How to Chiffonade Basil and Mint

Every chef should know how to chiffonade, since the appearance of a meal is as essential as its taste when preparing fine cuisine. "Chiffonade" is a French word for "made of rags," and is a popular cooking technique in which herbs or leafy green vegetables are sliced into long thin strips, which are used to garnish and flavor dishes. When you chiffonade, it is essential that you have a very sharp knife to avoid tearing or damaging the leaves. You may also need to practice a few times before you achieve the perfect chiffonade.



Here is how to chiffonade basil leaves. Start by stacking the leaves into a pile; you can start with ten leaves and eventually increase the number as you gain more experience. Roll up the pile of leaves into a tight cylinder. Then use a sharp knife to cut the leaves by slicing lengthwise across the cylinder; make the slices as close together as possible to produce the finest chiffonade. Then toss the slices to avoid clumping. The chiffonade can now be sprinkled on salads or soups, added to dips, or just placed on the side to decorate a dish.



When you chiffonade mint, however, you may have some difficulties because mint, like many types of herbs such as sage and certain kinds of basil, have a thick stem in the center of the leaf. If you chiffonade these, you’ll have tough stringy bits along with the leafy ribbons. Here is how to chiffonade mint. Place a few leaves at a time on the chopping surface, folding one side over to secure them and then chiffonade on that side. Once you’re done, repeat with the other side until you’re left with the stems, which you can discard. Alternately, you can pull or cut off the stems but do this carefully to avoid tearing the leaves.



To produce the best chiffonade, make sure you have fresh herbs. The herbs should have firm, bright colored leaves and stems, with no browning. Wash them thoroughly to get rid of any dirt and spin them in a salad spinner if you have one. To protect your fingers when cutting chiffonade, use your knuckles to hold down the leaves. If you’re not going to use the chiffonade at once after making it, you should immediately place them in a tightly sealed plastic bag and store them in the chiller; remember that cut herbs will not last as long as ones that are still intact.



Click here now to learn how to chiffonade basil and mint and download your copy of Basic Knife Skills and Vegetable Cuts video series by Chef Mark Sandoval for FREE.