A reader recently suggested a column focused on cooking terms and I was eager to oblige. After all, most of us know our way around a kitchen but sometimes we don’t even know what to call what we do. Given my years of organized cooking, I was surprised to learn the term “mise en place” earlier this year (Epicure, March 3, 2006). And throwing around a few French or Italian cooking terms will bring extra flair (and some added credibility) to your gourmet cooking efforts.
I’ll cover cooking shortcuts and spices in future columns. For now, here’s a little refresher on many commonly-used terms and tasks, with a few foods in for good luck. I’m sure many will be very familiar to you while some you may have heard of and wondered about. Still others may be a downright mystery in your culinary database. Perhaps an unknown term will inspire you to try it in a recipe. Hopefully, the list will be worth a clip and a save. Voila!
Epicure’s Glossary of Culinary Terms
Al dente (al-den-tay) Italian for “to the tooth;” describes the optimal texture of pasta (and risotto rice) of being soft on the outside but with resistance when bitten intoAmandine (a-mahn-deen) Describes dishes served with whole or split blanched almonds
Au jus (oh-zhoo) A French term meaning to serve a meat in its natural juices
Baste To spoon stock or fat over meat at intervals to prevent it from drying out while cooking
Beurre blanc (brrr-blahnk) French for “white butter”; a thick sauce of wine, vinegar and shallot reduction with butter whisked in, creating a thick smooth texture
Blanch To plunge food in and out of boiling water briefly; used to par-cook, release peels, get rid of strong flavors, or preserve food colors and textures
Bouquet garni (bow-kay gar-nee) A small bunch of herbs (usually parsley, bay leaf, celery or a leek tied with a string; used for flavoring soups, stews and stocks but removed before serving
Braise To brown in fat, then cook, covered, in a small amount of liquid for a lengthy period over low heat to tenderize food and enhance flavor
Brochette (broa-shet) A French term for skewering cubes of meat or fish and vegetables pushed onto a skewer, then grilled
Canapes (can-ah-pay) The French word for sofa or settee; originally, canapés were made of little pastries or toasted bread for tasty morsels to sit on. Today, canapés are any bite-sized foods eaten with the fingers.
Caramelize (cara-mahl-eyes) To heat sugar until it melts and resets as a hard glaze; cooking pieces of fruit or vegetables until they become brown and glazed
Charcuterie (char-cou-tear-ee) A term for products traditionally sold by pork butchers or the store at which they are sold; includes pork meat, sausages, salami, and pates
Clarify To cook butter until the water, milk solids and salt are removed, leaving pure butter fat. Ghee is a form of clarified butter used in Indian cookery.
Coulis (coo-lee) A smooth, thick fruit or vegetable sauce made by puréeing or sieving the foods
(en) Crošte (ahn-kroot) French for “crust;” en crošte refers to a food that is wrapped in pastry and baked
Deglaze To add wine, stock or other liquid to a hot pan or roasting tin in which food has been roasted or sautéed. Use a wooden spatula to scrape all the tasty bits sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan and stir them into the juices. Reduce the liquid slightly and serve it with the food as a sauce or gravy.
Demi-glace(demi-glahs) Demi-glace sauce is a rich brown sauce often used by chefs. It’s made from a reduction of clear stock and sauce espagnole – stock that has been thickened with a roux, diced vegetables and tomato purée – and is the basis for classic sauces
Emulsify To combine fat (e.g., butter) with a liquid (e.g,. stock) into a smooth blend using an emulsifier (e.g., egg yolk) to bind all ingredients and prevent them from separating. Hollandaise sauce is a classic emulsion.
Fillet (fee-lay) A boneless, lean cut of meat, fish or poultry; the process of removing the bones
Filo (fee-low) A Greek word meaning “leaf.” Multiple, thin layers of pastry dough used in sweet and savory preparations.
Fines herbes (feen-erb) A blend of finely chopped herbs, usually including chives, parsley, tarragon, chervil and, at times, also marjoram, savory, watercress or burnet. They are not removed from the dish before serving.
Fricassée (freak-ah-say) A creamy dish of chicken and vegetables, often served with rice
Garam marsala (gar-am-ah-sa-la) A blend of up to 12 ground spices from the cooler climates of India; used to add “warmth” to dishes
Herbes de Provence (erb-de-pro-vawns) A mixture of herbs that reflect the cuisine of southern France; used to flavor meats, poultry and vegetables
Infuse To extract flavor from herbs, spices, tea or coffee by pouring in boiling water and allowing the water to adopt the flavor
Julienne (joo-lee-in) Vegetables or other ingredients that are cut into thin matchsticks or very fine slices
Knead (need) To work and stretch dough either by hand or using an appliance. Kneading softens and smoothes the dough, develops the gluten’s elasticity, adds air and other ingredients evenly.
A la Lyonnaise (lee-ohn-aze) Dishes featuring chopped onions cooked in butter and usually by adding vinegar and sprinkling with parsley
Marinate To tenderize and add flavor to fish, meat or vegetables by soaking or steeping in a seasoned liquid (the marinade)
Mince To cut food into very small pieces. Minced food is smaller than chopped food.
Mise en place (mees-un-plaus) A French term meaning to prepare and organize all parts of a dish up to the cooking process
Miso (mee-so) A fermented paste made from soy beans and rice, barley or rye, used in Japanese cooking
Mousse (moose) A French word for “foam.” A light fluffy mixture, sweet or savory; served hot or cold. The airiness is created by whipped cream or egg-whites
Muddle (mud-dahl) To crush or mash with a spoon or muddler
Nouvelle cuisine (nu-vel-qui-zeen) Refers to the culinary style (post-1970s) of lighter, fresher foods in smaller portions compared to traditional French cooking
(en) Papillote (ahn-pap-ee-yoh) A dish cooked in a parcel (e.g., parchment) that protects the food from the heat and holds in the aroma and flavor
Parboil To partially cook by boiling first. Long-cooking foods (e.g., dry beans, rice) are parboiled, later finished as part of a larger dish or meal.
Pareve (pahr-uh-vuh) Following Kosher rules, foods made without animal or dairy ingredients
Paté brisée (pat-tay-bree-zay) A rich flaky dough used for pies, tarts, quiches, etc.
Purée (pure-ray) To make a smooth sauce or paste of various ingredients by mashing, grinding or blending; a dish rendered into a smooth consistency
Quenelle (qui-nell) A finely minced fish or meat mixture formed into small portions, poached in stock. Also refers to a portion shape: a three-sided oval made by smoothing the mixture between two dessert spoons.
Reduce To thicken or intensify the flavor of a liquid by boiling it so that it partially evaporates
Roux A mixture of flour and melted butter cooked and browned in a pan and used as a thickener for sauces
Sauté (saw-tay) To cook foods quickly in a pan over direct heat with a small portion of butter, oil or fat
Score To make shallow diagonal or diamond-shaped cuts in meats in order to tenderize, release fats, enhance flavor or decorate
Simmer To cook foods in liquid to slight bubbling (versus hard boiling)
Soufflé (soo-flay) An airy mixture of egg-yolk sauce and stiffly beaten egg whites. Souffles can be hot or cold, sweet or savory and are usually complimented with a sauce.
Slurry A thin water/flour paste added to soups stirred into hot stews, soups, sauces, etc., for thickening
Tamari (tah-mah-ree) A soy sauce without wheat; dark in color with a deep flavor
Tart tatin (tar-ta-tan) A classic French apple tart in which the fruit is cooked under the pastry but served with the fruit on top
Torte (tort) A rich cake made with little flour but with eggs, sugar, nuts, bread, etc.
Truffle A rare and highly-sought fungus, found in certain regions of France and Italy; used to add flavor to foods. Truffles are sniffed out by trained pigs and dogs. Also refers to a chocolate delight, usually filled with a flavored cream, shaped like a fresh black truffle.
Vinaigrette (vin-ah-gret) French for “little vinegar.” A salad dressing of olive oil and wine vinegar, usually in a 3-parts oil – 1-part vinegar ratio. Salt, pepper and other ingredients (e.g., honey, mustard, herbs) may be added.
Whisk A utensil made of looped wires forming an open teardrop shape with a handle; used for whipping ingredients and blending in air
Wok (wock) A round-bottomed cooking utensil, used in Asian cooking, i.e., for stir-frying, deep-frying, steaming, stewing and braising
XOXO! Just checking to see if you read this far!
Yeast A living fungus that regenerates in suitable conditions; a key ingredient for bread-making and brewing
Zabaglione (za-bag-loaney) Similar to the French sabayon, a rich Italian dessert created by whisking egg yolks, sugar and Marsala wine over a gentle heat
Zest The outermost layer of a citrus fruit excluding the white pith; the perfumy aroma adds flavor to many dishes
Jacqui Love Marshall lives in Danville with her vintage-car-loving husband, two pugs and binders of recipes. E-mail her at Epicure@DanvilleWeekly.com.
