Kitchen Terminology
Bain-Marie:
Keeps food hot, consisting of deep containers for storing foods and other hot foods.
Bouillon:
Unclarified stock obtained from pouching fish or meat or vegetables.
Bechamel:
White sauce made with a roux.
Bouquet Garni:
Herbs, bay leaves tied together in a bunch in muslin cloth (Cheese cloth) added to stews and sauces.
Buffet:
A selection of foods presented on a display served hot or cold.
Basting:
To Spoon melted liquid over food during the cooking process
Barde:
To wrap or cover a piece of meat with thin slices of fat eg. Bacon to protect the meat from the heat during the roasting process
Brine:
A solution of salt in water used to preserve food
Clarification:
To remove all solids from a liquid by skimming, filtering, by entrapping the impurities in coagulated egg whites, eg. to clear a stock
Compote:
Fresh or dried fruit cooked in a sugar syrup, served in a liquid cold
Consomme:
A translucent/ clear soup
Croutons:
Cubes of deep fied bread
Crudite:
Neatly cut vegetables cooked or raw served as snacks served with a dip
Crepe:
Very delicate and thin pancakes
Coulis:
Pureed fruit which is served as a sauce to accompany desserts
Canape:
Thin slices of bread or biscuit which is topped with a variety of savoury items decorated and served at cocktail parties as a light snack with drinks
Carpaccio:
Raw filet of beef sliced paper thin
Chateaubriand:
The head of a fillet of beef
Concassee:
Finely diced tomato
Chantilly Cream:
A sweetened whipped cream flavoured with vanilla or brandy.
Deglaze:
To dissolve and loosen meat juices which stick to the bottom of a roasting dish/ frying pan using water stock or wine
Duxelle:
Finely chopped mushrooms and onions
Demi-glaze:
Basic Brown Sauce
Dariole:
Small mould
Escalope:
A thin slice of meat, often cut from the top of a leg or the fillet of beef and beaten out until very thin prior to frying
Entrée:
The main course of a meal
Escargot:
Edible Snails
Farce:
A stuffing or forced meat ( farce to stuff)
Flambe:
To add an alcoholic spirit to a dish and to set it alight either before or after adding it. Used to add flavor of Brandy, Whiskey or Rum to a dish for visual effect.
Galantine:
Boned white meat possiblystuffed , rolled, cooked and pressed into a symmetrical shape and glazed with aspic.
Gratin:
Sprinkle with grated cheese or bread crumbs browned under a grill
Gateau:
An elaborate cake made from layers of sponge biscuit or pastry mixed with layers of sweet cream fillings and decorated.
Ganache:
A Chocolate- flavoured cream mixture used as a filling or toppings for cakes and pastries etc. made from cream and melted chocolate with flavourings and sometimes butter.
Hors de’oeuvre:
A selection of small foods/ snacks before a meal.
Julienne:
Vegetables cut into match-stick size strips.
Jus:
It’s the natural juices of roast.
Liaison:
A mixure of egg and cream used to thicken sauces.
Legumes:
French for vegetables.
Lard:
To thread small strips of fat or fat bacon through a piece of lean meat.
Macerate:
To marinade fruit in alcohol
Mise en Place:
Preparation of foods stuffs prior/ before service
Mirepoix:
Roughly chopped onions, carrots, leeks and celery.
Petits fours:
Very small sponge-based pastries
Tournedos:
A certain cut of meat from a fillet normally of two pieces weighing approximately the same weight
Veloute:
A white sauce of soup made from stock/bouillon.
Roux:
Equal quantities of flat to flour – used as a thickening agent.
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