Techniques
Knife Skills
Skill
Advanced
4 min

How to do a tournée (turned vegetable) with 7 sides

Hold the vegetable between thumb and forefinger and use a paring knife to carve seven curved sides into a football shape.

The tournée is a classic, challenging decorative cut. The transcript specifies holding the item between thumb and forefinger and cutting seven curved sides with a paring knife to create a flat-ended football shape.

The short version

  • Seven curved sides
  • Use a paring knife and controlled grip

What you need

  • paring knifeUsed to carve the curved sides
  • cutting board
    optional
    Often done in-hand; use a board as needed for safety

How to do it

  1. 1

    Hold the item between your thumb and forefinger.

    Work slowly for control and safety.

    Watch this step
  2. 2

    Using a paring knife, cut seven curved sides around the item.

    Aim for evenly sized facets.

    Watch this step
  3. 3

    Shape it into a flat-ended football form.

    Watch this step

What goes wrong

Taking off too much at once and losing symmetry

Make small, controlled cuts and rotate frequently.

Why it works

Even, repeated curved facets create a symmetrical shape that looks refined and cooks uniformly.

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