CULINARY TERM |
DEFINITION |
à la |
"In the style of" |
à la broche |
to roast in front of an open fire on a spit |
à la carte |
Dishes prepared to order and priced individually |
à la Francaise |
In the French style |
à la minute |
Cooked to order |
abatis de volaille |
Chicken offal |
abats |
Offal |
aboyeur |
barker or caller (Fr); the person who calls out the orders to the kitchen brigade |
accompaniments |
Items offered separately with a dish of food |
agar-agar |
A gelatine substance made from seaweed |
aiguillettes |
small strips of cooked meat or fish (from the French; anguiles, meaning needles) |
ail |
garlic |
aile |
Wing of poultry or game birds |
ailerone |
Winglet |
albarelle |
variety of boletus mushroom which grows on chestnut and white popular trees |
aloyau de boeuf |
Sirloin of beef |
alumette |
Matchstick shape |
amino acid |
The basic material from which proteins are made of |
antipasto |
Italian appetiser consisting of a variety of cooked, smoked and cured meats, seafoods, olives etc |
apperail |
Prepared mixture |
apprenti |
Apprentice - male |
apprentie |
Apprentice - female |
aromates |
Aromatic herbs or spices |
arroser |
To baste |
ascorbic acid |
Commonly known as vitamin C; found in citrus fruits and blackcurrants. Necessary for growth and good health |
aspic |
A savoury jelly mainly used for buffet work |
assaisonner |
To season |
assorti |
An assortment |
aubergine |
Eggplant |
au beurre |
With butter |
au bleu |
Usually applied to cooking meat: very under done |
au bleu |
Also refers to poaching fresh whole trout ; as the sea slime turns a bluish hue |
au four |
Baked in the oven |
au gratin |
Sprinkled with cheese or breadcrumbs and browned |
au jus |
a roasted meat dish that is dressed with its own juices |
au maigre |
dishes prepared without meat |
au natural |
dishes prepared simply and plainly without any extras |
au vin blanc |
With white wine |
bacteria |
Single celled micro-organisms (plural) |
bacterium |
(singular) |
bain-marie |
A container of water used for cooking or storing hot foods |
ballontine |
A boned stuffed leg of poultry or game bird, it may be poached or roasted and served cold or hot |
barde |
Strip of uncured bacon fat |
barder |
To cover breasts of birds with thin slices of bacon fat before roasting |
barquette |
A boat shaped pastry tartlet also a mould for baking such |
Bavarois |
Bavarian cream; must have custard as its base |
Bavaroise |
A mild punch, tea or coffee based, containing egg yolks, sugar and a liqueur |
Bearnaise |
A derivative of hollandaise sauce, replacing the straight reduction with a tarragon reduction |
beignets |
fritters |
beurre |
Butter |
beurre fondue |
Melted butter |
beurre manie |
Equal quantities of butter and flour mixed to a smooth paste; used for thickening |
beurre noir |
Blackened butter |
beurre noisette |
Nut brown butter |
bisque |
A thick shellfish soup |
blanc |
White |
blanc |
A cooking liquor of water, lemon juice, flour and salt |
blanch |
To plunge into boiling water or oil for the purpose of whitening as in bones, retaining colour without fully cooking as with vegetables |
blanchir |
French term for blanching |
blanquette |
A white stew cooked in stock from which the sauce is made |
bombe |
An ice cream speciality of different flavours made in a round mould |
bonbons |
small sugar confectionery |
bouchées |
A small puff pastry case: (a mouthful) |
Bordelaise |
Red wine sauce with bacon lardons and baby onions |
bouillé |
to boil |
bouillon |
Unclarified stock (from the French word to bubble, as in when liquid boils) |
bouillabaisse |
A fish stew; speciality of Provence |
Bourguignonne |
A red wine sauce with the addition of button onions and mushrooms |
bouquet garni |
A faggot of fresh herbs: parsley, thyme, bay leaf, usually tied inside pieces of leek or celery |
braise |
To braise |
brine |
A preserving solution of water, salt, saltpetre and aromates used for meats |
brioche |
A delicate, French sweet bread, traditionally served at breakfast |
broche (la) |
A roasting spit |
brochette (la) |
A skewer |
brouillé |
Scrambled |
brunoise |
Small dice of fruit or vegetables |
buisson |
a garnish of small groups of shrimps, also a method of twisting up pastry to a point |
buttermilk |
Liquid remaining from the churning of butter |
ca marche |
A term used at service time, to let the chefs' know that an order is to follow |
calcium |
A mineral required for the building of healthy bones and teeth |
calorie |
A unit of heat or energy |
calvados |
An apple brandy |
canapé |
A cushion of breador similar on which various foods are served as appetisers prior to a meal (cocktail party) |
cannaloni |
Large tubes of pasta; which are stuffed and served in a sauce, also the name of the dish |
cannelons |
small stuffed rolls of pastry or rice |
capilotade |
a kind of hashed (ragout/stew)game or chicken |
caramel |
water and sugar boiled together and reduced to make a golden brown ‘toffee’ |
carbohydrate |
A nutrient which has three main groups; sugar, starch and cellulose |
carbon dioxide |
A gas produced by all raising agents |
carbonnade |
A meat dish, stewed in beer |
carte du jour |
Menu of the day |
cartouche |
Round cover of greaseproof paper |
casserole |
An earthenware dish with a lid, also the dish of food cooked in it |
cassis |
A blackcurrant cordial/liqueur |
cassolette |
Small paper case |
caviar |
the roe of the sturgeon; beluga being the A grade |
cellulose |
The coarse structure of fruit, vegetables and cereals |
cervena |
Meat from New Zealand farmed deer |
champignon |
French for mushroom |
chantilly |
Whipped cream; sweetened and flavoured with vanilla |
chapelure |
Crumbs made from dried bread |
Charcuterie |
Pork butchery |
Charcutier |
Pork butcher |
chateaubriand |
Head of the fillet of beef |
chaud |
Hot |
chaud-froid |
A demi glace or velouté base with aspic or gelatine added; used for masking cold dishes for buffets |
chauffant |
Pan of hot salted water used for reheating foods |
Chef de Cuisine |
Head \ Executive Chef |
Chef Sous |
Second in command |
Chef de saucier |
Sauce Chef |
Chef de potage |
Soup Chef |
Chef de rotisseur |
Roast Chef |
Chef de communard |
Staff cook |
Chef de froitier |
Specialises in cold savoury dishes |
Chef de poissonnier |
Fish Chef |
Chef tournant |
Relief Chef |
Chef de patissier |
Pastry Chef |
Chef de partie |
Section leader |
Chef de grillardin |
Grill Chef |
Chef de nuit |
Head night cook |
Chef de gardemanger |
Cold larder Chef |
Chef de entremettier |
Vegetable Chef |
Chef de rang |
Head station waiter |
chiffonnade |
Finely shredded; usually lettuce |
chinois |
A conical strainer |
chlorophyll |
The chemical that gives plants their green colour |
civet |
A brown stew of game; usually hare |
clarification |
To make clear |
clostridium perfringens |
A food poisoning bacteria found in soil, vegetables and meat |
clouté |
Studded |
coagulation |
The solidification of a protein which is irreversible |
cocotte |
Porcelain or earthenware shallow dish, used for cooking |
collagen and elastin |
Proteins in connective tissue, eg gristle, found in meat |
commis |
Assistant cook |
compote |
Stewed fruit |
concassé |
Coarsely chopped |
condiments |
highly flavoured seasonings or accompaniments |
connoisseur |
Expert |
consommé |
Basic clear soup |
contrefilet |
Boned sirloin of beef |
cook out |
The process of cooking the flour in a roux |
cordon |
A thin line or thread of sauce |
correcting |
To adjust the seasoning, consistency or colour |
cote |
A rib or chop |
cotelette |
Cutlet |
cottage cheese |
A soft cheese made from skimmed milk |
coulis |
A sauce, generally of strained, pureed fruit or vegetable |
coupe |
Cut |
coupe |
An individual serving bowl |
court bouillon |
A well flavoured cooking liquor for fish |
couverture |
A form of cooking chocolate |
couverture |
A covering |
crème |
Cream |
crème fraiche |
Whipped cream and buttermilk heated to 24-29 C; usually bought commercially made |
crémé |
To cream |
crêpes |
Thin pancakes |
croquembouche |
a dessert made up of filled profiteroles, stacked in a pyramid and coated with a (spun sugar)caramel |
croquettes |
Cooked foods moulded into cylinders, panéed and deep fried |
croûte |
A bed or cushion of fried or toasted bread |
croûtons |
Cubes of fried bread |
croustade |
Empty pastry case |
crudités |
Small neat pieces of vegetables |
cuisse [la] |
Leg |
cuisse de poulet |
Leg of chicken |
curd cheese |
A low fat soft cheese, approx. 11% fat |
dariole |
A small mould as used for creme caramels |
darne |
A slice of round fish on the bone |
daube |
Meat stew pressure steamed in red wine |
deglacer |
To swill out a pan in which food has been fried with wine, stock or water in order to use the sediment for the sauce or gravy; to deglaze |
degraisser |
To skim off fat |
dejeuner [la] |
Dinner |
delice |
A cut of fish : a neatly skinned, trimmed fillet of |
demi |
Half |
demi glace |
A refined espagnol sauce |
demi tasse |
French for half cup, refers to the bowls concentrated consommé is served in, also Italian coffees such as espresso |
denté |
Teeth (Italian) |
desosser |
To bone out meats |
diablé |
Devilled; made hot and spicy |
dilute |
To add water to |
dish paper |
A plain dish paper |
doily |
A fancy dish paper |
drain |
To remove liquid from with a strainer |
duxelle |
Finely chopped mushrooms and shallots cooked together |
eggwash |
Mixture of egg and milk |
emince |
Sliced |
emulsion |
A mixture of oil and water which does not separate |
entrecôte |
A steak cut from the boned sirloin |
entrée |
The opening course to a meal, traditionally in Europe is dish served before the main course where fish or meat is served hot in a sauce |
envoyez |
A term used at service time when calling away meals |
escalope |
Thin slice of raw meat |
espagnole |
Basic brown sauce |
essai |
taste, sample |
essayer |
To taste, to sample |
estouffade |
Brown meat stock |
étouffé |
To stew or slowly cook |
étouffée |
A slowly cooked meat stew |
etuvee |
Cooked in own juices |
facile |
easy |
farce |
Stuffing |
farcé |
To stuff or used to described a dish that has been stuffed |
fecule |
Fine potato flour |
feuille |
Leaf or sheet (as in paper) |
feuilletage |
Puff pastry |
feuilleté |
Laminated |
fines herbes |
Chopped parsley, tarragon and chervil |
flake |
To break into natural segments |
flambé |
To flame with alcohol |
flan |
Large open fruit tart |
fleurons |
Small crescent shaped pieces of puff pastry |
flute |
2 cm diameter slice of French bread |
foie |
Liver |
foie gras |
Goose liver (paté) |
foncer |
To line the base of a stew pan with slices of ham or bacon |
fond |
stock or bouillon (Fr for base) |
fondant |
Melting; a soft kind of icing |
fondue |
a preparation of melted cheese, also the equipment used for this (Swiss) |
forcemeat |
a stuffing |
frangipane |
a sweet mixture of |
frappe |
Chilled |
friandises |
Petit fours or sweetmeats |
fricassee |
A white stew in which the meat, fish or poultry is cooked in the sauce |
friture |
Deep fryer |
froid |
Cold |
fromage |
Cheese |
fromage blanc |
A fat free, fresh cheese made from skimmed milk |
fumé |
Smoked |
fumet |
The essence or concentrated flavour |
galantine |
A boned, stuffed whole bird (or breast of veal), it may be poached or roasted and served cold or hot |
galette |
A French pastry or breakfast roll |
garam masala |
A combination of Indian spices |
Garde-manger |
The cold preparation section of a kitchen : see also Larder |
garni |
To garnish |
garnish |
Trimmings on a dish for presentation purposes |
gateau |
A cake of more than portion and usually more than one layer |
gaufre |
A thin wafer biscuit, baked or fried in a mould |
gaufre |
Waffle |
gaufrette |
A lattice cut potato dish, cut wafer thin |
gelatine |
A soluble protein used for setting foods |
Genoise |
a rich sponge cake |
gibelotte |
A rabbit stew dressed with butter, onions and potatoes |
gibier |
Game |
glace |
A glaze |
glacé |
Ice cream |
glacé |
To glaze |
gnocchi |
Italian word for dumpling |
goujon |
Small strips of fish fillet |
gourmande |
An epicure, a ravenous eater, a glutton |
gourmet |
a judge of good food and living, one who appreciates (and knows about)good food and wine |
gratinée |
To sprinkle with cheese or breadcrumbs and brown under the salamander |
gras |
Fat, plump |
graisse |
Grease or fat |
gratis |
Free of charge |
green |
Fresh, uncooked ; usually applied to fish |
green ginger |
Fresh root of the ginger plant |
grenadin |
small larded slice of veal fillet |
grenouille |
Frog |
grill |
A piece of equipment that cooks with heat from below (see also salamander) |
groseille |
Berry |