Cooking 101: Dices, Paysanne, Lozenge, and Tourné

September 6, 2008

This post is part of a series called Cooking 101, which introduces the basics of cooking. The series follows the book Culinary Fundamentals, with supplements from The Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America. Check out the previous posts here.

Unit 8: Basic Knife Skills

Part 5: Dices, Paysanne, Lozenge, and Tourné

I would like to finish discussing the precision cuts. Yesterday I covered the julienne and batonnet, and today follows with dices, the paysanne, the lozenge, and the tourné.

Dices

Dices are pretty simple once you learn the julienne and batonnet. Here is the chart again for the standard sizes:

• Fine Julienne:  1/16 x 1/16 x 1 to 2 inches
• Julienne:  1/8 x 1/8 x 1 to 2 inches
• Batonnet:  1/4 x 1/4 x 2 to 2 1/2 inches
• Fine Brunoise:  1/16 x 1/16 x 1/16 inch
• Brunoise:  1/8 x 1/8 x 1/8 inch
• Small Dice:  1/4 x 1/4 x 1/4 inch
• Medium Dice:  1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 inch
• Large Dice:  3/4 x 3/4 x 3/4 inch
• Paysanne:  1/2 x 1/2 x 1/8 inch
• Lozenge:  Diamond shape, 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/8 inch

To create a dice, start with the sticks that match your desired dice size. For example, if you want a small dice (1/4 inch cubed), then start with a batonnet. Create a batonnet, and line them up so their ends are even. Then, simply make repeated cuts of a 1/4 inch thickness from the end of the batonnet to end up with a 1/4 inch small dice.

This idea is the same for whatever size dice you want. If you want a fine brunoise, start with a fine julienne, line up the sticks, and make 1/16 inch cuts from the end of the sticks. Here are my attempts at the brunoise, small dice, medium dice, and large dice.

Brunoise:

1/8 x 1/8 x 1/8 inch

Small Dice:

1/4 x 1/4 x 1/4 inch

Medium Dice:

1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2 inch

Large Dice:

3/4 x 3/4 x 3/4 inch

Comparison:

Brunoise, Small, Medium and Large

Paysanne and Lozenge

Once you get the hang of the sticks and dices, the paysanne and lozenge are not too hard to figure out. The paysanne is a square cut, about an 1/8 of an inch thick and 1/2 x 1/2 inch square. Start with a stick that you would use for a medium dice and make 1/8 inch slices from the end.

The Lozenge is like a diamond paysanne, but requires an extra step in making it. Instead of making a paysanne from the 1/2 inch stick itself, create the long, 1/8 inch thick, rectangular slices that you would if you were making a julienne. Then, lay them flat and make a diagonal cut on one end, and proceed to make diagonal cuts, moving down the rectangle, to create diamond shaped lozenges.

Tourné

I have decided to throw in the tourné cut. It is a precision cut, but it is also decorative (and difficult). To make a tourné, start with your food in about a 2 inch long piece. With a paring knife, shape the food into a football shape (oblong and narrower at the ends) with seven even sides. This is difficult. Here is my ugly product.

I hope this primer on knife skills was helpful! To see past explanations, go here.

Posted in Cooking 101, Techniques |