Tourneing Vegetables

Credit: André Baranowski

Tourneing vegetables—cutting them into elegant, tapered shapes—requires nothing more than a steady hand, a sharp knife, and a bit of practice. We use a carrot to illustrate the technique, but other vegetables, like potatoes and turnips, work well too.

1. Begin with a well-scrubbed, medium-size carrot and a sharp paring knife.

2. Cut the carrot into 2" pieces.

3. Working with 1 piece at a time, hold the carrot firmly between your thumb and forefinger. Grip the knife and steady your thumb on the other end of the carrot.

4. Trim carrot on one end, turning it as you go, to form a tapered tip.

5. Pare down the sides of the carrot with a knife to smooth out the edges.

6. Continue cutting until the carrot resembles a football in shape on one end.

7. Flip the carrot over and trim the other end until both ends are shaped the same.

8. Repeat.