Cutting
Fine mince
kıyma kıvamı (parsley, garlic)
Chopping leafy herbs (parsley, dill, mint) or garlic almost to dust. Required everywhere in Turkish cooking from salads to meatballs.
When to use
Kneading köfte, smooth mezes (haydari, ezme), salad scatter, dolma filling. Fine cuts spread flavour evenly.
Common mistake
Rocking the blade so long that the leaves bruise and weep — the colour fades and the flavour weakens. Use fast, short strokes.
Steps
- Pull the leaves from the stems. Save the stems for stock.
- Pat the leaves dry — wet leaves stick to the blade.
- Anchor the tip of the blade, rock the handle up and down over the pile.
- After 20–30 s, stop, scrape the chop back into a pile, repeat for another 20–30 s.
- For finer still, add a pinch of salt — it speeds the breakdown.
Recipes using this technique
This technique hasn't been mapped to recipes yet. We'll be filling this in soon.