Antiquated

I was asked about what knife cuts are antiquated. German, old buddy, this one's for you.

In my humblest opinion, the two antiquated knife cuts are Tourné and the Fluting of mushroom caps. They're not common cuts in the modern kitchen as they're time consuming and difficult to do. However, they result in very elegant presentations.

Tourné: To carve vegetable into a football shape with seven equal sides (heptagon). This is accomplished often by using a specially designed paring knife with a curved blade known as a tourné knife or bird beak parer.

Fluted Mushrooms: Using a pairing knife a spiral design is carved into the caps of the mushrooms.

A lot of people will whine, moan and complain when having to do these cuts. And then there are some mad enough that they want to perfect them. Knowing that having this skill is just another part in the complete repertoire of being a cook.

What I enjoy in performing the cuts is the connection to my knife, the test of dexterity and skill, the focus required and knowing that I'm differentiating myself from thousands of others.

The above photo is my first ever attempt at the touré and my second at fluting mushrooms. I'm quite pleased but I can always be better. That said, I'm sure carrots are on sale somewhere...