Mission 1: Shaping Vegetables (Tournage)

I had every intention of having a fabulous post today where I wowed you with my ability to cut perfectly shaped vegetables. Well, I have a post and I did shape some vegetables (and potatoes) but they bear very little resemblance to the delicate barrel shape of properly cut vegetables (something like this). Mine, instead, bear a resemblance to, well, badly cut vegetables and potatoes. It wasn't through lack of trying though.

The idea is to take a tubular vegetable and cut it into two inch chunks. From there you are supposed to take a paring knife and cut a ( shape to have a nice 7 sided barrel shaped vegetable. This is supposed to enhance presentation and create even sized food for even cooking.

Towards the end I did manage to get something sort of resembling a barrel. . .a massively lopsided barrel but still a barrel. I think a big part of my problem is that I have this fear of my paring knife. As I am cutting a slightly bowed shape out of a chunk of carrot I envision the paring knife sliding out of the carrot and just whacking off a huge chunk of my thumb. I did manage to get over most of that fear and attempted to shape potatoes without losing any tips of fingers. My practice potatoes I am using to make pommes rissoles. . .or fancy French fries as I like to think of them.

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