culinary cooking terms

culinary cooking terms

ACID

a substance having a sour or sharp flavor (acidic foods: citrus juice, vinegar, wine)

ALBUMEN

major protein in egg whites

ALFREDO

pasta sauce consisting of butter, cream, and the finest parmesan cheese available

A LA (ah lah)

French for “in the manner of style of”, “served with”

Used in relation to a food, designates a style of preparation or presentation.

A LA CARTE (ah lah kart)

a menu on which each food and beverage is listed and price seperately

A LA GRECQUE (ah lah grehk)

preparation style in which vegetables are marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs, then served cold.

A POINT

French term for cooking to the ideal degree of doneness

when applied to meat, it refers to cooking it medium rare

AU JUS (oh zhew)

describes meat served in its own natural juices, not with gravy

AL DENTE (al den-tay)

Italian for “to the tooth”, to describe a food, usually pasta, that is cooked only until it gives a slight resistance when one bites into it

AROMA

the sensations

substance comes in contact in the nose

AROMATIC

a food added to enhance the natural aromas of another food

(flavorings: herbs, spices, some vegetables)

ASPIC/ ASPIC JELLY

clear jelly usually made from a clarified stock thickened with gelatin

to coat foods, especially charcuterie items, and for garnish

AU GRATIN (oh GRAH-tan)

foods with brown or crusted top

often made by browning a food with a bread-crumb, cheese, and/or sauce topping under a broiler or salamander

BAIN MARIE (bane mah-ree)

container for holding food in a hot-water bath

used to gently cook food or keep cooked food hot

BARBECUE

to cook foods over dry heat created by the burning of hardwood or charcoals

a tangy tomato or vinegar-based sauce used for grilled foods

BARDING

tying thin slices of fat, such as bacon or pork fatback, over meats or poultry that have no natural fat covering in order to protect and moisten them during roasting

BASTE

to moisten foods during cooking (usually grilling, broiling or roasting) with melted fat, pan drippings, a sauce or other liquids to prevent drying and to add flavor

BATONNET (bah-toh-nah)

foods cut into matchstick shapes of ¼ x ¼ x 2 inches

BATTER

semiliquid mixture containing flour or other starch used to make cakes and breads

used to coat foods for deep frying

BEARNAISE (bare-NAYZ)

sauce made of butter and egg yolks and flavored with a reduction of vinegar, shallots, tarragon and peppercorns
good for grilled meats

BÉCHAMEL (bay-shah-mell)

a leading sauce made by thickening milk with a white roux and adding seasonings

BEURRE BLANC (burr BLANHK)

French for “white butter”

an emulsified butter sauce made from shallots, white winner vinegar reduction and butter

BEURRE COMPOSÉ (burr kom-poh-Zay)

known as compound butter

a mixture of softened whole butter and flavorings used as a sauce or to flavor and color other sauces

BEURRE FONDU (burr fon-DOO)

French for melted butter

often served over steamed vegetables such as asparagus or poached white fish

BISCOTTI

twice-baked cookies with a long-lasting, firm, crisp texture

usually served with coffee, sweet wine, or other beverages

BISQUE (bisk)

soup made from shellfish; classic versions are thickened with rice

BLANCHING

very briefly and partially cooking a food in boiling water or hot fat

used to assist preparation, as part of combination cooking method or to remove undesirable flavors

BLOOM

to soften granulated gelatin in a cold liquid before dissolving and using

it measure the gelatin’s strength

BOUILLABAISSE

a rich fish stew from Southern France

modern version includes lobster and shrimp

BOUQUET GARNI (boo-KAY gar-NEE)

fresh herbs and vegetables tied into a bundle with twine and used to flavor stocks, sauces, soups and stews

BREADING

coating of bread or cracker crumbs, cornmeal or other dry meal applied to foods that will be deep-fried or pan-fried; coating

BRINE

a mixture of salt, water, and seasonings used to preserve foods

BROCHETTES (bro-SHETTS)

skewers, either small hors d’ oeuvre or large entree size, threaded with meat, poultry, fish, shellfish and/or vegetables and grilled, broiled, or baked

BRUSCHETTA

grilled slices of bread brushed with olive oil and fresh garlic

BROWN STOCK

richly colored stock made of chicken, veal, beef, or game bones and vegetables, all of which are caramelized before they are simmered in water with seasonings

BRUNOISE (BROO-nwaz)

foods cut into cubes of 1/8 × 1/8 × 1/8 inches; foods garnished with vegetables cut in this manner

BUTCHER

to slaughter, dress or fabricate animals for consumption

BUTTERFLY

to slice boneless meat, poultry or fish nearly in half lengthwise so that it spreads open like a book

CANAPÉ (KAN-ah-pay)

tiny open-faced sandwich served as an hors d’ oeuvre

usually composed of a small piece of bread or toast topped with a savory spread and garnish

CARAMELIZATION

process of cooking sugars

the browning of sugar enhances the flavor and appearance of foods

CAVIAR

salted roe(eggs) of sturgeon fish

CHEF’S KNIFE

all-purpose knife used for chopping, slicing and mincing

its blade is 8-145 inches long

CHIFFONADE (chef-fon-nahd)

to finely slice or shred leafy vegetables or herbs

CHOP

a cut of meat, including part of the rib

to cut into pieces when uniformly of size and shape is not important

CHOWDER

hearty soup made from fish, shellfish, and/or vegetables

usually containing milk and potatoes and often thickened with roux

CLARIFICATION

process of transforming a broth into a clear consomme by trapping impurities with a clear meat consisting of the egg white protein albumen, and other ingredients

CLARIFIED BUTTER

purified butterfat

the butter is melted and the water and milk solids are removed

CONCASSÉÉ

peeled, seeded and diced tomato

CANNELLONI

an Italian dish made of sheets or tubes of pasta filled with meat, cheese, sauce and baked au gratin

CONSOMMÉ (kwang-soh-MAY)

rich stock or broth that has been clarified with clear meat to remove impurities

COURT BOUILLON (kort boo-yon)

water simmered with vegetables, seasonings, and an acidic product such as vinegar or wine

used for simmering or poaching fish, shellfish, or vegetables

COUVERTURE (coo-vehr-TYOOR)

high quality chocolate containing at least 32% cocoa butter

CRÉME BRULÉE (khrem broo-lay)

French for “burnt cream”

used to describe a rich dessert custard topped with a crust of caramelized sugar

CREPE (krayp)

thin, delicate unleavened griddlecake made with a very thin egg batter cooked in a very hot saute pan

used in sweet and savory preparations

CROISSANT (krwah-SAHN)

crescent-shaped roll made from a rich, rolled-in yeast dough

CROQUEMBOUCHE (krow-kem-BOOSH)

a pyramid of small puffs, each filled with pastry cream

CROQUETTE (crow-keht)

a food that has been pureed or bound with a thick sauce (usually bechamel or veloute) made into small shapes and then breaded and deep fried

CROSS CONTAMINATION

transfer of bacteria or other contaminants from one food, work surface or piece of equipment to another

CROUTON (KROO-tawn)

bread or pastry garnish

usually toasted or sauteed until crisp

CRUDITÉS (croo-de-TAYS)

raw or blanched vegetables served as an hors d’ oeuvre and often accompanied by a dip

CUISINE

the ingredients, seasonings, cooking procedures and style attribute to a particular group of people

DEGLAZE

to swirl/stir a liquid (usually wine or stock) in a pan to dissolve cooked food particles remaining on the bottom

the resulting mixture becomes base for sauces

DEMI-GLACE (deh-me glass)

French for “half glaze”

mixture of half brown stock and half brown sauce reduce by half

DEVEINING

process of removing a shrimp’s digestive tract

DEVILED

meat, poultry or other food seasoned with mustard, vinegar and other spicy seasonings

DIP

thick, creamy sauce, served hot or cold, to accompany crudites, crackers, chips, or other foods, especially as an hors d’ oeuvre

mayo, sour cream, cream cheese

DOUGH

mixture of flour and other ingredients used in baking

often stiff enough to cut into shapes

DRESS

to trim or otherwise prepare an animal carcass for consumption

DRESSED

a market form for fish in which the viscera, gills, fins and scales are removed

DREDGING

coating a food with flour or finely ground crumbs

usually done prior to sauteing or frying or as first step of the standard breading procedure

DUXELLES

a coarse made of finely chopped mushrooms sauteed in butter sauce used in sauces and stuffing

ÉCLAIR PASTE (ay-clahr)

known as pâte à choux; a soft dough that produces hollow baked products with crisp exteriors

used for making cream puffs

ÉCLAIRS

baked fingers of eclair paste filled with pastry cream

the top is coated with chocolate glaze or fondant

EGG WASH

mixture of beaten eggs and a liquid usually milk or water

used to coat doughs before baking to add sheen

ÉMINCÉ

a type of knife cut that means to thinly slice

EMULSIFICATION

process by which generally unmixable liquids, such as oil and water, are forced into a uniform distributionEMULSI

EMULSION

a uniform mixture of two unmixable liquids

it is often temporary (oil and water)

ENTRÉE

the main dish of an American meal, usually meat, poultry, fish or shellfish accompanied by a vegetable and starch

ESCARGOT (ays-SKAHR-go)

French for “snail”

those used for culinary purposes are land snails

ESPAGNOLE ( ess-spah-nyol)

brown sauce, a leading sauce made for brown stock, mire poux and tomatoes thickened with brown roux

used to produce demi-glace

FABRICATE

to cut a larger portion of raw of meat (ex. a primal or subprimal), poultry fish into smaller portions

FABRICATED CUTS

individual portions cut from a subprimal

FILET, FILLET (fee-lay)

filet- boneless tenderloin of maet

fillet- side of a fish removed intact, boneless or semiboneless, with or without skin

FISH VELOUTÉ

a veloute sauce made from fish stock

FLAMBÉ (flahm-BAY)

food served flaming

produced by igniting brandy, rum or other liquor

FOIE GRAS (fwah grah)

liver of specially fattened geese

FONDUE

a Swiss specialty made with melted cheese, wine and flavoring

eaten by dipping pieces of bread into the hot mixture with long forks

FRENCH DRESSING

a vinaigrette dressing made from oil, vinegar, salt and pepper

a commercially prepared dressing that is creamy, tartly sweet and red-orange in color

FRITATA (free-TAH-ta)

an opened-faced omelet of Spanish Italian origin

FUMET (foo-may)

stock made from fish bones or shellfish shells and vegetables simmered in a liquid with flavorings

GARDE-MANGER (gar mawn-zhay)

pantry chef, the cook in charge of cold production, including salads and salad dressings, cold appetizers

GARNISH

foods used as an attractive decoration

a subsidiary food used to add flavor or character to the main ingredient in a dish

GASTRONOMY

art and science of eating well

GRATE

to cut food into small, thin shred by rubbing it against a serrated metal plate known as grater

GRAVY

sauce made from meat or poultry juices combined with a liquid and thickening agent

usually made in he pan in which the sauce was cooked

GREMOLATA (greh-moa-LAH-ta)

an aromatic garnish of chopped parsley, garlic, lemon zest for osso buco

HERB

any large group of aromatic plants whose leaves, stems, or flowers are used as flavorings

used either dried or fresh

HOLLANDAISE (ohll-uhn-daze)

emulsified sauce made of butter, egg yolks and flavorings (especially lemon juice)

JULIENNE (ju-lee-en)

to cut foods into stick-shaped pieces, approximately 1/8 × 1/8 × 2 inches

LEGUMES (lay-gyooms)

French for “vegetables”

a large group of vegetables with double-seamed seed pods