Chiffonade

Chiffonade is a way to cut leafy herbs and greens into thin ribbons. You stack the leaves, roll them up tight and slice across the roll. The word comes from the French for "rag". It is most often used for basil, but it works for mint, sage, spinach, lettuce and other large, soft leaves.

How to do it

1. Wash the leaves and dry them well. Wet leaves stick and tear.
2. Pick off any thick stems.
3. Stack five to ten leaves of about the same size, largest at the bottom.
4. Roll the stack up tightly from the long side, like a cigar.
5. Hold the roll with your fingertips curled under.
6. Use a sharp chef's knife to slice across the roll in thin cuts, 1 to 3 mm (1/16 to 1/8 inch) apart. Use a smooth forward stroke rather than pressing straight down.
7. Fluff the ribbons apart with your fingers.

Why it works

Rolling the leaves turns a floppy pile into a firm log that you can slice evenly. A sharp blade and a single slicing stroke cut cleanly through the leaf. Pressing down hard or chopping back and forth crushes the leaf cells, and soft herbs such as basil turn dark and wet where they are bruised.

How to use it

• Scatter basil ribbons over pasta, pizza or tomato salad as a garnish.
• Stir spinach or chard ribbons into soup a minute before serving.
• Fold mint ribbons into a fruit salad or a grain salad.
• Use finely cut lettuce as a bed for tacos or seafood cocktails.

Common mistakes

• Cutting the herbs long before serving. Cut basil darkens within an hour or so. Cut it just before you need it.
• Using a dull knife, which crushes the leaves and leaves them black at the edges.
• Rolling loosely, so the ribbons come out uneven and torn.
• Stacking leaves of very different sizes, so the small ones fall out of the roll.

In recipes

"Cut into chiffonade", "cut into thin ribbons" and "finely shredded basil" all mean this technique. It is the leafy cousin of a julienne, which cuts firm vegetables into thin sticks.