables into batonnet sticks (about 2-inch sticks, ~1/4-inch on all sides).
Avoid using two hands on the knife in a rocking/mezzaluna-style mash that creates uneven pieces.
Watch this step - 2
Cut the batonnet sticks crosswise to create small dice cubes (about 1/4-inch cubes).
Small dice should be derived from uniform sticks for consistent cubes.
Watch this step - 3
Cut brunoise as a smaller cube cut (a very fine dice) for uses like soups or salads.
Aim for precision and uniformity within the cut size.
Watch this step - 4
Check that each cut size is consistently shaped and that the three sizes are proportional (half/double).
Wide variety of shapes/sizes indicates poor knife control and leads to uneven cooking.
Watch this step
What goes wrong
Producing a wide variety of shapes and sizes in the same cut.
Slow down and standardize stick thickness/width before cubing; aim for uniform pieces.
Using two hands on the chef’s knife and mashing/rocking to chop.
Use proper chef-knife handling and controlled cuts to keep pieces consistent.
Why it works
Uniform size means uniform heat exposure, so food cooks at the same rate ("consistency of cut is consistency of cook").
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Cut ingredients to similar sizes so they cook evenly
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