Culinary Terms Flashcards
Abats
Meat items such as offal’s, heads, hearts, livers, kidneys,etc.
Aigulettes
Thin strips of the fish, breast of poultry, cut lengthwise.
Aging
To improve the tenderness of meat which is held at a cold temperature.
A la
According to the style or a standard in vogue, such as a la francaise or according to the French way.
A la bourgeoise
Family style-plain
A la broche
Cooked and roasted on a skewer. Meat or seafood served on a skewer.
A la carte
Food prepared to order; each dish priced separately.
Anglaise
To cook a l’anglaise means to cook plainly in water. It also means the preparation of a dish dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, and fried.
Appetiser
It is the first course, and it stimulates the appetite. Fruit juices, sherry, cocktails or titbits could be served.
Aromates
Vegetables like carrots, turnips, onions, leeks, herbs and spices that impart aroma to the dish they are put in.
Aspic
Clear meat or poultry jelly. It is a gelatin in a thin syrupy stage used to decorate dishes in the larder.
Arroser
To baste as in roasting
Assorti
An assortment
Au bleu
In French, it means underdone, i.e. the meat is not cooked properly, and another meaning is preparing and cooking of a live trout in cooking liquor.
Au four
Baked in the oven.
Au gratin
Food covered with a sauce sprinkled with cheese bread crumbs, dotted with butter and baked or gratinated in a salamander.
Au jus
Served with natural juices or gravy.
Au natural
Served in a simple natural style.
Baba
Yeast raised cake. A famous variety is flavoured and soaked in rum before serving. Fruit, whipped cream is added. Baba au rum is cooked in rum.
Bain-Marie
A hot water bath in which utensils containing various culinary preparations are immersed to warm or for the purpose of poaching and reheating.
Baking
Usually the food is put in the oven and cooked by dry heat.
Barbecue
A party in which usually meat (sometimes a whole carcass of animal fixed in a rod) is basted and roasted in front of the people. It is usually held in the open. Meat roasted in open fire is known as barbecued meat.
Barding
Pieces of pork/beef fat placed over the lean meat, fish or the breast of a bird to prevent drying.
Barquette
A boat shaped pastry tartlet with a filling
Baste
To moisten food product with drippings of fat while cooking. The other term is spooning of fat
Baron
A double sirloin and rump of beef: also the saddle and two legs of lamb.
Bat
To flatten slices of raw meat with a cutlet bat, dipping it in water to prevent meat from sticking to the bat.
Batter
Mixture of flour and liquid of a consistency that can be stirred. Batter could be plain or with eggs. For the beignets and fritters, food items are dipped in the batter and fried.
Beating
Regular lifting motion to bring mixture to smooth texture.
Béchamel
A basic sauce, white in colour, prepared with flour, butter and milk.
Beurre Fondue
Melted Butter
Beurre Noisette
Butter heated to a nut brown colour.
Beurre Noir
Butter heated to a very dark brown colour.
Beurre Manie
Equal quantities of flour and butter mixed together used in sauces, etc. for thickening.
Beignets
Fritters, savoury or sweet, e.g. banana beignet. Bind To cohere, unite or hold together. To the croquette mixture, egg is added to bind.
Bisque
A cream soup from shellfish
Blanc
White
Blanching
To submerge in boiling water for a short time. It is done in many ways; tomatoes are dipped in boiling water to blanch, i.e. to remove the skin. Cauliflower is dipped in boiling water to white the colour. French fried potatoes are put in hot fat to let a skin form and to partially cook them.
Blanquette
A white stew of veal which has been stiffened in butter and then cooked in white sauce.
Blend
Thorough mixing of two or more ingredients.
Bombe
A frozen dessert. A combination of two or more frozen mixtures (ice-cream, sherbets or mousse) packed in a round or melon shaped mould and frozen.
Bouillon
Soup made of stock which is not as strong as consommé but stronger than broth.
Bouchee
Very small meat patty or pastry shell filled with meat, poultry or lobster.
Bouillabaise
The French Provencale “stew” made of numerous types of fish; combined with savoury spices and oil, served with toasted French garlic bread.
Bortsch
An unpassed soup with an accent on beetroot and is duck flavoured. Native of Poland or Russia. The accompaniments are sour cream, duck bouchee and beetroot juice.
Bouquet Garni
A bouquet garni is an assortment of fresh herbs and other aromatic ingredients tied in a bundle with string.A basic bouquet garni contains pieces of leek and celery, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and parsley stems.
Brioche
A feathery light yeast cake, A favourite breakfast bun in France.
Broil
The ancient term for grilling.
Brunnoise
Cut into fine dices.
Buffet
Display of ready to eat foods. Often self-service from a table of assorted foods.
Café
Coffee
Candying
Cooking fruit in heavy syrup until transparent. Then drained and dried.
Canape
Small pieces of fried or toasted bread topped with a wide variety of colorful appetisers. Eaten with fingers. Small fancy open faced item.
Carte du jour
Menu for the day
Canneloni
Italian farinaceous dish. It is a pasta preparation stuffed with savoury minced meat and rolled into cigar shapes.
Capon
A young male bird which has been castrated to improve flavour and to fatten. Noted for its tenderness.
Caramelize
To heat sugar until it turns dark brown. Used for coating moulds and flavouring dishes.
Cassoulet
A hot hors d’oeuvre shaped like a small drum.
Casserole
An earthenware or pyrex fireproof dish with a lid.
Caviar
Salted roe or eggs of fish, usually sturgeon, served as a sandwich spread or in plates as appetisers.
Cepes
Species of Mushroom
Champignons
Mushrooms in french.
Chantilly Cream
Whipped Cream
Chapelure
Crumbs made from dried bread.
Chateaubriand
A steak cut from the head of the beef fillet usually broiled. The steak has been named after the Vicount of Chateaubriand.
Clarification
To make clear, e.g. fat, stock or jelly. Claudfroid Veloute or demi-glaze with aspic or gelatine used for masking cold dishes.
Chiffonade
Shreds of lettuce or sorrel.
Chinoise
A conical shaped wire mesh strainer.
Cisel
To cut a vegetable after the manner of a chaffcutting machine.
Coagulation
Proteins solidifying after the application of heat.
Coat
Cover with sauce.
Clochesous
Under bell, usually glass.
Cloute
Studded, e.g. clove, bay leaf in an onion.
Cocotte
Porcelain or earthenware fireproof dish.
Coddling
Cooking below boiling point, e.g., coddled eggs.
Compote
A dish of stewed fruit retaining their natural shape.
Cook Out
Process of cooking the flour in roux, sauce or soup.
Concassee
Coarsely chopped, e.g. blanched tomatoes or parsley, etc.
Condiments
Seasonings.
Correcting
Adjusting the seasoning, consistency and colour.
Consomme
Clear soup made from minced meat, aromatic vegetables, herbs and stock, etc. It is clarified with egg white.
Cordon
To have a thin line of sauce.
Coulis
A thin fruit or vegetable puree, used as a sauce.
Court Bouillon
A lightly flavoured cooking liquor in which fish is cooked.
Contre Fillet
Sirloin of beef, deboned.
Cote
A rib or chop.
Crackling
The crisp rind of roast pork.
Croute
Rounds made out of bread or brioche dough used as hors d’oeuvres or as a garnish.
Croquettes
Thick white sauce or mashed potato base, plus minced meat, fish or vegetables shaped as pipes dipped in beaten eggs, breadcrumbed and deep fried.
Croutons
Small dices of fancy shapes or fried or toasted bread used as garnish for soups or as underliner for all kinds of canapes.
Cuisine
Art of cooking, preparation in the kitchen.
Dariole
A deep round sloping sided mould like a flowerpot.
Darne
A section of fish cut across the bone of a large whole fish.
Deglace
To swirl in a pan in which food has been cooked with wine/ stock to extract the sediment and essences.
Demi
Half
Demiglaze
Brown sauce made by reducing equal quantities of brown stock and brown sauce (espagnole). Diable Devilled.
Drain
Place cooked food in a strainer or colander.
Durum Wheat
Hard wheat with high gluten content used for making pasta and semolina.
Dredging
Coating with dry ingredients e.g. sugar or flour.
Depouiller
To skim
Docking
Making holes in pastry goods to allow steam to pass.
Duxelle
Minced vegetable stuffing or forcemeat consisting of mushrooms, parsley and shallots.
Drippings
The fat and juice which drops from roasting meats. Animal fat is also called dripping.
Dust
Sprinkling fine sugar or flour.
Egg Wash
Brush food item with egg yolk.
Emince
Cut fine or shredded fine.
Emulsion
A mixture-oil and yolk incorporated, does not separate on standing, e.g. mayonnaise, hollandaise.
Encasserole
Food served in the same dish in which it was cooked.
Entrée
A main dish of meat or poultry for an informal meal.
Entremet
Refers to the sweet course, cold or hot.
Epigramme
Boned breast of lamb.
Escalopes
To cut thin slices sideways.
Estouffade
Brown stock
Espagnole
Basic brown sauce
Etamine
Tammy or double thickness of cheese cloth for straining soups and sauces.
Fleuron
Small crescent shape, puff pastry, used as garnish for poached fish, meat, etc.
Farce
Stuffing, and farci means stuffed.
Farinaceous
It is a word derived from the Latin word ‘Farina’ meaning flour, a wide-range of dishes mostly made from flour, e.g. spaghetti, macaroni, etc.
Fillets
Boneless flesh under the loin beef, veal or pork.
Flake
To break into natural segments (fish).
Florentine
With spinach.
Flute
A long crisp roll of bread, thin slices cut on a slant and used for garnishing soups.
Foie Gras
Flatted goose liver.
Fool
A cold sweet dish made with sieved fruit and whipped to a light mixture served with cream.
Forcemeat
Mixture of minced or chopped meat and seasonings used for stuffing.
Frappe
Partially frozen drinks or desserts.
Fricadelles
Meat balls or round cakes made with either raw or cooked meat.
Fricandeau
Is a slice of veal taken from the topside of veal and cut with the grain 11/2” thickness.
Fricasse
Small pieces of chicken, veal or rabbit cooked in white sauce, with the addition of mushrooms, onions, etc. The other name for it is white stew.
Fritter
Small pieces of vegetables, fruit, cheese, etc dipped in batter and deep fried.
Friture
A pan that contains deep fat.
Frizzling
Cooking in small amount of fat until crisp.
Fumet
A kind of essence extracted from the bones and skin of fish.
Galantine
Debone chicken or fish, or meat is minced and stuffed. The forcemeat is seasoned mixed with eggs and cream (optional). Placed in a mould with jelly and served cold. Served at cold buffets or as a cold meats for meals.
Garnish
To embellish, to decorate. ‘Farniture’ in French means to decorate.
Gelantine
A soluble protein got from cow’s hoofs. Sold in powder form or sheets. Used for jellies and for preparing aspics.
Gherkins
Small cucumbers (a few days old) usually pickled.
Giblets
Liver, heart and trimmings from poultry.
Glaze
A semi-transparent or glossy coating. Also to colour, gives elasticity to a dough.
Gluten
Vegetable protein found in cereal especially flour.
Gnocchi
An Italian dish, light dumplings usually made from farina (cream of wheat).
Goulash
A Hungarian beef stew with onions, tomatoes and paprika.
Gourmet
Connoisseur of food and drinks known as in epicure.
Grenadine
Slices of veal, a little thicker than escalopes.
Gratinate
To colour under salamander or in the oven.
Griddle
To cook on a solid surface or plate.
Hash
It is usually a rechauffe dish. A dish of meat diced or minded and seasoned.
Hors D’Oeuvres
Small relishes or appetisers. Served as first course of a meal.
Indiehne
An oriental dish. Indian style dish.
Infusion
Liquid obtained from steeping a food, e.g. coffee and tea.
Incise
To make small cuts across the back of fish prior to cooking.
Isinglass
Fish gelatine (used for clarification).
Jardiniére
Vegetables cut into batons.
Juliennes
Refers to vegetables and meat cut into fine strips (match size) for soups and salads.
Junket
It is a light, easily digestible dish of fish, rice, eggs and curried dish.
Kedgeree
It is an Anglo-Indian dish of fish, rice, eggs, and curried dish.
Kosher
Meat sold within 48 hrs, after holding, in accordance with prescribed Hebrew religious laws or style of Jewish cooking with restrictions. ~ Dietary
Kromeskys
Similar to croquettes but it is dipped in a yeast batter and deep fried.
Langouste
Crayfish
Langoustine
Spiny lobster
Liasion
Cream and eggs, blood, flour are used as thickening agents for soup and sauces.
Larding
Strips of pork fat inserted into meat with the aid of a larding needle. This keeps the meat moist
Macedoine
Mixture of fruit and vegetables cut in even pieces; fruit salad
Maitre D’Hotel*
Sauce of softened butter, parsley, lemo juice butter chilled and served with fish, steak, etc.
Marashchino
Italian cheery cordial. Also a type of cherry.
Marinade
A spiced mixture of vinegar, oil, spices or wine.
Marmite*
Stock-pot, or earthenware pot in which soup is served.
Macerate
To soak (in flavoured syrup, wine or liquor) often applied to fruits.
Mandolin
A hand held machine used for slicing vegetables, potatoes.
Masking
To cover completely (usually with a sauce).
Matelotes
Fish stew with wine, onions and seasonings.
Matignon
Minced aromatic vegetables, ham (optional), thyme, bay leage, used in dishes to impart a good flavour.
Mediallion
Round flat shaped piece of fish or meat.
Menu
List of fare.
Mignonette Pepper
Coarsely ground pepper.
Mirepoix
Carrots, onions, celery, pork (salted optional) cut into fine dices, with thyme, bay leaf. Improves the flavour of the dish.
Mise-en-Place
Basic preparation in the kitchen before serving.
Mono sodium
A flavouring added to meat products to increase glutamate flavour. Known as Chines salt/ ajino motto.
Mortifier
To hang meat so as to tenderize it.
Mousse
Applied to a very light dessert generally prepared with whipped cream, egg whites, gelatin and sugar, etc. Chilled and frozen. Also referred to meat dishes with egg, cream, gelatine and seasoning, served for cold buffets.
Napper
To coat or mask with sauce.
Navarin
Mutton stew with carrots and turnips.
Noodles
Narrow strips of dried dough, used in soups, as garnishes, and aslo used for Chinese dishes.
Panada
Thick white sauce
Parboil
To partially cook
Parmesan
Italian cooking cheese. Hard sharp cheese, used as garnishes for soups and used for sauce, etc.
Paupiette
Stuffed rolled thin slices of meat, etc. Braised.
Paysanne
Cut into uniform shapes, whether it is round or triangles.
Pimentos
Red sweet Spanish pepper pod.
Piquant
Highly seasoned, tangy.
Plat du Jour
Special dish of the day
Poisson
Fish in French
Potage
Soup usually thickened
Puree
Pulp or past of vegetables or fruit, also a thick soup
Quenelles
Very light dumplings which are made out of fish, chicken or meat, poached and used as a garnish.
Ragout
Thick savoury French stew.
Ramekins
Food baked in shallow baking china dishes. Individual small baking dishes.
Raspings
Fine brown breadcrumbs.
Rechauffe
A re-heated dish.
Reduce
To concentrate a liquid by boiling usually without a lid.
Relish
A highly seasoned food item used as an accompaniment
Royal
Used as a garnish for soups, cubes of a savoury custard. Also the name of a kind of icing.
Saboyon
A foamy dessert or sauce made of egg yolks whipped with wine or liqueur.
Salami
Sausage of pork, beef, highly seasoned.
Searing
Browning surface by intense heat, usually meat. To form protective coating of coagulated proteins to retain the juices of the meat.
Score
To cut slits in the fat pieces of pork before roasting
Skewer
A metal or wooden pin to hold meat or poultry pieces while cooking, e.g. seekh kebab, shami kebabs.
Souse
Herrings, etc. pickled in vinegar and spices.
Souffle
Light puffed baked custard.
Spit
Pointed metal rod to hold meat or poultry for roasting.
Supreme
A fillet of deboned fish or breast of a chicken. It is the tender portion of the bird.
Table D’Hote
Fixed price meal. A meal of definite number of courses.
Terrine
Forcemeat stuffing moulded cooked and served cold.
Timbale
A cup shaped mould usually made from meat, fish or vegetables added to a custard mixture and finely decorated.
Tripe
The white fatty inner lining of the stomach, chiefly ox which has large amount of connective tissue which gelatinizes on boiling and so it is easily digestible.
Troncon
A slice of flat fish with the bone.
Vol Au Vent
Puff pastry case
Wok
A concave pan used for stir frying.
Whipping
Rapid beating to increase the volume of mixing air.
Zest
The rind of orange or lemon grated and used for flavouring.
Zuppa
Italian soup
