tourne knife

Definition

A small curved paring knife specifically designed for creating tournée cuts and peeling vegetables with precision. The specialized tool that sits in your knife roll mostly to judge you for not having perfect tournée skills.

Example Usage

Use your tourne knife for those potatoes, not your chef's knife—this is precision work, not chopping firewood.

Origin

Named after the French 'tourner' (to turn), referring to the turning motion used

Fun Fact

Most professional chefs own a tourne knife that gets used approximately three times per year, making it the culinary equivalent of formal wear.

Source: Professional culinary knife terminology

Related Terms

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The culinary flex of dicing vegetables into perfect 2mm cubes — basically showing off your knife skills by creating tiny, uniform pieces. Named after the French because of course it is, this cut requires julienning vegetables first, then crosscutting them into microscopic precision. Professional chefs use brunoise to prove they paid attention in culinary school.

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sauerbraten

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straight up

An order without modifications or substitutions, exactly as written on the menu. The unicorn of modern dining and every cook's favorite type of order.

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msg

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corner

The urgent warning shouted when approaching a blind corner in a kitchen, preventing catastrophic collisions between staff carrying hot liquids, sharp objects, or fragile egos. Kitchen survival 101.

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