Cuts

Knife Cuts — Classical French

Batonnet

Also: bâtonnet, stick cut, small baton

A 6 mm × 6 mm × 6 cm stick cut — the foundational baton from which large dice and frites descend.

The batonnet (French: 'little stick') is a precise rectangular stick cut measuring 6 mm × 6 mm in cross-section by 6 cm in length. It is a mid-hierarchy knife cut in the classical French brigade system: larger than the allumette (matchstick) and julienne, and the direct parent of the large dice (grand dé). Uniformity across all three dimensions is essential for even cooking and professional presentation.

In photos

Batonnet in its raw whole-cut form on a butcher's board — The batonnet (French: 'little stick') is a precise rectangular stick cut measuring 6 mm × 6 mm in cross-section by 6 cm in length. Identifying traits: Precise 6 mm × 6 mm × 6 cm rectangular stick form, Parent cut for the large dice (grand dé, 2 cm cube) when cross-cut, Standard shape for French frites and crudité platters.
Batonnet in its raw whole-cut form on a butcher's board — The batonnet (French: 'little stick') is a precise rectangular stick cut measuring 6 mm × 6 mm in cross-section by 6 cm in length. Identifying traits: Precise 6 mm × 6 mm × 6 cm rectangular stick form, Parent cut for the large dice (grand dé, 2 cm cube) when cross-cut, Standard shape for French frites and crudité platters.
Where the batonnet lives on the source. Applied to firm vegetables and some fruits — most commonly potatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, and bell peppers.
Where the batonnet lives on the source. Applied to firm vegetables and some fruits — most commonly potatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, and bell peppers.
Batonnet prepared the canonical way — Pommes frites (French fried potatoes). Square off the vegetable with a chef's knife to create a rectangular block (parade), discarding the rounded outer scraps or reserving for stock.
Batonnet prepared the canonical way — Pommes frites (French fried potatoes). Square off the vegetable with a chef's knife to create a rectangular block (parade), discarding the rounded outer scraps or reserving for stock.

Where it comes from

Applied to firm vegetables and some fruits — most commonly potatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, and bell peppers. The cut begins by squaring off the vegetable into a rectangular block, then slicing planks 6 mm thick, stacking and aligning those planks, and cutting down into 6 mm × 6 mm sticks of 6 cm length.

Precise 6 mm × 6 mm × 6 cm rectangular stick formParent cut for the large dice (grand dé, 2 cm cube) when cross-cutStandard shape for French frites and crudité plattersRequires a squared vegetable block (parade) as starting pointSlower than julienne but more robust — holds shape during cookingVersatile: serves raw, blanched, sautéed, or fried applications

Best for

French frites (deep-frying)Crudité and vegetable dippers (raw)Vegetable sautés and stir-friesGarnish for consommés and clear brothsMacédoine salads (cross-cut to large dice)Vegetable sides braised à l'anglaise

How to cook it

  1. 1Square off the vegetable with a chef's knife to create a rectangular block (parade), discarding the rounded outer scraps or reserving for stock.
  2. 2Slice the block into 6 mm planks parallel to one face.
  3. 3Stack the planks and align the edges, then cut lengthwise into 6 mm-wide sticks.
  4. 4Trim each stick to exactly 6 cm — use the first stick as a length guide for the batch.
  5. 5Keep cut pieces in a single layer on a damp towel or in cold water if working ahead to prevent oxidation.
  6. 6For frites, rinse, dry thoroughly, and fry at 160 °C (325 °F) to cook through, then finish at 190 °C (375 °F) for colour and crispness.

Prep & butchery

  • A sharp, flat-spined chef's knife is essential — a rounded blade will skew the cut angle.
  • Establish a flat base on the vegetable first (pare one side flat) before squaring into a parade block.
  • Trimmings from the parade are irregular but perfectly edible — reserve for mirepoix, purées, or stock.
  • Consistent plank thickness is the single biggest determinant of final batonnet uniformity.

Substitutes

  • Julienne

    Much finer (3 mm × 3 mm × 6 cm); appropriate for raw garnish and quick-cook applications where batonnet would be too thick.

  • Allumette

    Intermediate matchstick cut (3 mm × 3 mm × 6 cm), used for fine frites (pommes allumettes) and quick vegetable garnishes.

  • Large dice (grand dé)

    Cross-cut batonnet at 6 mm intervals yields medium dice; at 2 cm yields large dice — reverse substitution if stick form is not required.

Related cuts

  • Julienne

    Finer cousin at 3 mm × 3 mm × 6 cm; shares the same rectangular cross-section but cooks far faster.

  • Allumette

    Matchstick cut (3 mm × 3 mm × 6 cm) — often conflated with julienne, but used specifically for pommes allumettes (matchstick fries).

  • Large Dice (Grand Dé)

    Produced by cross-cutting batonnet into 2 cm cubes; batonnet is its essential parent cut.

  • Macédoine

    1 cm dice derived from cross-cutting batonnet at 1 cm intervals.

  • Brunoise

    Fine 3 mm cube derived from julienne cross-cut; analogous relationship to julienne as large dice is to batonnet.

Appears in

Pommes frites (French fried potatoes)Crudité plattersJardinière de légumesMacédoine de légumesPot-au-feu (garnish vegetables)

References

  1. 1.The Professional Chef, 9th ed. — The Culinary Institute of America (Wiley, 2011)
  2. 2.Jacques Pépin: New Complete Techniques — Jacques Pépin (Black Dog & Leventhal, 2012)
  3. 3.On Food and Cooking — Harold McGee (Scribner, 2004)
  4. 4.Larousse Gastronomique — Prosper Montagné, ed. (Larousse, 2009)

Confidence: high

Notes

The Hierarchy of French Stick Cuts

Classical French knife cuts follow a strict size hierarchy from finest to coarsest: julienne/allumette (3 mm × 3 mm × 6 cm) → batonnet (6 mm × 6 mm × 6 cm) → bâton (12 mm × 12 mm × 6 cm). Each larger size is a parent cut for the corresponding dice: julienne → brunoise (3 mm), batonnet → medium or large dice (6–20 mm), bâton → large cube. Mastering the batonnet is therefore not merely decorative — it is structural literacy for all French dicing work.

Parade (Squaring Off)

The parade step — slicing a flat face on each side of the vegetable to create a rectangular block — generates significant trim waste that frustrates students. In professional kitchens, all parade trimmings go directly into the stock pot or the mise en place for mirepoix. The discipline of the parade is what enables the consistent cross-section that defines a true batonnet; skipping it produces tapered sticks that cook unevenly.