Tourne

[NeroW]

Just wondering if anyone actually cuts their potatoes (or other vegetables) like this in the real world.

After going through about 20 lbs of potatoes as practice last night . . . my hand hasn't ached this badly since Hanon.

And that bird's beak knife is one mean, sharp little bastard.

Any stories?

Edited June 5, 2003 by NeroW (log)

[mise en place]

I've had them a couple of times--carrots and small red potatoes. As for doing them myself, I don't find any advantage to using the bird's beak over a regular paring knife. Also, cuting a large Russet into smaller tournes is much harder than cutting small red potatoes into single tournes. I've got an exam Saturday and we have to do 4 tournes out of 1 Russett. Mine are passable, but not perfect by any stretch.

[NeroW]

Also, cuting a large Russet into smaller tournes is much harder than cutting small red potatoes into single tournes.

I agree.

I've used both knives (paring and bird's beak) and at this stage in the game I find the curved knife is more comfortable for me to hold (for tournes).

I have an exam tomorrow where we have to cut 4 tournes also, but out of reds. Mine are starting to resemble real tournes . . . but those damn 7 sides!

But does anyone actually prepare them this way at home? Just to show off? Or in the professional arena? It seems I remember something from "Kitchen Confidential" about being in a cellar prep kitchen tourneeing hundreds of potatoes . . . my nightmare, right there.

[fimbul]

But does anyone actually prepare them this way at home? Just to show off?

I tried, once, just to be a silly git. Trouble is, to get good at tourneing, you need lots of practice, and damn me if I'm going to waste a whole sack of potatos just so I can say, "Hey! Honey, c'mere and look at this!" * One day, though, I'll try it again.

And, yeah, it was the 7 sides that got me too. Apparently, that number was chosen to inspire maximum anguish.

* I know the scraps can be turned into part of a meal, but I'd produce a lot of scraps, and my house contains just the two humans (the cat hates spuds). Home cooks can't really save and use scraps the way commercial kitchens or cooking schools can.

[NeroW]

* I know the scraps can be turned into part of a meal, but I'd produce a lot of scraps, and my house contains just the two humans (the cat hates spuds).  Home cooks can't really save and use scraps the way commercial kitchens or cooking schools can.

Ha ha! Silly git.

I threw several huge mixer-bowls full of scraps onto my compost heap.

I'm thinking about asking my Chef if I can start taking the scraps home from school.

Our class, what with the tourne, produces a LOT of scraps lately.

[fimbul]

* I know the scraps can be turned into part of a meal, but I'd produce a lot of scraps, and my house contains just the two humans (the cat hates spuds).  Home cooks can't really save and use scraps the way commercial kitchens or cooking schools can.

Ha ha! Silly git.

I threw several huge mixer-bowls full of scraps onto my compost heap.

I'm thinking about asking my Chef if I can start taking the scraps home from school.

Our class, what with the tourne, produces a LOT of scraps lately.

O, the things I'd give for a compost heap. I'm told, however, our yard is too small, and that the space we do have is needed to carry out some sort of master plan.

The cat and I cower in anxious anticipation.

[NeroW]

O, the things I'd give for a compost heap.  I'm told, however, our yard is too small, and that the space we do have is needed to carry out some sort of master plan.

The cat and I cower in anxious anticipation.

Our landlord told us that too, and that she was going to pave over our garden ( ) and our compost heap (double )

My downstairs neighbor seems to have put this on hold, by telling her that if she tried to pave over the compost, she'd find it in its new home--the backseat of her car.

I found this extremely funny.

[KateW]

Tourne. (shudder) We had to do this in stocks and sauces as part of our knife skills grade. I'm still not sure how to get 7 sides out of it...

I think there are much prettier and easier ways to prepare potatoes and such.

[elyse]

Can somene tell me what a tourne is, please?

Nero, I am so happy to hear you compost. Yay!

[mise en place]

A vegatable, most often carrots and potatoes, cut into barrel shapes with seven sides. Also an exercise inflicted upon culinary students in order to build up hand strength for holding a knife. Speaking of which, how many of you remember the first time you had to make mayonnaise without the use of a blender? Good for those arm muscles....

[slkinsey]

Can somene tell me what a tourne is, please?

From here:

To Tourne (which means to turn) requires paring the vegetable into a uniform seven-sided shape, similar to that of a football.

More info on the referenced page.

Edit = posted at the same time as mise en place

Edited June 5, 2003 by slkinsey (log)

[elyse]

I thank you.

[MsRamsey]

My husband wants us to compost, so when he's home (about 2 weekends per month), he gathers food scraps in a container in the sink, like coffee grounds, etc. Then when he goes back to California to work, I throw all of the scraps he's lovingly saved straight into the garbage can. Great ideal to strive for, but I don't have the time or inclination.

[Jinmyo]

Ha ha ha. Sometimes I tourne daikon or cucumber for simmering. Potatoes not so much.

Come to think of it, I don't so much do it as have it done.

Ha ha ha.

[elyse]

My husband wants us to compost, so when he's home (about 2 weekends per month), he gathers food scraps in a container in the sink, like coffee grounds, etc.  Then when he goes back to California to work, I throw all of the scraps he's lovingly saved straight into the garbage can.      Great ideal to strive for, but I don't have the time or inclination.

All it really takes is throwing it on the pile.

[KateW]

A vegatable, most often carrots and potatoes, cut into barrel shapes with seven sides. Also an exercise inflicted upon culinary students in order to build up hand strength for holding a knife. Speaking of which, how many of you remember the first time you had to make mayonnaise without the use of a blender?  Good for those arm muscles....

I remember. It was just a few months ago

[NeroW]

Ha ha ha. Sometimes I tourne daikon or cucumber for simmering. Potatoes not so much.

Come to think of it, I don't so much do it as have it done.

Ha ha ha.

"Ha ha ha?"

Why . . . I do believe she's laughing at us.

A question for tourne-rs: how many times do you actually turn the potato (or whatever) upside-down and back around again when you tourne?

When I first started doing it I flipped the thing around and around. Now I find myself doing it less.

[Jinmyo]

Nero, doing tourne is just One of Those Things.

But it is useful. Believe it or not.

I hardly ever flip it, just turn with fingers of left hand. I do it with a chef's knife these days.

Though I usually have assistants do it. Ha ha ha.

[mise en place]

A question for tourne-rs: how many times do you actually turn the potato (or whatever) upside-down and back around again when you tourne?

When I first started doing it I flipped the thing around and around.  Now I find myself doing it less.

I can do a small red potato one time around. Doing 4 out of a russet takes longer to get around the flat side. It seems that after you've done enough of them you just get a feel for how many cuts to make in order to get 7 sides. But I still get a 6 once in awhile.

[relatuit]

I like to play a game with myself......how many can I produce where I cut the wedge of potato exactly seven times (one for each side) and then neatly snip off the ends? It really wows people when you can just spin them out like that. (especially when you're showing them how to do it!) It's a matter of memorizing the arc and leaving the right width in the center as you make each successive cut. Of course, there is a great deal of potato trim only suitable for thickening soups; I can think of so many other ways to cut them that are more efficient potato use.

[Really Nice!]

Just wondering if anyone actually cuts their potatoes (or other vegetables) like this in the real world.

. . . my hand hasn't ached this badly since Hanon.

I like to do this often as it keeps my knife skills up, but I cheat a little.

Peel the potato, cut it in half vertically and place both halves cut side down on a cutting board. Take an apple slicer that slices an apple into 8 pieces, and push it down on each half. This should give you eight pieces per half. Now take your tournee knife and make your seven cuts into each piece.

The cuts might not be consistent, but you'll start with an even-sized potato each time.

Who is Hanon?

[Jinmyo]

Apple slicer. Ha ha.

Have you ever seen Jacques Pepin do tourne? Very hot.

[snowangel]

My brother-in-law and I do it once or twice a year. Always accompanied by wine (lots). Our daughters (one is 14, one is 12) can do it, too.

It can be a good way to pass a rainy afternoon with one of your favorite conversationalists. He and I have laughed that we never do tourne solo.

[zilla369]

I had to get really good at tourne-ing for an ACF competition in 2002 (first place), and i coached our 2003 team (tied for first place). For me, it's easier to get the football shape first and then pare off the seven planes, rather than cut seven sides and try to even them up.

Another tip, which is hard to explain in text without a visual aid, is to hold whatever you're cutting so that the curved plane you're carving is in silhouette, to the side, looking down on it. Of course you know, cut the ends flat very last thing - it really should be able to stand up on end.

I do use a bird's beak knife - somehow it seems to glide better for me and still make that nice, arched plane - does that make sense? but other people i know that carve them very well swear by cheap, thin, flexible paring knives.

I do tourne things occasionally, they look pretty on a plate. Turnips especially, since they hold their sharp angles well even after cooking.

I ate a LOT of potato soup while training for that competition. Mushroom soup, too (fluted mushrooms).

I also developed a weird little bulgy muscle on the top side of my forearm for a time.

edited to add: and i do flip only once to check for uniformity and make adjustments. Flipping back and forth ends up in overkill and a skinny tourne.

Edited June 6, 2003 by zilla369 (log)

[NeroW]

I do use a bird's beak knife - somehow it seems to glide better for me and still make that nice, arched plane - does that make sense?  but other people i know that carve them very well swear by cheap, thin, flexible paring knives.

Or Jinmyo, who uses a Chef's knife. I'd sever something if I tried that.

Really Nice, Hanon "composed" finger-dexterity exercises for the piano. The name of the Hanon book I trained from is "The Virtuoso Pianist." It's the piano equivalent of the tourne cut.

No Jinmyo, I've never seen Pepin cut tourne. I have a hard enough time watching my instructor do it without getting all bothered.