To chiffonade, or not to chiffonade...there really is no question.

Basil is a very delicate herb. It's important to treat it with care when you are chopping it. It came to my attention that I did not address this in yesterday's post, even though chopped basil was necessary for the recipe. It's a pretty important skill to have if you are going to cook on a regular basis so I've taken the liberty of making a video to show you how to properly chop basil leaves.

The reason that the edges of basil turn darker when you cut them is that the knife is damaging the leaf where it slices. The more you pound on the leaves with your blade, the more damaged it gets, and the less flavorful. Basil is one of the best flavors in a meal, and you don't want to jeopardize that flavor by brutalizing the leaves. 

For this reason, we take a bunch of basil leaves and pile them on top of each other, larger leaves at the bottom of the pile, smaller ones at the top. Once the pile is completed, we are going to roll the leaves into a cigar like shape. Hold the cigar with your left hand while you take the knife in your right (unless you are left-handed...in which case, reverse this). Start slicing in a determined fashion, one slice taking a small row of basil off of the cigar. Once you get to the stems, stop slicing (you don't really want the stems to find their way into your dish if you can help it). You'll have a nice pile of basil ribbons which you can then use in whatever you are cooking. Only one leaf (the outside of the cigar) was damaged this way and you preserve the majority of flavor from the basil. This technique is called a chiffonade. You can use it for any leafy green or herb, but I tend to find it most helpful when cutting basil. If the recipe calls for a smaller cut than this, you can then take those ribbons and cut them in small squares, but I tend to leave them in ribbons for aesthetic appeal.

And now, for the main event:

I hope that this sheds some light on the delicate art of basil chopping. If you have any questions, leave me a comment and I promise to clear up any confusion!

Until tomorrow, my budding chefs!