What is a mandolin for cooking?
The mandoline is a cooking utensil used to cut firm vegetables or fruits into different shapes: disks, slices, juliennes. It can also be called a vegetable slicer. It is made of a plate of wood, metal or plastic, with a blade fitted horizontally into it.
Is a mandoline slicer worth it?
Mandoline slicers are useful for producing perfectly even cuts for everything from thick-cut french fries to paper-thin slices of veggies for coleslaw. They are designed as a ramp-like platform that helps you guide and slide foods over a fixed, inset blade to create consistent slices or julienne cuts.
What is a mandoline slicer used for?
Mandolines are used to slice ingredients (particularly vegetables) quickly, efficiently and uniformly. They allow you to slice much more quickly than with a knife but take great care – many a chef has lost the tip of a finger to a razor-sharp mandoline blade.
What is the difference between a mandolin and a mandoline?
A mandolin is a musical instrument which is like a lute, with pairs of metal strings that are played using a plectrum. A mandoline (which can also be spelled mandolin, hooray!) is that vegetable slicer thing (a flat body with adjustable slicing blades) that always looks like it will take your finger off.
Is a mandolin a knife?
A mandoline is a tool that’s designed to give you very thin, even slices of vegetables and fruits. It consists of a stationary blade that attaches to a platform or other framework that lets you move the produce over it.
How much does a mandoline cost?
Although Mandolin may cost as low as $100 while the high end costing up to around $10,000+, there is a need to be realistic, especially if it is a beginner looking to buy the instrument.
Why you need a mandoline?
A mandoline—with an e at the end—is a kitchen tool no one should be without. The key benefits to using a mandoline are speed and uniformity in slicing, shredding and sometimes grating. Traditionally used to cut prep time to a minimum when making gratins, slaws and french fries, mandolines are tremendously versatile.
Can you slice cheese with a mandolin?
A mandoline isn’t just for fruits and vegetables. You can use it to slice or grate any firm cheese.
Can a mandolin cut french fries?
A mandoline is an essential tool for getting evenly sliced veggies every time (or making your own waffle fries!). Choose the right mandoline for your cooking needs, and the proper setting, and you’ll be slicing and dicing your way to professional-looking fries, pickles, zoodles, and more in no time.
Can you slice raw meat on a mandolin?
A mandoline’s purpose is to slice and julienne vegetables and fruits. However, it can also be used on meat if desired. Most people use this cooking utensil to cut raw meat or uncooked poultry because of the large blade that comes standard.
What can you cut with a mandoline?
10 things to do with a mandoline
- Fruit salads.
- Classic salads.
- Cheese board spreads.
- Fantastic coleslaw.
- Tomato, basil and mozzarella sandwich.
- Veggie chips.
- Onion slices for caramelized onions on beef burgers.
- Expertly cut potato gratin.
How do you get a good mandoline?
Size Is Important, Too In general, we liked mandolines with platforms that were wide enough to accommodate large produce such as eggplant but still relatively compact overall, since they were easier to clean and store; 3.5 to 4 inches wide was best.
Can you slice meat with a mandoline?
How do you cut fries with a mandoline?
Mandoline setting: Wavy blade, “Waffle (#)” setting Cut your potato in half widthwise and place the cut side down. Between each slice, rotate the potato and food holder 90 degrees. If thicker waffle fries are your thing, set the thickness dial one click thicker than the waffle setting.
Can you slice chicken breast on a mandolin?
Freeze the breasts, then use a mandoline to make even slices. (If you have access to a deli slicer with its rotary blade, that would be even faster; however, a mandoline slicer is more typical in a home kitchen.) The freezing keeps the relatively small pieces of meat stable so they will slice more evenly.
What is the easiest way to cook with a mandoline?
One of the easiest mandoline recipes out there – thinly julienne carrots into matchstick size pieces and toss with vinaigrette. Let sit for a few hours so carrots absorb the dressing. Delicious as a side dish in the summer!
What is the best type of mandoline for cutting food?
V-slicers tend to be better at cutting softer foods, like tomatoes, than mandolines with straight blades, but they work well for other types of food as well. This mandoline is made primarily from plastic with stainless steel blades. It includes a hand guard but does not have legs.
What is a mandoline used for?
Mandolines are the secret behind super-thin and extraordinarily even slicing. They have a flat surface with a razor-sharp blade that can be adjusted to cut thicker and thinner slices. High-end mandolines come with attachments to make julienne cuts or shreds, wavy-cuts, and even waffle-cuts.
Do Mandolins come with a hand guard?
Hand guards come in plastic, rubber, and metal; however, the simpler plastic ones seem to do the trick because the metal ones can be a bit cumbersome. If a mandoline doesn’t come with a hand guard, you can always swap in a clean kitchen towel or a mesh, protective glove.