Mandoline

You may wonder how some ingredients are cut so precisely at a restaurant. Sometimes it's the result of the cook's superior knife skills, but most likely it's the product of a mandoline. It's construction is simple with a blade and an adjustable ramp which changes the thickness of the cut. Using a mandoline assures straight , symmetrical cuts of equal thickness. It's prefect for quickly slicing humble ingredients like a potato, or carrot, but it can also be used to create more elegant results. Here are a few examples of how I use the mandoline in my kitchen:

I like using the mandoline to create ultra thin sliced products which add a delicate elegance to a dish. One of my favorite examples is to create radish discs for use as a garnish. I usually slice a few radishes and then store them in water. They can be used to add elegance to  a dish or salad.

The mandoline is ideal for thinly slicing onions. I like to slice

red onions, add red wine vinegar and sugar to create pickled red onions. They can be stored for months and used for all sorts of garnishes such as salad toppings, plate garnishing, and addition to any appetizer plate.

Candied Lemon wedges

I use the mandoline to disguise the oft disliked Brussels sprouts into something more desirable. I find that most people seem to dislike the whole sprout, so I shred them using the mandoline. A simple preparation is to saute the shredded sprouts in butter, add some crushed toasted walnuts, a few drops of lemon juice, and salt/pepper. Voila! A simple side dish, and no one will guess that it's made with brussels sprouts. Below I used the sprouts as a garnish for the hangar steak.