How to julienne food

Cutting food into matchsticklike strips. Vegetables cut into julienne strips and quickly cooked make an attractive side dish and soup garnish. Use julienne-cut firm cheeses and cooked meats in salads. To keep food from drying out, cut it just before cooking or dressing it.

To cut julienne, peel the food if necessary and trim off unwanted parts. Cut rounded foods such as carrots or potatoes in half lengthwise or trim a thin slice from one side so that the food rests firmly on a cutting board. Grasp the food as shown and cut it with a sharp knife into 1/8-inch slices. Stack three or four slices and cut them into 1/8-inch strips. Cut the strips into uniform, 2-inch lengths for salads, longer for garnish.