Know the Culinary Terms French
a la carte
Dishes on a menu prepared to order and individually priced.
anglaise
Beaten egg with oil and seasoning.
au bleu
“Blue”. When applied to meat it means very underdone. When applied to trout it is a specific dish - truite au bleu.
au gratin
Sprinkled with breadcrumbs and/or cheese and browned.
le bain-marie
a. A container for keeping foods hot without burning.
b. A shallow pan of water for cooking foods in the oven without them burning or boiling.
c. A deep narrow container for storing hot soup, sauces and gravies.
Bien Cuit. Well cooked.
la blanquette
A white stew cooked in stock from which the sauce is made eg Blanquette de veau.
la bouchee
Small puff pastry case.
le bouillon
Unclarified stock.
le bouquet-garni
A faggot or bundle of herbs, usually parsley stalks, thyme and bay leaf, tied inside pieces of celery and leek.
brunoise
Small neat dice.
le canape
A cushion of toasted or fried bread on which food is served. It is used as a base for savouries. When served cold as canape Muscovite the base may be toast, biscuits, short paste or puff paste pieces with savoury food on top and glazed with aspic.
Chantilly
Sweetened whipped vanilla flavoured cream.
le chateaubriand
The head of the fillet of beef.
le chaud-froid
A creamed veloute or demi-glace with gelatine or aspic added, used for masking cold dishes.
Cloute
Studded, as with a clove inserted in an onion.
la cocotte
Porcelain fireproof dish.
la compote
Stewed fruit eg compote de poires.
concasse
Coarsley chopped, eg parsley and tomates.
le consomme
Basic clear soup.
le contrefilet
Boned sirloin of beef
le court-bouillon
A cooking liquor for certain foods eg oily fish, calf’s brain, etc. It is water containing vinegar, sliced onion, carrots, herbs and seasoning.
Crapandine
Birds split down the back and laid out flat for cooking.
la dariole
Mould shaped like a small flower pot.
degorger
Using salt to draw out the moisture from food. Also to draw out bitter juices as in the case of aubergines.
demi-glace
Half glazed - reduced espagnole. Equal quantities of brown stock and brown sauce reduced by half.
emincer
To slice thinly or to cut into small pieces.
l’entrecote(f)
A steak from a boned sirloin.
en branche
Vegetables cooked and served as whole leaves.
l’escalope (f)
Thin slices of meat
espagnole
Spanish sauce; brown sauce.
etuver
To stew, braise or steam in its own juice.
farce
Stuffing.
farci
Stuffed.
le foie gras
Fat goose liver.
le fricassee
A white stew in which the poultry or meat is cooked in the sauce.
fume
To smoke eg salmon, ham, etc.
fumet
Concentrated stock from fish, game or meat.
glace
Iced.
hors d’oeuvre
Preliminary dishes of an appetising nature, some kinds are served hot.
jardiniere
Cut into batons.
julienne
Cut into fine strips.
le jus lie
Gravy thickened with arrowroot or cornflour or fecule.
le jus roti
Roast gravy.
la liaison
Name given to yolks of egg and cream when used as a thickening.
macedoine
A mixture of vegetables cut into 5mm dice, or a mixture of fruit.
le marinade
A richly spiced pickling liquid for enriching the flavour and tenderness of meats before braising.
les mille-feuilles
“Thousand leaves”, a puff pastry cream slice.
migonette
Coarse ground pepper.
la mirepoix
Roughly cut onions, carrots, celery and a sprig of thyme and bay leaf used for flavouring soups and sauces.
mis-en-place
Basic preparations prior to serving.
navarin
Brown lamb or mutton stew.
la noisette
a. A small round cut of meat, usually lamb or mutton.
b. Shaped or coloured like a nut, eg noisette potatoes, noisette butter.
noix
Nut, also the cushion piece of leg of veal.
l’oeuf sur le plat
Egg cooked in an egg dish.
papillote
Cooked in a paper bag or buttered paper to preserve moisture and flavour.
la pate
A dough, paste or butter.
le pate
A pie or pastry; also a savoury meat or fish paste cooked in a piece dish.
la paupiette
A strip of fish, meat or poultry rolled round a stuffing and usually poached in a stock.
paysanne
“Country style”. Usually vegetables cut into thin 15mm round or square shapes.
printaniere
“Springtime”. Generally a garnish of spring vegetables.
rechauffer
To reheat leftover cooked foods.
le roux
Flour and fat cooked together for thickening.
le sabayon
Yolks of egg and a little water cooked until creamy.
saute
To cook quickly in a shallow pan with the minimum of fat.
le souffle
A light aerated dish, sweet or savoury hot or cold. Whites of egg are added to the hot basic preparation and whipped cream to the cold.
le supreme
Most delecate fillet cut, especially of chicken and fish.
table d’hote
A meal of several courses, which may have a limited choice srved at a fixed price.
le troncon
A steak of large flat fish cut with the bone, after the fish has been cut in half lengthways.
le veloute
a. Basic sauce.
b. The basis of a soup of creamy consistency.
le vol-au-vent
A puff pastry case.