The lyonnaise (lee-oh-NAYSE) cut is usually associated with onions and potatoes. It’s a cut that produces long, thin strips of onion (or potato, etc) for recipes like French onion soup or those that need caramelized onions. Lyonnaise potatoes and scalloped potatoes are two more common uses.

To make the lyonnaise cut, start by cutting an onion in half and then turning it so one of the cut ends faces you. Starting near the bottom, cut at an angle and continue making cuts into the onion—think of it like fanning out from the bottom all the way around, or imagine wheel spokes—until reaching the top of the onion. Turn the onion so it’s flat against the cutting board, and start cutting again.