Chiffonade and chopped herbs

Chiffonade and chopped herbs

Fine ribbons or a fine chop, without bruising the leaves

The Technique

For the chiffonade: stack the leaves, roll them tightly like a cigar, and slice thinly across to get ribbons. For chopped herbs, gather the leaves into a tight little pile, place one hand like a bell over the tip of the knife, and use the other to pivot the blade back and forth.

When

A chiffonade dresses a salad, a soup, or a dish right before serving: basil, lettuce, sorrel. A fine chop is suited for parsley, chives, and chervil, to sprinkle over a sauce or meat just before plating.

Common Mistakes

1. Rolling the leaves too loosely yields ribbons that fall apart
2. Chopping for too long turns the herbs into a bitter green paste
3. A knife that scrapes rather than slices will blacken the leaves in a few minutes

The Visual Cue

Chiffonade ribbons are about 2 mm wide. For chopped herbs, stop as soon as the leaves are in distinct little pieces: the color should stay bright, never brown or soggy. A ribbon that is too thick indicates a loose roll, tighten it before slicing.