Cutting herbs into strips either for a garnish or fixin can be time consuming if you are not familiar with chiffonade. How to chiffonade herbs? "Chiffonade" is a french term that literally translates to 'made of rags" in which the herbs are cut into strips. You can either use a herb cutter or a regular knife to cut the herb leaves into uniform strips. An herb cutter is a pair of scissors with multiple blades.
Tips on how to chiffonade herbs.
Wash the leaves and dry them with a paper towel before chiffonading them. Stack the leaves to make several layers. This will speed up the cutting process!
Chiffonading with an herb cutter scissors.
herb cutter.
I love my herb cutter scissors which I purchased many years ago and was so excited to use it, I ripped it out of the package and started using it. I didn't realize that the sheath of the herb cutter was to be used to remove the leaves that get lodged between the blades. It took me months to figure that out! So, make use of all the parts of your herb cutter scissors!
Chiffonading with a knife.
When you don't have an herb cutter and want to made uniform herb strips quickly, roll the stack of washed and dried leaves into a roll, like a cigar. The direction of the roll will determine the length of the strips. Use a sharp knife to cut the herbs. Blunt knives tend to bruise the leaves, especially basil, causing it to brown quickly.