Brunoise

Brunoise is a classical French knife cut consisting of very small, even cubes, commonly about 3 mm × 3 mm × 3 mm (approximately ⅛ in). It is generally produced by first cutting the ingredient into fine julienne, then turning the strips and cutting them crosswise into cubes.

How to prepare a brunoise

1. Trim the vegetable into a stable block with parallel sides.
2. Cut thin, even slices.
3. Stack the slices and cut them into fine julienne strips.
4. Gather the strips and cut across them at regular intervals to create small cubes.

Where brunoise is used

Brunoise adds precise texture, colour and flavour without creating large pieces in a dish. It is used in consommé garnishes, vinaigrettes, beurre blanc, sauces, tartares and fine vegetable garnishes. Common ingredients include carrot, celery, leek, shallot and pepper.

Example: A fine brunoise of carrot, celery and leek can be blanched briefly and used as a garnish for consommé, while shallot brunoise can be used as the aromatic base for a sauce.

Chef’s tip: The quality of a brunoise depends on the julienne underneath it. Focus on even slices and strips first; rushing the final dice will not correct uneven preparation.

Key distinction: Brunoise is a small cube, while julienne is a fine matchstick. The brunoise is made by cutting julienne crosswise.