Not every dish calls for tiny precision. For a stew, an oven dish or a hearty soup the pieces can be larger. Then you reach for carré.
Carré is a larger dice cut: equal cubes of about 1 to 1.2 centimetres. You can see it as the roomier brother of brunoise. The principle is the same, just larger.
The exact size can differ slightly between culinary schools and uses. It is mostly about equal pieces.
What is carré?
With carré you cut a firm vegetable into cubes with six equal sides. The word literally means “square”.
Typical for carré:
- about 1 to 1.2 cm on all sides;
- equal cubes, not chunks;
- sturdy enough to stay recognisable after long cooking.
You use it for potato, carrot, pumpkin, celeriac, parsnip, courgette and pepper.
Why carré?
Larger pieces keep their shape better during long cooking. Small cubes fall apart in a stew, carré stays whole and gives bite.
You also cut less for the same plate. That makes it a pleasant technique for practising even cutting, without the pressure of brunoise.
Larger pieces need a longer cooking time. Cut everything the same size, and it is all done at once.
How to cut carré
Here too you start with a regular block. Then you work from slices to sticks to cubes.
Step 1 – Choose a firm ingredient
Potato, carrot, pumpkin and celeriac are ideal, because they are firm and keep a nice shape.
Step 2 – Make a stable block
Cut off the ends and make a rectangular block with flat sides. Keep the trimmings for stock.
Step 3 – Cut slices of 1 cm
Cut the block into slices about 1 to 1.2 cm thick.
Step 4 – Cut sticks
Stack a few slices and cut them into sticks of the same width. In effect you are making a thick batonnet, also called bâton.
Step 5 – Cut the cubes
Lay the sticks side by side and cut them across into cubes of the same size. Those are your carré cubes.
That is how the family works: slice → stick → cube.
What do you use carré for?
Stews and soups
Carré is the standard size for a hearty stew or soup. The cubes stay whole while simmering.
Oven dishes and roasted vegetables
Carré of pumpkin, carrot or potato browns nicely in the oven and stays soft inside. See also roasting.
A rough base for sauces
For a stock or sauce that you strain afterwards, the cut doesn’t need to be so fine. A rough carré of onion, carrot and celery is enough.
Carré versus brunoise
| Cut | Shape | Approx. |
|---|---|---|
| Brunoise | small cubes | 3 mm |
| Small dice | medium cubes | 6 mm |
| Carré | large cubes | 1 to 1.2 cm |
The larger the cubes, the longer the cooking time. So choose the size based on how long the dish is on the heat.
Carré of different vegetables
Potato
Cut the potato straight and put the cubes straight into cold water. That way they don’t turn brown and excess starch washes away. Pat them dry before they go in the oven or pan.
Pumpkin
Halve the pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut it into wedges. Peel the wedges with a sharp knife and cut them into cubes. Pumpkin is softer than potato, so leave the cubes a bit larger if you want to roast them.
Carrot and parsnip
First cut them into pieces of about 5 cm and make a block of each. You can halve the thick end lengthwise first.
Celeriac
Celeriac has a thick, rough skin. Cut it away generously with a sharp knife. Put the cubes in water with a little lemon juice to prevent discolouring.
Carré and cooking time
| Vegetable | Preparation | Guide time |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | boiling | 10 to 15 minutes |
| Potato | oven, 200 °C | 25 to 35 minutes |
| Carrot | oven, 200 °C | 25 to 30 minutes |
| Pumpkin | oven, 200 °C | 20 to 25 minutes |
| Celeriac | boiling | 12 to 15 minutes |
These are guide times. Test with a knife: if it slides in without resistance, it is done.
Storing carré and cutting ahead
You can cut carré of firm vegetables a day ahead. Keep potato cubes in cold water in the fridge, and carrot, pumpkin and celeriac well covered in a closed container.
The most common mistakes
The cubes are uneven
That happens because you didn’t make the block straight first.
Solution: first make a rectangular block with flat sides.
Everything is too large
A 2 cm piece is still raw when the rest is done.
Solution: watch the size and cut large pieces in half.
You mix very different sizes
Small pieces are overcooked while large ones are still hard.
Solution: cut everything to the same size, or add quick-cooking pieces later.
You cut with a blunt knife
The knife slips and the vegetable tips over.
Solution: use a sharp knife and a steady board.
Practise with one potato
- Cut the potato straight into a block.
- Cut slices of 1 cm.
- Cut the slices into sticks.
- Cut the sticks into cubes.
- Lay the cubes side by side and compare.
Remember: it isn’t about exactly 1 cm, but about equal pieces.
Mirepoix and paysanne: related cuts
Carré is related to two other cuts you meet a lot in classical cuisine.
Mirepoix
Mirepoix is a roughly cut mixture of onion, carrot and celery, in a ratio of about 2 : 1 : 1. It is the flavour base beneath almost every stock, broth and stew. Because it cooks along for a long time or is strained later, the cut doesn’t need to be fine. A rough carré is exactly right.
Paysanne
Paysanne literally means “peasant”. The vegetables are cut into thin, flat slices or cubes, with a rustic, not too strict shape. It suits country soups and stews. It is a good cut for those still practising: the shape doesn’t need to be perfect, as long as the thickness stays roughly equal.
Carré in a dish: a stew step by step
A stew is the perfect dish for putting carré into practice. This is how you go about it:
- Cut the meat into chunks of about 3 cm and brown them all over in a heavy pan.
- Cut onion, carrot and celery into rough carré and fry them along until they get some colour.
- Deglaze with wine or stock and scrape the fond loose.
- Add herbs, such as thyme and bay leaf, and let the meat simmer gently for well over an hour.
- Add the carré of potato or pumpkin in the last 25 to 30 minutes, so they are cooked but stay whole.
Here you immediately see why the size matters: too small and the potato is mash after simmering, too large and it is still hard in the middle.
Seasonal vegetables for carré
| Season | Vegetables that work well as carré |
|---|---|
| Spring | potato, radish, celeriac, courgette |
| Summer | courgette, aubergine, pepper, tomato |
| Autumn | pumpkin, carrot, parsnip, beetroot |
| Winter | celeriac, potato, carrot, swede |
Vegetables in season taste best and are often the most economical too.
Posture, knife and board
Work with a sharp chef’s knife and a steady board, and keep your fingers in the claw. With large, hard vegetables, such as pumpkin or celeriac, it is safer to cut them into wedges first and then peel. With a hard skin use a sturdy knife and set the vegetable steadily on a flat cut side.
Frequently asked questions about carré
What is the difference between carré and brunoise?
The size. Brunoise is about 3 mm, carré about 1 to 1.2 cm. The principle is the same.
How large should the cubes be for a stew?
About 1 to 2 cm, so they survive the cooking time of the stew. The longer the dish is on the heat, the larger the pieces.
Does everything have to be exactly the same size?
No. The most important thing is that the pieces in one dish are about the same size. Small differences aren’t noticeable.
Can I also use carré for raw vegetables?
Yes, for example for a hearty salad or a cucumber salad. Do choose a smaller size for a more pleasant bite.
What do you do with the trimmings?
Use them for stock, soup or purée.
Carré at a glance
- Carré is a dice cut of about 1 to 1.2 cm.
- First a stable block, then slices, sticks and cubes.
- Larger pieces keep their shape in long cooking.
- Ideal for stews, soup and oven dishes.
- Larger than brunoise and small dice.
- Equal pieces cook at the same time.
- Use the trimmings for stock.
Remember this
Carré is the cut for those who take it a little easier, but the lesson is the same as with brunoise: first make it stable, then cut evenly. That way you keep control of the cooking time.