Glossary Term: Concassé

Concassé Definition:

Concassé (French for “to crush or break”) is a classic culinary term for the process of chopping ingredients, typically after peeling, seeding, and coarsely dicing. The technique is most commonly associated with tomatoes, which are blanched, peeled, seeded, and then roughly chopped for use in sauces, soups, or garnishes. Unlike fine cuts such as brunoise or julienne, concassé emphasizes rustic texture over strict uniformity. It strikes a balance between refinement and natural presentation.

Concassé Key Concepts:

• Coarse Chop: Produces rough, irregular pieces rather than precise, geometric cuts.
• Tomato Concassé: The most common use—tomatoes are blanched, peeled, deseeded, and chopped for sauces or bruschetta.
• Preparation Step: Often used as a base ingredient in soups, stews, and braises, where texture breaks down during cooking.
• Balanced Texture: Provides a rustic look while still ensuring even cooking and distribution of flavors.
• Not Limited to Tomatoes: While most associated with them, the term can also apply to other vegetables, fruits, or herbs.

What It Does Not Mean

• Concassé is not a precise cut like brunoise; it focuses on rough chopping, not perfect dimensions.
• It differs from puréeing or blending, which breaks ingredients into a smooth consistency.

Contextual Usage

• “The chef prepared a tomato concassé for the pasta sauce by peeling, seeding, and chopping fresh tomatoes.”
• “In rustic French cooking, vegetables are often concassé instead of cut into formal knife shapes.”

Related Terms

• Brunoise
• Mirepoix
• Purée