LESSON 05 OF 12 · Knife Skills
Make a fine vegetable dice
Build on matchsticks to make neat little cubes, also called brunoise.
YOUR KITCHEN WIN
Turn even matchsticks into a fine dice for garnishes and cooking.
Gather: A sharp chef’s knife, a stable board, and carrot matchsticks from the previous lesson.
Let’s do it, step by step
Illustrative AI-generated step photos. Follow the written instructions for measurements and technique.
Start with even sticks
Practice the matchstick lesson first. Your sticks should be about 2–3 mm thick and wide. Uneven sticks make uneven cubes.
Begin with even carrot matchsticks. Gather a small bundle
Lay a few matchsticks parallel, with their ends aligned. Keep the bundle small enough to control comfortably; leave the rest aside.
Align a small, manageable bundle. Cut across the sticks
With curled fingertips and a tucked thumb, cut crosswise at roughly 2–3 mm intervals. Keep your guiding hand behind the cutting edge and move it back gradually.
Cut across the sticks at even intervals. Use your dice
Separate the cubes gently with a bench scraper or the back of the knife. Use the fine dice in the accompanying recipe, or as a vegetable base where a fine cut is called for.
Separate the small cubes and check consistency.
SMALL FIXES, BETTER RESULTS
If it doesn’t go to plan
Some cubes are long rectangles?
Match the crosscut spacing to the thickness of your sticks.
The bundle is hard to hold?
Reduce the number of sticks. A small, stable bundle is easier to cut safely.
One skill learned. One step forward.
Try the exercise, then mark this lesson complete when you feel ready.