Cooking Terms Flashcards
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ála nage
Á la nage is poaching (usually seafood) in a court bouillon with the vegetables around the food as part the garnish.
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albumen
Albumen is another name for egg whites.
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al dente
Pasta cooked until just enough resistance is left in it to be felt by the tooth is called al dente.
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aromatics
Aromatics are herbs and spices which are added to enhance the flavor and fragrance of food.
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bain-marie
This refers to a pan of water used while baking to prevent uneven cooking (of a cake or custard).
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bake
Baking is cooking inside an oven (sometimes called roasting).
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baste
Basting is moistening food during cooking with pan drippings, sauce, or some other liquid to prevent the food from drying out.
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batter
- a mixture of flour and liquid with the addition of flour, eggs, and sometimes fat
- used to prepare cakes, muffins, and pancakes (note: dough holds its shape whereas batter does not).
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beat
Beating is effortful mixing to smooth and/or add air into a mixture.
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blackened
- a Cajun style of cooking in which meat or fish is first seasoned with spices and butter
- then, it is cooked over high heat in a super-heated skillet until charred on the outside
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blanch
Blanching is placing fruits or nuts in boiling water to remove skins or to make easy to peel.
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blend
To blend is to mix two or more ingredients together until smooth and uniform.
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blind bake
- baking a pie crust without any filling
- done so that the crust does not get soggy and so that filling does not overcook if baked at the same time
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boil
Boiling is cooking food in very hot water.
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braise
- to slowly cook in a small amount of liquid so that the liquid has concentrated flavor and the meat is tenderized
- note that stewing uses much more liquid
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bread
Breading means to coat food that is going to be cooked with a bread-crumb mixture to create a crust.
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brine
- Brine is a solution made of salt, water, and seasonings
- used to preserve foods
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broil
Broiling means to cook food directly under the heat source (usually a gas flame).
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brown
To brown means to briefly apply heat to meat so that it turns golden (appealing to the eye) in order to improve taste.
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brush
To brush means using a pastry brush to coat a food (like meat) with a liquid (like a sauce).
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butterfly
- to cut open a food (like a chicken breast), down the center without cutting all the way through, so that it can be spread apart
- this creates more surface area for faster cooking
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caramelize
- when flavors of foods like meats, onions, and carrots are enhanced as a result of gentle browning, so that the natural sugars in them are released
- also refers to heating sugar so that it turns to caramel
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candy
To candy is to cook fruit with sugar.
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chill
Chilling means refrigerating food or letting it stand in ice or iced water until cold.
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chop
To chop is to cut food into small (irregular) pieces with a knife.
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clarify
- to remove the impurities (the fat) from a broth
- fat rises to the top and can be spooned out or strained
- sometimes egg whites are used to facilitate this process because fat particles tend to stick to them
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coat
Coating means to evenly cover food with flour, bread crumbs, or a batter before cooking.
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coddling
Coddling is cooking (usually eggs) in water that is just below the point of boiling.
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cook
To cook is to prepare food by applying heat.
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corned
Corned meat has been cured and salted.
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core
To core is to remove the center part of a fruit or vegetable so that the fruit used is without seeds and/or the tough, inedible center.
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cream
- to beat vegetable shortening, butter, and/or margarine, with or without sugar, until light and fluffy
- used for baking a cake
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crimp
- to pinch or press dough edges (like a piecrust)
- used to create a decorative finish, and/or to lock in the filling so it does not come out during baking
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crisp
To crisp means to make vegetables more firm by briefly placing them in cold water.
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cure
To cure means to preserve and flavor a food by covered it with salt and/or sugar, and other seasonings.
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dash
A dash is the equivalent of 1/8th of a teaspoon.
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deep-fry
- cooking food by completely covering it in very hot oil/fat
- the trick is to get a golden brown crust while cooking the interior, but not overcooking the food so that it absorbs too much fat/oil
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deglaze
To add some liquid (broth or wine) to a pan after cooking food, so that the hardened juices can be scraped off the pan and integrated back into the sauce.
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develop
To develop means to permit food to sit before serving so that the flavors have time to merge and settle.
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devein
To devein means to remove the large, dark vein that runs lengthwise in shrimp.
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devil
- to coat with a spicy mixture like hot sauce or mustard
- eggs are often deviled
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dice
cut into small 1/4 inch cubes
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direct heat
Direct heat is a type of cooking where the heat is making “direct” contact with the food (like grilling or stir-frying).
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dissolve
To dissolve means to mix a dry ingredient with a liquid so that they are combined into a single solution.
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dot
To dot is to sprinkle a small amount of an ingredient over another food (things like nuts, butter, or chocolate).
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dredge
To dredge means to completely and evenly cover a food with a coating of an ingredient (bread crumbs, sugar, and flour are common).
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drizzle
Drizzling means to slowly pour a liquid back and forth over a food (like truffle oil or butter).
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dust
To dust is to lightly cover a food with an ingredient (like powered sugar, cocoa powder, or flour).
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egg wash
Egg wash is a mixture of eggs, oil, and water, which is then brushed over items covered in flour, which are then deep-fried or pan-fried.
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emulsify
To emulsify is to bind to liquids together that normally don’t mix (like water and oil).
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entree
- the main course of the meal
- traditionally, it’s after the soup, but before the main course
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essence
An essence is the concentrated flavor of an item (like vanilla extract).
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etouffee
Etouffee means cooking with little or no liquid in a covered pan (also a Cajun style of stew).
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fillet
To fillet means to remove the bones from meat or fish.
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fold
To fold means to combine ingredients in a bowl, cut them with the side of a spoon, and gently turn them (fold them) so that the ingredients have air added to them.
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fry
To fry means to cook with some oil/fat in a pan.
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garnish
A garnish is an edible ingredient, which is added last to a dish to make it more attractive to the eye (like nuts or parsley).
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glaze
A glaze is a liquid which adds shine to a food (a baked ham often has a glaze).
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grate
To grate means to rub a food on a rough surface so that the food shreds.
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grease
To grease means to coat a pan with an oil/butter so the food does not stick to the pan.
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grill
To grill means to cook over a flame (usually wood coals).
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grind
To grind means to cut food (like nuts) into much smaller pieces by using a food processor.
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hack
To hack is to cut meat into large pieces while leaving the meat on the bone (so that it is more flavorful and moist after cooking).
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julienne
To julienne means to cut food into very thin, long strips (like carrots or celery).
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jus
Jus are the natural juices released by cooking meats (and to a lesser extent, vegetables).
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knead
To knead is to press dough with the heel of your hands so that it becomes elastic and smooth.
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kosher
Kosher food has been prepared in a manner that in consistent with Jewish dietary laws.
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leaven
- to cause to rise when baked (like bread)
- occurs because certain ingredients like yeast produce a gas which expands from heat or a chemical reaction
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lukewarm
Lukewarm temperature is about the same temperature as the human body, neither warm nor cold.
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marinate/marinade
- Marinading refers to letting a meat sit in a flavorful liquid so that it absorbs the flavor of the liquid and stays moist after it’s been cooked
- It can also refer to the flavorful liquid
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mash
To mash is to beat or press a food so that there are no lumps (think of potatoes).
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melt
Melting means to heat a food until it becomes a liquid (like cheese).
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mince
To mince means to cut into very small pieces with a knife.
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mix
To mix means to stir two or more ingredients so that they are completely combined.
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mousse
- a type of creamy dessert, usually made from eggs or cream
- can also be a savory dish made of chicken liver or other whipped ingredients
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moisten
To moisten means to add just a little bit of liquid to dry ingredients to dampen them.
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pan-broil
To pan-broil means to cook meat uncovered in an ungreased skillet.
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pan-fry
Pan-frying means cooking in a pan with high heat and some butter or oil while only flipping/turning over the ingredients once or twice.
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parboil
To parboil means cooking partially in boiling water and removing before it is cooked through.
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parchment paper
It is heat-resistant paper used to line pans and trays when baking.
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pare
To pare is to cut away the exterior layer of a fruit or vegetable.
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peel
To peel means to remove (like a banana) the outer covering of a fruit or vegetable.
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pinch
A pinch is the amount of seasoning that you can hold between your thumb and forefinger (a tiny amount).
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pipe
To pipe means to force food through a pastry tip to decorate a food (like icing on a cake).
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poach
Peaching means completely submerging food in simmering liquid, while being very careful that the food retains its shape.
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pound
- to flatten meats (like chicken and veal) to a uniform thickness
- results in the pieces cooking at the same rate, cooling at the same rate, becoming tender
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preheat
To preheat means to heat the oven to the correct temperature before food is placed in it.
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pressure cooking
Pressure cooking means using steam trapped under a locked lid to produce high temperatures and achieve fast cooking time.
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prick
To prick means to make holes in food before cooking (like in sausage) so that the food retains its shape.
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punch down
- to pound dough down after it has risen
- the dough deflates and is able to be kneaded into loaves
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purée
Puréeing means blending, mixing, or mashing foods until they are completely smooth.
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reduce/reduction
- cooking so as to reduce some of the liquid (by evaporation) in the mixture
- The purpose is to intensify flavor and/or thicken the mixture
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refresh
To refresh means to rinse vegetables in cold water immediately after cooking to prevent overcooking.
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render
Rendering means cooking the meat and the fat together so that the meat and the fat separate.
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resting
- after cooking meat, letting it simply sit for 10 to 20 minutes before serving
- when is it cut, the juices are less likely to run out of the meat
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roast
- to cook over dry heat, whether it’s in an oven or on an open flame
- causes browning or caramelization of meat
- also, a name for a piece of meat cooked in the way
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sauté
To sauté means to rapidly turn and move food around in a pan over high heat, using a little oil/fat so that it cooks quickly and becomes tender.
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scald
- to heat milk just to the point below boiling
- also, to put fruits or vegetables in boiling water for a very brief period of time so you can easily remove the skin (like blanching)
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scramble
Scrambling means to stir/mix food while it’s cooking (like eggs).
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score
- make shallow cuts in meat before cooking
- results in tenderization of meat and absorption of flavors (like from a marinade)
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sear
Searing is browning the exterior of meat or fish by subjecting it to very high heat for a short period of time (also may seal in flavor).
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season
Seasoning means adding taste enhancers such as salt, pepper, oregano, etc., to give the food more flavor.
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shave
- to cut very thin flakes of food (usually cheese, chocolate, or coconut)
- done for the sake of presentation
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shirred eggs
Shirred eggs is a dish where whites and yolks are placed in a bowl, then covered with bread crumbs, cream, and/or butter, and then baked while inside the bowl.
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sift
To sift is to separate useful ingredients (usually of finer grain) from unnecessary ones by pouring them through a mesh/sieve.
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simmer
To simmer means keeping a liquid just below the point where it would boil; a just-noticeable boil.
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skewer
A skewer is a long, metal or wooden pin that pieces of fish, vegetables, or meat are impaled on for the duration of cooking.
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skim
To skin is to remove and then discard the fat or foam from top of a broth, sauce, soup, or dressing.
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stir
To stir is to mix, usually with a folk or spoon, so that the ingredients have been uniformly combined.
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Stir-fry
To stir-fry means to cook in a wok (or a large pan) with high heat, a little oil, and constantly and rapidly move the ingredients around.
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Steam
- cook by placing food over boiling water so that the steam cooks the food;
- usually helps food retain their color, texture, and shape
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Steep
It means to put foods in very hot water so that the flavor and/or color comes out of the food and is infused into the water (one does this with tea).
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Stew
To stew means to cook over low heat, covered with liquid, for a long period of time.
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Sweat
To sweat means to cook in a covered or semi-covered pan over low heat so the juices are released, cooking the food faster.
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Temper
To temper means to heat food gently before adding it to a hot mixture so it does not separate or curdle.
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Tender-crisp
This means cooking vegetables so that they are just tender but still retain some texture.
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Thin
To thin means to reduce a mixture’s thickness by adding more liquid (like water, milk, cream, etc).
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Toast
To toast means to heat with the intent of drying and browning the surface (like with bread).
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Toss
Tossing means to gently mix (like a salad).
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Truss
So that meat retains its shape when cooked, it is tied with metal or wooden pins, or skewers–trussed.
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Unleavened
Refers to baked goods that have no ingredients like baking powder, baking soda, or yeast to give them volume.
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Water Bath
It means placing a container with some food/ingredients in it into a pan of heated water, and to gently heat it up, by avoiding a direct flame.
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Whip
To whip means to rapidly mix with the intent of adding air into the mixture and making it “light” and fluffy.
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Zest
Zest refers to the thin outer part of the rind of citrus fruits, which have oils that are used for flavoring.
