culinary terms

Allemande German style, also a sauce prepared from veal (other) veloute sauce and an egg yolk and heavy cream liaison finished with lemon juice.
AP weight As purchased, it indicates the weight of the item before trimming.
àla carte Foods prepared to order; each dish priced separately.
Anglaise To cook àl `angles means to cook plainly in water. It also means the preparation of a dish dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, and fried.
Apparel Mixture of different elements for the preparation for a dish.
Aspic Clear meat or poultry jelly. It is gelatinein a thin syrupy stage used to decorate dishes in the larder.
Au bleu In French, it means underdone, i.e. the meat is not cooked properly. Another meaning is preparing and cooking of a live trout in cooking liquor.
Au fourBaked in the oven
Au gratinFood covered with a sauce sprinkle with cheese, breadcrumbs, dotted with butter and baked or gratinatedin a salamander.
Au natural Served in a simple unadorned 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 soaked inrum.
Bain-marie A hot water bath in which utensils containing various culinary immersed to warm or for the purpose of poaching and re-heating।
BAKING: Usually the food is put in the oven and cooked by dry heat।
Ballotin: The egg of poultry or the shoulder of lamb de-boned, stuffed rolled and cooked।
Barbecue A party in which usually meat (sometime 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.
Barquette A boat shaped pastry tartlet with a filling.
Bavarois Bavarian cream; custard should be included in its base.
Batter Mixture of flour and liquid of 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.
Béchamel A basic sauce, white in colour, prepared with flour butter and milk.
Beurremanie Equal quantities of flour and butter put in sauces, etc. for thickening.
Bisque A thick soup from shellfish or game.
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.
Blend Thorough mixing of two or more ingredients
Bloom A measure of the strength of gelatine, also a whitish layer that forms on chocolate dew to the separation of the cocoa butter.
Bombe A frozen dessert. A combination of two or more frozen mixture (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 consommébut stronger than broth.
Bouchée Very small meat patty or pastry shell filled with meat, poultry or lobster.
Bouillabaisse The French Provencale“stew”made of numerous types of fish; combined with savoury spices and oil, served with toasted French garlic bread.
Bortsch An un-passed soup with an accent beetroot and is duck flavoured. Native of Poland or Russia. The accompaniments are sour cream, duck boucheesand beetroot juice.
Bouquet garni A bouquet of fresh herbs such as parsley, bayleaf, thyme tied together in a cheese cloth bag, to flavoursoup, stews and removed before dish is served.
Brioche A feathery light yeast cake. A favouritebreakfast bun in France
Broil The ancient term for grilling
Brunoise Cut into fine dices.
Buffet Display of ready to eat foods. Often self -service from a table of assorted foods.
Canapé Small pieces of fried or toasted bread topped with a wide variety of colourfulappetisers. Eaten with fingers. Small fancy open-faced item.
Carte dujour Menu for the day.
Capon A young male bird which has been castrated to improve flavourand to fatten. Noted for its tenderness.
Caramelise To heat sugar until it turns dark brown. Used for coating mouldsand flavouringdishes.
Caviar Salted roe or eggs of fish, usually sturgeon, served as a sandwich spread or in plates as appetisers.
Champignons Mushrooms
Chantilly cream Whipped cream
Chateaubriand A steak cut from the head of the beef fillet usually broiled. The steak has been named after the Vicountof Chateaubriand.
Chaudfroid Velouteor demi-glaze with aspic or gelatineused for masking cold dishes.
Consommé Clear soup made from minced meat, aromatic vegetables, herbs andstock, etc. It is clarified with egg white.
Cordon To have a thin line of sauce
Crackling The rind of roast porkCrepe Pancake
Croquettes Thick white sauce or mashed potato base, plus minced meat, fish or vegetables shaped as pipes rolled in flour, dipped in beaten eggs, bread crumbed and deep fried.
Cuisine Art of cooking, preparation in the kitchen.
Dariole A deep round sloping mould like a flower pot
Darne A section of fish cut across the bone of a large whole round fish.
Deglace To swill a pan in which food has been cooked with wine/stock to use the sediment and essences.
Diable Devilled
Duxelle Minced vegetable stuffing or forcemeat consisting of mushrooms, parsley or shallots.
Dust Sprinkling fine sugar or flour.
Danger zone4 5 degree F to 140 degree F the range of temperature in which bacteria multiplies the most rapidly.
Egg washBrush food item with egg yolks.
EmulsionA mixture -oil and yolk incorporated, does not separteon standing e.g. mayonnaise, hollandaise.
EntréeA main dish of meat, or poultry for an informal meal.
EntrémetRefers to a sweet course, cold or hot.
FleuronSmall crescent shaped, puff pastry, used as garnish for poached fish, meat etc.
FarinaceousIt is a word derived from the Latin word farina meaning flour, awide range of dishes mostly made from flour, e.g. spaghetti, macaroni, gnocchi, etc.
FilletsBoneless flesh under the loin of beef, veal or pork. Boneless pieces of fish
FlakeTo break into natural segments (in case of fish)
FlorentineOn bed of spinach.
FluteA long crisp roll of bread, thin slices cut on a slant and used for garnishing soups.
FoiegrasFattened goose liver.
FricasseeSmall 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.
FrittersSmall pieces of vegetables, fruits, cheese dipped in batter and deep-fried.
FumetA kind of essence extracted from the bones or skin of fish.
GallantineDe-boned chicken along with skin, stuffed with the mince seasoned with herbs and mixed with eggs and cream. Served in cold buffets as cold cuts.
GarnishTo embellish or decorate
GelatineA soluble protein got from cows hoofs, sold in powder forms or sheets. Used for jellies and preparing aspics.
GnocchiItalian light dumplings usually made from farina (cream of wheat).
GoulashA Hungarian beef stew with onions, tomatoes and paprika.
GourmetConnoisseur of food and drinks known as an epicure.
HashIt is usually a reshauffeedish. A dish of meat diced or minced or seasoned. Also hash brown potatoes served as an accompaniment for breakfast.
Hors d’ouvresSmall relishes or appetisers. Served as first course of a meal.
JardiniereVegetables cut into batons.JulienneVegetables & meat cut into fine strips for soups & salads.
Kosher Meat sold within 48 hours after holding, in accordance with prescribed Hebrew religious laws or style of Jewish cooking with dietary restrictions.
Kromeskys Similar to croquettes but it is dipped in a yeast batter & deep-fried.
Langouste Crayfish.
Langoustine Spiny lobster.
Liaison Cream & eggs, blood, flour are used as thickening agents for soups and sauces.
Larding Strips of pork fat inserted into meat with the aid of a larding needle. This keeps the meat moist.
Macedoine Pea sized dices of fruits and vegetables.
Marinade A spiced mixture of vinegar oils spices or wine.
Marmite Stockpot, or earthenware pot in which soup is served.
Masking To cover completely (usually with a sauce).
Matelotes Fish stew with wine, onions and seasonings.
Matignon Minced aromatic vegetables, ham (optional), thyme, and bayleaf used in dishes to impart good flavour.
Medallion Round flat shaped piece of fish or meat.
Menu List of dishes.
Mignonette Pepper Mirepoix Onions, carrots, celery, leeks, pork (salted optional) cut into rough dices, with thyme, bayleaf. It improves the flavour of the dish.
Mise-en-place Basic pre-preparation. Actually translates as To put in place.
Mousse Applied to a very light dessert generally prepared with whipped cream, egg whites, gelatine and sugar etc. chilled and frozen. Also referred to meat dishes with egg, cream, gelatine and seasoning served for cold buffets.
Noodles Narrow strips of dried dough, used in soups, as garnishes, and also used for Chinese dishes.
Panada Thick white sauce.
Pane To egg and breadcrumb food items before frying.
En Papillote Cutlet cooked in paper.
Parboil To partially cook.
Paupiette Stuffed rolled thin slices of meat, etc braised.
round, or triangles, etc.
Petits fours Very small pastries, biscuits, sweet, etc.
Pimentos Red sweet Spanish pepper pod.
Piquant Highly seasoned, tangy.
Plat du jour Special dish of the day.
Polenta An Italian dish using coarsely ground cornmeal.
Poisson Fish in French. Potage Soup usually thickened.
Pot au feu Meat broth with vegetables.
Printaniere Spring vegetables.
Puree Pulp or paste of vegetables or fruit, also thick soup
Quark Salt - free soft cheese made from semi - skimmed milk.
Quenelles Very light dumplings, which are made out of fish, chicken, or meat, poached and used as a garnish.
Ragout Thick savoury stew.
Ramekins Food baked in shallow baking china dishes. Individual small baking dishes.
Rasping Fine breadcrumbs.
Rechauffe A re - heated dish.
Reduce To concentrate a liquid by boiling, usually without a lid.
Reish A highly seasoned food item used as an accompaniment
Royal Used as a garnish for soups, cubes of savoury custard. Also the name of a kind of icing.
saboyon Dessert, egg yolks, vanilla, sugar, sherry or wine cooked till light and creamy.
salamander A grille with heat from above open front so that the dishes could be placed on shelf for gratinating.
Sacchharometer Instrument used for measuring density of sugar syrup.

Sauté (a) To toss in fat, e.g. pommes sautés (b) To cook quickly in a sauté or frying pan. (c) A brown stew of specific type, e.g. sauté de veau.
Seal A set the surface of meat in a hot oven or pan to colour and retain juices.
Seasoned flour Flour seasoned with salt and pepper.
Salami Sausage of pork, beef, highly seasoned.
Searing Browning surface by intense heat, usually meat. To form a protective coating of coagulated proteins to retain the juice of the meat.
Score To cut slits in the fat piece of pork before roasting.
Shredded Cut in fine strips, e.g. lettuce, sorrel onion.
Silicone paper Non - stick paper Singe To brown or colour.
Smetana A low fat product, a cross between soured cream and yoghurt.
Skewer A metal or wooden pin to hold meat or poultry pieces while cooking e.g.
seekh kabab, shami kababs.
Souse Herrings, etc. pickled in vinegar and spices.
Soufflé Light puffed baked custard.
Spit Pointed metal rod to hold meat or poultry for roasting.
Supreme A fillet of a de-boned fish or breast of a chicken. It is the tender portion of the bird

Sweat To cook in fat under a lid without colour.
Syneresis The squeezing out of liquid from an overcooked protein and liquid mixture e.g. scrambled egg, egg custard.
Table d’ hôte Fixed price meal. A meal of definite number of courses.
Tahini A strong flavoured sesame seed paste.
Terrine Forcemeat stuffing moulded cooked and served cold.
Timbale A cup shaped mould usually made from meat; fish or vegetables added to custard mixture and finely decorated.
Tofu Low fat bean curd made from Soya beans.
Torn Turned, to shape in barrels or large olives
Trance A slice
Tripe The white fatty inner lining of the stomach, chiefly ox which has large amount of connective tissue which gelatine on boiling and so it is easily digestible.
Tronçon A slice of flat fish with the bone.
Temper The gradual raising of the temperature of a cold liquid by the addition of a hot liquid. This is done to avoid the breaking of the cold liquid
Volau ventPuff pastry case.
Variety MeatThe non-skeletal meats of the dressed carcass. These include liver, heart, sweetbreads and feet, as well as others.
WhippingRapid beating to increase the volume of mixing air.
YamsMuch like sweet potatoes.
ZestThe rind of orange or lemon grated and used for flavouring.ZuppaItalian soup.