How To Julienne

To julienne means to cut into matchstick pieces approximately 2-3 inches in length and 1/8-1/16 inch in width.

1. Start with a peeled and trimmed vegetable such as a carrot. Then cut it into 2-3 inch pieces.
2. Square off all of the sides, so the pieces don't roll around while you are cutting and you end up with uniform sticks. If you don't mind a few curved pieces, you may just trim one edge for stability and leave the others intact.
3. Cut the carrot pieces lengthwise into thin planks in 1/8-inch intervals. Hold your carrot with your fingertips curled back and your knuckles brushing against the side of your knife. This will help to guide your knife to create even slices.
4. Stack these slices and cut down lengthwise again at 1/8-inch intervals to create matchstick pieces. This is a simple up and down motion with your knife.