Knife Cuts — Classical French

Bâtonnet (Large Stick)

Also: batonnet, bâtonnet, large stick cut, pomme allumette, pont-neuf

The workhorse French stick cut — a 6 mm × 6 mm × 6 cm baton that is the parent of large dice and the direct ancestor of every French fry dimension.

Bâtonnet (French: 'little stick') is the classical French knife cut producing a uniform rectangular baton measuring 6 mm × 6 mm × 6 cm. It sits between the finer julienne (3 mm × 3 mm × 6 cm) and the thicker pont-neuf or pomme allumette fry cuts. Because all three principal dice sizes — large (2 cm), medium (1.2 cm), and small (6 mm brunoise) — are derived from trimming a bâtonnet to a cube, mastering this cut is foundational to the entire French brigade sizing system.

In photos

Bâtonnet (Large Stick) in its raw whole-cut form on a butcher's board — Bâtonnet (French: 'little stick') is the classical French knife cut producing a uniform rectangular baton measuring 6 mm × 6 mm × 6 cm. Identifying traits: Precise 6 mm × 6 mm cross-section, 6 cm length — uniformity controls even cooking, Produces large dice (2 cm) when crosscut at 2 cm intervals, Natural parent cut for crudités platter sticks and vegetable garnishes.

Where the bâtonnet (large stick) lives on the source. Technique applied to firm vegetables and fruits: carrot, celery, potato, zucchini, cucumber, jicama, apple, daikon.

Bâtonnet (Large Stick) prepared the canonical way — Carottes Vichy (glazed carrot batons). Square off the vegetable: trim all four sides to produce a rectangular block (rectangular planks first, then stack and cut into sticks).

Where it comes from

Technique applied to firm vegetables and fruits: carrot, celery, potato, zucchini, cucumber, jicama, apple, daikon.

Precise 6 mm × 6 mm cross-section, 6 cm length — uniformity controls even cookingProduces large dice (2 cm) when crosscut at 2 cm intervalsNatural parent cut for crudités platter sticks and vegetable garnishesRecognisable visual geometry that signals kitchen precision in plated dishesConsistent surface area ensures even marinating and picklingPomme allumette (matchstick fry) is a slightly thinner variant at ~3–4 mm × ~3–4 mm × ~6 cmPont-neuf is the thickest French fry variant at 1 cm × 1 cm × ~7 cm

Best for

Crudités and vegetable plattersStir-fries where uniform stick shape ensures even wok contactVegetable garnishes for consommé and clear soupsPickles and quick pickles (uniform surface area = even brine penetration)Shallow-frying or deep-frying root vegetablesDerivation into large or medium dice by crosscutting at the appropriate interval

How to cook it

1Square off the vegetable: trim all four sides to produce a rectangular block (rectangular planks first, then stack and cut into sticks).
2Slice the block into 6 mm planks along its length.
3Stack 2–3 planks and cut lengthwise into 6 mm sticks; the result is a 6 mm × 6 mm × 6 cm bâtonnet.
4To derive large dice: crosscut bâtonnets at 2 cm intervals.
5To derive medium dice: cut planks at 1.2 cm and crosscut at 1.2 cm.
6Keep the offcuts (trimmings) for stocks, purées, or rough chops — nothing is wasted.
7For round vegetables (carrots, cucumbers), remove a flat slice from one side first to create a stable base before proceeding.

Prep & butchery

Always begin by squaring the vegetable into a rectangular block — curves and tapered ends produce uneven sticks that cook unevenly.
A sharp, long chef's knife (or a Japanese nakiri for vegetables) produces clean, non-compressive cuts with minimal cell damage.
For hard root vegetables (carrot, parsnip), a firm, flat-footed cutting stance and full blade length reduces effort and improves precision.
Offcut trimmings from squaring are perfectly edible — set aside for stocks, soups, or staff meal.

Substitutes

Julienne (3 mm stick)
Finer version — same technique, smaller cross-section; use when rapid cooking or delicate texture is needed
Pont-neuf (1 cm stick)
Thicker version — classic thick-cut French fry; same squaring technique applied more generously

Related cuts

Julienne
The finer sibling at 3 mm × 3 mm × 6 cm, used for quick-cooking applications and garnish
Large Dice
Derived from bâtonnet by crosscutting at 2 cm — the direct descendant
Brunoise
2–3 mm cube derived from julienne; demonstrates the hierarchy of sizes inherent in stick cuts
Chiffonade
The ribbon analogue for leafy vegetables — unrelated in geometry but part of the same classical French sizing vocabulary

Appears in

Carottes Vichy (glazed carrot batons)Vegetable consommé garnishFrench crudités with aïoli or bagna caudaBoeuf bourguignon (carrot bâtonnets as garnish)Niçoise-style vegetable platterPommes allumette (matchstick fries, the thinner variant)

References

1.The Culinary Institute of America, The Professional Chef, 9th ed. (2011)
2.Jacques Pépin, La Technique (1976)
3.Michel Roux, Sauces: Savoury and Sweet (2009)

Confidence: high

Notes

The sizing hierarchy

French knife-cut sizes form a strict derivation chain: julienne (3 mm) → bâtonnet (6 mm) → pont-neuf / allumette (8–10 mm). Each stick, when crosscut at its own width, produces the correspondingly named dice: brunoise (3 mm cube from julienne), small dice (6 mm cube from bâtonnet), large dice (20 mm cube from a wider plank). Understanding this chain means you only need to memorise one core operation — square, plank, stick, crosscut — then dial the dimensions.

Pomme allumette vs. pont-neuf

Both are French fry cuts derived from the bâtonnet family. Pomme allumette ('matchstick potato') runs 3–4 mm square and produces an ultra-crispy result that cooks in under 2 minutes at 175 °C. Pont-neuf, named after the Paris bridge, is a chunky 1 cm × 7 cm stick — the archetype of the British chip and the Belgian frite — requiring a double-fry at 140 °C then 180 °C for a crisp shell and fluffy interior.