Brunoise
Garnish is so much more than a sprig of parsley or a sprinkle of minced chives. At least it is for me lately. Michel Richards Happy in the Kitchen details an innovative technique using Japanese mandoline to produce the cut quickly and in quantity. If I worked in a restaurant I’d likely never look back. But at home I’ve been producing the micro-dice old school with a knife, as a meditation. I like the work, probably for the same reason I like shaving with a straight razor or dialing with a rotary phone. It’s fun.
First julienne and then turn 90° and dice again, producing cubes 3 mm on each side or less. Leeks, turnips and carrots; The same veg that goes into my quick stock, so they’re almost always on hand. Blanched briefly in salty boiling water and then submerged in ice water for a few seconds to set the color and prevent them from becoming mush. Traditionally this technique is used to garnish consume and sauces, but chefs in the area have been producing it in quantity to form the bed for plated dishes. I’m not sure I have quite that much concentration, but you can enough brunoise for a garnish fairly quickly, if only for the practice.
Brunoise
