Tired of serving soup with just a decorative sprig of your favorite herb? Elegant, yet oh so easy to achieve, this graceful ‘wave’ cucumber garnish is the perfect floating finish for salads, soups, and sushi boards. Ideally suited to novices, Chef Devaux’s easy-to-follow tutorial is also a great starting point if you want to explore more advanced garnish preparation techniques.

Instructions:

Position the cucumber (lengthways) on the chopping board in front of you. Find the approximate halfway point – either place your finger there, or make a very light mark in the skin with the tip of your knife. Keeping the knife straight, position the knife at a 45-degree angle to the halfway point. Then, slice the cucumber in half. Discard one-half.

Make a secondary, 45-degree cut approximately 15-20 cm from the cut end of the cucumber. Stand the cucumber on one end, using your fingers to support the base and prevent it from moving. Slice straight down the center of the cucumber, halving its width. Discard one half. Lay the remaining piece of cucumber flat on the chopping board. Then, position 2-3 toothpicks on either side. This will prevent the knife slicing through the flesh fully as you make further incisions.