Knife Cuts: Concasser

Concasser describes both the action of rough-chopping and the resulting cut itself. In classical French cuisine the term is most closely associated with tomates concassées — tomatoes that have been blanched, peeled, seeded, and then cut into rough ½–¾ inch irregular pieces. The purpose is threefold: removing the skin eliminates tough, bitter texture; removing the seed sac (locule) reduces excess water and seeds that would thin a sauce; and the coarse chop preserves body and visible tomato presence in the finished dish. The technique is a foundational skill because it concentrates flavour and gives the cook control over sauce consistency. Beyond tomatoes, concasser is applied to other soft, thin-skinned vegetables — roasted peppers, blanched shallots — and occasionally to nuts and dried spices that are roughly broken rather than finely ground. The resulting pieces are larger than a brunoise or julienne and less precise than a dice; the hallmark is intent over geometry. In professional kitchens, tomates concassées are held as a mise-en-place component and added at multiple stages: early for depth, late for brightness.

“She stirred in a cup of tomates concassées just before plating, so the chunks stayed lively and the sauce didn't turn to mush.”

• TechniqueBlanching
• ConceptMise en Place
• TechniqueSauce Making

1. 1.Larousse Gastronomique, Éditions Larousse
2. 2.Le Guide Culinaire — Auguste Escoffier
3. 3.Professional Cooking — Wayne Gisslen, Wiley
4. 4.The French Laundry Cookbook — Thomas Keller

Confidence: high