How easy is it to chop herbs?


How easy is it to chop herbs?
Whenever you have fresh herbs - parsley, chervil, coriander, mint, etc. - to incorporate into a recipe, we tell you to chop them up.

In this case, "chopping" means separating the leaves from the stems, keeping only the leaves, and chopping them more or less finely.

It's not very complicated, of course, but let's take a look at a few ways of doing it, and how to avoid certain pitfalls.
9,825 5/5 (3 reviews)
Grade this page:
Keywords for this post:TipsTricksHow toHerbChopCutMinceParsley
Last modified on: September 12th 2023
For this post: Comment Follow Send to a friend
How easy is it to chop herbs?

Preparation

In most cases, as mentioned above, the first step is to separate the leaves from the stems, keeping only the leaves, the most tender and fragrant part of the herb.
This is done because, as a general rule, the stems are always a little hard, and not very pleasant raw. But you don't necessarily have to throw them away: parsley stems, for example, are wonderful for cooking in a sauce or dish, even if you have to remove them after cooking.

herbes avec tigesfeuilles uniquement


Let's chop!

Basically, just place the leaves on a chopping board, then chop them more or less finely, with a chopper or a knife, and you're done?

Well, it's not quite that simple. First of all, you have to get rid of a common misconception: "The finer the chop, the better the taste".
No, it's a culinary legend, because the finer you chop, the more the herbs oxidize and lose their flavour, and the more some of their flavour is lost on the utensils. Cooks have a phrase for this, they say "taste is on the board".

In any case, as a general rule, herbs age very badly once chopped, so whatever the method, you have to be quick.

So chop them, but don't overdo it, proceed quickly, and incorporate the herbs into your recipe as soon as they've been chopped. Don't let herbs that have already been chopped sit on a corner of your work surface, as they will quickly lose their taste.

How to chop

There are several ways to proceed, but here are 3:

Classic method
hachage traditionnel au couteau

Using a knife or chopper, chop the herbs you've grouped together on the board.
It's very simple, but you'll need to make quite a few strokes of the knife to chop all the herbs, which will need to be grouped together from time to time on the board.

The dumpling
hachage en boulette 1hachage en boulette 2hachage en boulette 3hachage en boulette 4

The herbs are grouped together until they form a small parcel, a "boulette", and then delicately sliced, as you would a shallot, for example.
It's very efficient, and the herbs are chopped very quickly.

By the glass
hachage en boulette 1hachage en boulette 2hachage en boulette 3


The herbs are placed in a glass, and a pair of scissors is used to cut directly into the glass, until the desired texture is obtained.
It's even quicker and more efficient, and all you have to do is pour the contents of the glass into the recipe. This is definitely my preferred method.

An electric chopper

As you may have noticed, all these methods are manual, so what about electric choppers?
They're handy, of course, for chopping herbs and other things at the same time (garlic, onions, etc.), but they're admittedly not indispensable, and with them you tend to chop too finely, by pressing the button a little too long. If you use one, remember to chop for a few seconds at most.

To sum up: Chopping herbs is a simple matter, you just have to remember 1) not to chop too finely and 2) not to keep your chopped herbs waiting (incorporate them into your recipe as soon as they have been chopped).

Lasts posts
Should potatoes be washed twice?
Should potatoes be washed twice?
Let's say you have to make a recipe that includes potatoes, let's say sliced, you'll most likely proceed as follows: Peel the potatoes, wash them, slice them, wash them again, pat them dry and add them to your recipe. But there's a "but": depending on the recipe, the second washing may be a bad...
May 19th 2025945 15
Grilled bacon is much better in the oven
Grilled bacon is much better in the oven
Some recipes call for thin slices of bacon to be cooked and added to the recipe, or to prepare one of those delicious breakfasts known as "à l'Anglaise".
April 25th 20251,4735
The thermometer is your friend
The thermometer is your friend
There are many recipes or foods that require a (very) precise cooking temperature: foie gras, sugar for caramel, meats and fish, and not forgetting pastries. For these few examples, getting the cooking temperature wrong can spoil the whole recipe or dish: undercooked, it's no good or misses the...
April 10th 20251,7795
Travel cakes
Travel cakes
You may have come across the term "travel cakes" ("gateaux de voyage" in french) for certain pastries, so let's take a look at what they're all about.
January 27th 20253,263
The aromatic power of sugar
The aromatic power of sugar
In the kitchen, sugar doesn't just sweeten, it also has an exceptional ability to capture flavors. Combined with aromatic ingredients, such as citrus zest, it acts as a veritable sponge for aromas. By taking the time to let the sugar soak up the flavors, you can transform your desserts, making...
December 25th 20243,7305

Other pages you may also like
Candied fruits: don't get ripped off
Candied fruits: don't get ripped off
Do you like candied fruit? You might like to nibble a handful or add it to a recipe, like a classic fruit cake or delicious Italian specialities like panettone or sicilian epiphany pie.
June 21th 201762 K 24.2
Stand mixer tools
Stand mixer tools
Whether we call it a stand mixer, food processor, or simply refer to it by brand (Kenwood, KitchenAid, etc.), this machine is a valuable tool for amateur cooks, bakers or pastry chefs like ourselves. All these machines come supplied with 3 different tools. Let’s take a look at their names and...
November 2nd 201934 K4.5
The 3 kinds of meringue
The 3 kinds of meringue
Meringue – what could be simpler? Just beaten egg whites with sugar added. This makes a fairly stiff mixture which can then be cooked in a cool oven to create those lovely, light confections. But in the world of professional patisserie, meringue comes in three different kinds. Even if the...
June 14th 201360 K4.5
Steam for baking bread
Steam for baking bread
What does steam have to do with bread-making? This is not only a bakers' secret, it is something you might not think of at all: if you make bread and bake it like a cake, you will end up with bread, but pale and with a thick, hard crust – a long way from the golden-brown crusty loaf you had in...
June 16th 2021140 K4.5
A few tips for effective kneading at home
A few tips for effective kneading at home
When you have to knead dough for bread or some other recipe, you may well use a food processor or the type of machine known as a stand mixer. The best-known brands are Kenwood and KitchenAid. They are useful tools, but here are a few tips to help you get the best out of them.
June 23th 2021276 K 23.7
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing

Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.

Back to top of page