Chiffonade Herbs - Tip of the Day

by Adeena Sussman, Posted Jul 6th 2010 @ 9:00AM

Many recipes call for chopped or minced mint, basil or sage, but herbs can turn black when overprocessed. Keep them fresh and fragrant by chiffonading.

Photo: Dana Moos, Flickr

By using a technique called chiffonade (French for ribbon), you can create sliced herbs of any desired thickness. Take a pile of clean, dry mint or basil leaves and place the largest one on the table. Stack leaves by size, then roll into a tight log. Using a sharp knife, slice the log into discs, then separate. Voila -- perfect strands of herbs that will break apart easily during cooking without compromising their color or texture.

Filed Under: Tip of the Day
Tags: basil, chiffonade, mint