Mandolin uses apart from potatoes and cucumber

[OMGitsnotgood]

A friend is having a kitchen clear out and has offered me a mandolin which she never uses. I’d mentioned at a pre- Christmas afternoon tea how I loved the thinly sliced cucumber, which is why she offered it to me first.

I’d use it also for making things like boulangere or dauphinoise potatoes. Not sure that is enough to justify taking jt as I am also trying to declutter.

If you have a mandolin, what else do you use it for?

Courgettes and aubergines when making the "Ratatouille" (the film) style ratatouille (Thomas Keller's confit byaldi) - it looks goreous and tastes fantastic.

Get the protective gloves because it's so easy to slice your finger on those things!

Shredding cabbage for coleslaw

I’m thinking of getting one to julienne carrots and similar - we do quite a lot of Thai salads, or noodle bowls, and they often have lots of shredded / julienne-d veg. We have one of those things that looks like a potato peeler but it cuts into little julienne strips but it’s pretty messy and annoying to use for large quantities.

Onions and carrots mainly, for stir fries. I really like mine but invest in one of those cut-proof butchers gloves if you do take it!

Getting you seen at minor injuries in my experience! Have one and gave up using.

Also fennel for things like fennel salad?

I used to use one for onions for French onion soup, but now I use a food processor, it does the same job in seconds without the risk to fingers.

I was given one of these for Christmas and I don’t want to use it, had one before and sliced my fingers.

Amongst others - thinly slicing garlic for lots of different dishes.

Radishes for quick pickling with red wine vinegar and nigella seeds (tastes amazing on daal).

Fennel for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's fennel, lemon and rocket pasta.

Make sure you buy some blade-proof gloves (available from Amazon), your fingers will thank you!

I got one for Christmas and I use it for finely slicing, usually vegetables, for salads, garnishes and quick pickles. The speed and consistency of the cutting is irreplaceable to me. My mandoline’s finest setting can cut far thinner than I can with a knife.

Highly recommend a cut proof glove with it though. I also wear mine when I wash it up!

@Talipesmum i also have a julienne peeler, and while I haven’t tried the julienne blade on the mandoline, I think it should be quicker and easier.

Also very good for cabbage.

Known as the widowmaker in our house!

Onions! Caramelised onion in the slow cooker takes a lot of onion and this is makes it so simple. Or for French onion soup, I suppose, too.

Cheddar cheese if a lot is needed. Cucumber, potato, cabbage.

Mainly use mine for aubergine and courgette for parmigiana.

Onions, celeriac, cauliflower rice.

Use mine for cabbage and onions for coleslaw

Thank you so much for all the ideas, you've convinced me and I've collected it from my friend. It has a holder thing which you put on top of the veg, it's supposed to keep your fingers away from the blade. Will I still need to use gloves?

I still would use a glove. It's just takes a slip of the plastic guard before your fingers are int he very sharp blade. But I'm very risk averse, and for something as small and inexpensive as a cut proof glove I just wouldn't risk it. The plastic guard will still provide protection though.

We just use the plastic guard which holds the veg don't have a protective glove and still have all our fingers!

Ok think I'll get one. Just used it to make a cheese and onion toastie - fabulous

Shredding everything to make kimchi!

He may have been using it wrongly but my DH injured his thumb on a mandolin and we ended up in A&E and took over two weeks to heal so I would never use one of these.
Take care.

Cabbage for sauerkraut. Use the gloves! Those things are evil.

Inspired by this thread I used my mandolin to slice the onions and cabbage for this recipe last night.

https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/cabbage-poriyal-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-134763

Apple crisps
Ginger slices

I would make a bajillion apple crisps out of Granny Smiths.