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.