How to Julienne Vegetables (Matchstick Cut)

To julienne a vegetable, cut it into thin, even matchsticks about 3 mm (1/8 in) square and 5 to 6 cm (2 in) long. You get there by squaring off the vegetable, slicing it into planks, then slicing the stacked planks into sticks.

Why the size matters

Cutting is cooking prep, not decoration. A uniform julienne cooks evenly because heat travels into food from the surface, and the time it takes to reach the centre rises roughly with the square of the thickness. Double the thickness of a carrot stick and it needs about four times as long to soften through. Mixed sizes in a stir-fry give you raw and limp pieces in the same bite.

Thin strips also have a huge surface area. That means fast cooking in a hot wok (often 1 to 2 minutes), quick pickling, and more surface for dressing to cling to in a slaw. A 3 mm stick of carrot is thin enough to bend slightly when raw, which is why julienned carrots feel tender in salads even uncooked.

The sizes

Turn a julienne 90 degrees and cut across the sticks at 3 mm and you have a brunoise, the tiny dice used in fine sauces.

Steps

1. Peel and trim the vegetable. Remove skins that are tough or bitter and cut off the ends.
2. Cut it into 5 cm lengths. Shorter pieces are easier to control and give the classic 2 in stick.
3. Square off the sides to make a stable block. Slice a thin piece off each of the four rounded sides so the piece sits flat and does not roll. A rolling vegetable is the main cause of slipped knives.
4. Slice the block into 3 mm planks. Keep your guiding hand in a claw, fingertips tucked, knuckles touching the flat of the blade. Move the knife forward and down in a smooth push, not straight down.
5. Stack two or three planks and slice into 3 mm sticks. Do not stack too high; tall stacks slide apart and give you uneven pieces.
6. Check the size and keep the trimmings for stock. The rounded offcuts are perfect for stock, soups or purées, so squaring off wastes nothing.

Vegetable-specific tips

• Carrots and parsnips: if very thick, cut lengthwise in half first, and avoid the woody core of large parsnips.
• Bell peppers: cut the flesh into flat panels, lay them skin-side down, and trim away the pale ribs. Slice the panel into 3 mm strips. Skin-side down stops the blade sliding off the waxy skin.
• Zucchini and cucumber: julienne only the firm outer 1 cm with skin, and save the watery seed core for something else. The core collapses into mush.
• Ginger: slice into thin coins along the fibres, stack and cut. Cutting along the fibres gives cleaner strips.
• Potatoes: rinse cut sticks in cold water to remove surface starch so they do not glue together when fried.

Knife, board and mandoline

A sharp knife is safer than a dull one: it needs less force, so it is less likely to skid. It also cuts cleanly through cell walls instead of crushing them, which keeps strips crisp and stops them weeping liquid. If your knife slides off a pepper skin, it is time to sharpen it.

A mandoline with a julienne blade is fast and accurate, but it is the most common source of kitchen finger injuries. Always use the hand guard or a cut-resistant glove and stop when the piece gets short.

Common mistakes and fixes

• Uneven sticks: you skipped squaring off, or the planks were uneven. Fix the plank thickness first, since sticks can never be more even than the planks they come from.
• Strips breaking: the pieces were too long or the vegetable was old and dry. Cut 5 cm lengths and use firm, fresh produce.
• Soggy julienne: cut too far ahead and left uncovered. Most julienned vegetables keep 1 to 2 days refrigerated in a sealed container lined with a damp paper towel. Carrots and celery can be held in cold water for crunch.
• Sore wrist: you are chopping straight down. Let the blade slide forward through the cut; the length of the edge does the work.