Basic Cuisine Definitions

Front 1

Abaisser

Back 1

to roll dough without the use of a rolling pin to the desired thickness

Front 2

Abats

Back 2

Offal - internal organs sold in stores called Triperies
White offal - brains, feet, sweetbreads
Red Offal - heart, lungs, liver

Front 3

Abattis

Back 3

feet, neck, gizzard, head, heart of poultry

Front 4

Abricoter

Back 4

to cover pastry with apricot glaze to give shiny appearance

Front 5

Accommoder

Back 5

to prepare and season a dish for cooking

Front 6

Acidifier

Back 6

to add lemon juice or vinegar to prevent the oxidation of fruits, vegetables, and fish

Front 7

Aciduler

Back 7

to make preperation slightly acidic tart or tangy, y adding lemon juice or vinegar

Front 8

Affuter or Aiguiser

Back 8

to make the cutting edge of a knife to cut bettrer through the use of a steel or sharpening stone

Front 9

Aiguillette

Back 9

long and narrow slice of meat cut from the breast of poultry, and game birds

Front 10

Allumettes - 2 meanings

Back 10

1. a type of savory patits fours (long rectangles of puff pastry)coverd with cheese or filled with anchovies.
2. very thin french fries; Pommes allumettes

Front 11

Angelique

Back 11

the green stalk of an aromatic plant, most often candied in sugar. Used for decoration in pastry making.

Front 12

Anglaise - 2 meanings

Back 12

1. Mixture made uo of whole egg, oil, water, salt and pepper used to help coat in flour and breadcrumbs.
2. to cook in boiling water

Front 13

Aplatir

Back 13

to flaten a piece of meat or fish to make more tender and facilitate cooking.

Front 14

Appareil

Back 14

mixture of the principle elements of a final recipe (usually egg based)

Front 15

Aromate

Back 15

A condiment or vegetable which has a characteristic smell or taste (spices and herbs)

Front 16

Arroser

Back 16

To baste; the wetting of meat or fish with a liquid or fat during or after cooking.

Front 17

Aspic

Back 17

Dish composed of meat, vegetables, and fish, cooked, chilled and then molded in gelatin

Front 18

Assaisonner

Back 18

To season; a preperation with certain ingredients added that brings out the flavor of food

Front 19

Attendrir or Rassir

Back 19

to allow a piece of meat to age a few days in the refrigerator on order to make it more tender.

Front 20

Au Jus

Back 20

Preperation sewrved with its natural cooking juice

Front 21

Bain-Marie

Back 21

A hot water bath; a way of cooking or warming food by placing the comtainer in a llarger recipient of very hot water, such as preperations which must not cook over direct heat, for keeping delicate sauces hot and for melting chocolate

Front 22

Barder

Back 22

to cover or wrap a piece of meat, poultry and occasionally fish with a very thin piece of pork fat in order to protect it and baste during hte cooking in order to prevent it from drying out.

Front 23

Barquette

Back 23

Small, long, oval pastry mold

Front 24

Batonnet

Back 24

cut into sticks 5mm x 5mm x 6 to 7.5cm long

Front 25

Bavarois

Back 25

Bavarian cream. cold dessert made from creme anglaise, set with gelatin and whipped cream

Front 26

Bechamel

Back 26

White sauce made from milk and white roux.
One of the basic sauces of clasic cuisine.

Front 27

Beurre

Back 27

Butter; product obtained by churning milk or cream

Front 28

Beurre Blanc

Back 28

butter based sauce made from a reduction of white wine, vinegar and shallots.
Mainly served with poached or grilled fish

Front 29

Beurre Clarifie

Back 29

Calrified butter; a process of gently melting the butter in order to skim of the impurities that float to the top and the whey that sinks to the bottom.

Front 30

Beurre Compose

Back 30

Butter that is mixed with one or more ingredients (such as anchovy butter: Butter and crushed Anchovies)

Front 31

Beurre en Pommade

Back 31

Softened Butter (not melted)

Front 32

Beurre Manie

Back 32

Butter mixed with equal amounts of flour use dto thicken sauces

Front 33

Beurrer - 2 meanings

Back 33

1. to lightly coat a container with butter in order to prevent sticking.
2. To add butter to sauce or dough

Front 34

Beurre Noisette

Back 34

nut brown butter; butter that is cooked until lightly colored, light brown

Front 35

Biscuit - 2 meanings

Back 35

1. type of small cake or cookie
2. a specific type of sponge cake which is similar to a genoise sponge

Front 36

Bisque

Back 36

Type of soup made from a shellfish base

Front 37

Blanc

Back 37

Cooking liquid or water, flour and lemon juice used to prevent vegetables such as artichokes, celery root or salsify from discoloring

Front 38

Blanchir - 2 meanings

Back 38

1. To blanch; to place vegetables or meats in cold water and then bring to a boil (or plunge into boiling water)in order to precook, soften, or remove an excess of flavor (acidity, saltiness, bitterness)
2. the process of incorporating sugar and eggs together untill light in color

Front 39

Blondir

Back 39

to cook in fat to lightly color

Front 40

Bouchee

Back 40

a small round of puff pastry that can be filled with different savory mixtures and served as an appetiser.

Front 41

Bouillir

Back 41

To boil; to bring a liquid to the boiling point

Front 42

Bouquet Garni

Back 42

A mixture of herbs (thyme, bayleaf, celery stalk, parsley stems) enclosed in the green portion of a leek used to flavor dishes during their cooking.

Front 43

Braiser

Back 43

To braise; to cook a meat in acovered dish in or over gentle heat with a little liquid and usually on a bed of vegetables cut into brunoise

Front 44

Brider

Back 44

To Truss; to tie a bird before cooking in order for it to keep its shape during cooking

Front 45

Brochette

Back 45

Long piece of wood or metal fo rpiercing food cut into pieces in order to grill

Front 46

Broyer

Back 46

to finely cush or grind

Front 47

Brunoise

Back 47

vegetables cut into very small regular cubes, about 2x4mm

Front 48

Cacao

Back 48

Cocoa product obtained by grinding the fruit of the cocoa tree, dark brown with the flavor of chocolate but unsweetened. can be found in powder or cake (liquor) form

Front 49

Calvados

Back 49

An alcohol made from cider made exclusively form the Normandy region

Front 50

canapes

Back 50

slices of sandwich or other types of bread, toasted or untoasted on which are spread or garnished with various ingredients or mixtures

Front 51

Canneller

Back 51

to channel; a way of cutting small groves in fruit or vegetables in or der to give it a decorative edge when sliced

Front 52

Carameliser

Back 52

1. to caramelize; to coat a mold with cooked sugar
2. to cook sugar until dark to be used in other preperations

Front 53

Chantilly

Back 53

whipped cream to which sugar and vanilla as been added

Front 54

Chapelure

Back 54

dried bread crumbs; made from obth the crust and the center of dried bread.

Front 55

Chaud-Froid

Back 55

A dish which is prepsred hot but served cold, covered with a specific sauce ( sauce chaud-froid, made from 1/3 veloute, 1/3 gelatin and 1/3 cream)

Front 56

Chemiser

Back 56

to line the interior walls and/or bottom of a mold before ading a filling to prevent the finished product from sticking to the mold

Front 57

Chiffonnade

Back 57

leafy vegetables or herbs that have been rolled together and then sliced crosswise into thin strips.

Front 58

Chinois

Back 58

china cap sieve; a fine conical strainer

Front 59

Chiqueter

Back 59

The manner of lightly scoring the cut edges of puff pastry in order to help insure that it rises straight and evenly

Front 60

Citronner

Back 60

1. to rub certain foods with lemon to prevent them from discoloring
2. to add lemon juice to a dish

Front 61

Clarifier

Back 61

to clarify; to clear a cloudy liquid (by starining, heating and then gently simmering with egg whites)
2. process of seperating the milk solids from butter

Front 62

Clouter

Back 62

to stud; to pierce a whole onion with a whole cove

Front 63

Coller

Back 63

to thicken or set with gelatin

Front 64

Concasser

Back 64

to break up coarsely with a knife or pestle in a mortar

Front 65

Confit

Back 65

A food that is saturated in one of the following: vinegar (vegetables), sugar (fruits), alcohol (fruits), fat (poultry). Allowing cooking or conservation

Front 66

Consomme

Back 66

clear bullion made from meat, fish or vegetables, served hot or cold, usually calrified.

Front 67

Corne

Back 67

Plastic tool used for scraping out cuisine or pastry recipients

Front 68

Corser

Back 68

To coarsen the flovor of a preperation

Front 69

Coucher - 3 meanings

Back 69

1. to lay, to place a rolled out piece of dough onto a baking sheet
2. To spread, to spread a layer of cream or other garnish
3. to pipe, to force a mixture from a piping bag, onto a baking sheet at regular intervals

Front 70

Coulis

Back 70

A smooth puree of fruits or vegetsbles, used as a sauce

Front 71

Couper

Back 71

To cut

Front 72

Court-Bouillon

Back 72

A cookng liquid composed of water, aromatic vegetables and sometimes white wine vinegar in which fish is cooked or certain dishes using meats

Front 73

Creme Anglaise

Back 73

A sweet sauce made from eggs, sugar and milk thta is cooked to 85 Deg celcius

Front 74

Creme de Riz

Back 74

Cream of rice; a powder made from finely ground rice, used in pastry or ot thicken sauces

Front 75

Creme Fouettee

Back 75

Whipped cream; cream that has been whisked inorder to incorporate air

Front 76

Creme Fraiche

Back 76

the fat that floats tot he surface of milk by using a centifuge.

Front 77

Creme Patissiere

Back 77

Pastry cream; cream thickened with flour or flan powder, used for pastry making

Front 78

Cremer - 2 meanings

Back 78

1. to cream; butter and sugar beaten togehter until light in color and texture
2. to add cream

Front 79

Creme Renversee

Back 79

Caramel Flan; mixture of sugar, milk and eggs poured into a mold, usually lined with caramel and then gently cooked in the oven in a hot water bath

Front 80

Croquettes

Back 80

a mixture made from fruit, fish or vegeables, savory or sweet, that are fried in oil after being breaded.

Front 81

Croustade

Back 81

A case made from lining pastry of puff pastry, fried or baked and filled with a savory mixture ust before serving

Front 82

Croute

Back 82

1. Crust; the brown outter covering of bread
2. En Croute; to cook a meat or fish wrapped in crust

Front 83

Crudite

Back 83

raw vegetables, sliced or cut served with vinegrette or mayonnaise, served as first course

Front 84

Cuisson

Back 84

the cooking, the action and manner of cooking a food

Front 85

Darne

Back 85

Thick steak cut from round fish before cooking

Front 86

Decanter

Back 86

Allowing the impurities in aliquid to sink to the bottom, then gently pouring off and leaving the residue

Front 87

Decors en sucre

Back 87

Decorations made from sugar and coloring

Front 88

Decortiquer

Back 88

to shell; to remove th eouter covering from shellfish and crustaceans. also nuts

Front 89

Decouper

Back 89

To cut

Front 90

Deglacer

Back 90

To deglaze; to desolve the substance attached to the bottom of a pan with a liquid.

Front 91

Degorger

Back 91

1. to degorge; to soak an indredient in cold water in order to remove bloos, salt or impurities
2. lightly salt vegetables in order to extract the maximum amount of water

Front 92

Degraisser

Back 92

To degrease; to remove excess fat from a food or hte surface of a sauce

Front 93

Delayer

Back 93

to thin out with water, to desolve in liquid

Front 94

Demi-Glace

Back 94

A reduced espagnole sauce plus maderia usd to flavor dishes or strengthen their brown sauces

Front 95

Demouler

Back 95

to unmold; to carefully remove a preparation from the recipient from which it was placed to give a specific form

Front 96

Denerver

Back 96

To denerve; to remove the nerves and tendons from meat and fowl

Front 97

Denoyauter

Back 97

to pit; to remove the seed or pit of stone fruits (and olives) with a knife or pitter

Front 98

Des

Back 98

Cubes; small regular squares

Front 99

Desosser

Back 99

to debone; to remove the bones from meat and fowl

Front 100

Dessecher

Back 100

To dry out; to remove moisture through heat

Front 101

Detailler

Back 101

to cut up; to cut into pieces

Front 102

Detendre

Back 102

to loosen (consistence); to add liquid to a preperation like sauces

Front 103

Detremper

Back 103

To moisten with a liquid

Front 104

Dorer

Back 104

To brush with a beaten egg or egg yolk in order to give a deep color and shine.

Front 105

Dorure

Back 105

Eggwash; beaten egg or eggyolk, with water and/or salt added, used to color dough just before coloring

Front 106

Douille

Back 106

Pastry tip; a conical piece made of metal or plastic used for decorating with a pastry bag

Front 107

Dresser

Back 107

To Dress, to arrange the prepared food on a plate or platter before serving

Front 108

Duxelles

Back 108

Finely chopped mushrooms cooked in butter with finely chopped shallots, can be used as garnish or filling

Front 109

Ebarber

Back 109

1. To debeard; to remove the bones and fins of fish

Front 110

Ebouillanter

Back 110

to dip fruit, vegetable or fruit in boilling water a few seconds, to scald

Front 111

Ebullition

Back 111

Boiling point; the appearance of bubbles in a hot liquid 98 - 100 Deg Cel

Front 112

Eccailler

Back 112

to scale; to remove sclaes from fish

Front 113

Ecaler

Back 113

to shell eggs; to remove the shell from soft or hard boiled eggs

Front 114

Ecumer

Back 114

to Skim; to remove the foam from the surface

Front 115

Effiler

Back 115

to slice very thinly (almonds)

Front 116

Egoutter

Back 116

to strain

Front 117

Emietter

Back 117

to crumble; to break into small pieces

Front 118

Emincer

Back 118

to cut into thin slices

Front 119

Emonder or Monder

Back 119

to skin; to remove the skin of certain fruits or vegetables by plunging into boiling water

Front 120

Enrober

Back 120

to coat (chocolate); to completely cover with various ingredients such as chocolate or dough

Front 121

Entremets

Back 121

"between courses"; originally a course served between the roast and the dessert

Front 122

Eplucher

Back 122

to peel

Front 123

Eponger

Back 123

to sponge; to remove excess liquid or fat by absorbing with a kithen or paper towel

Front 124

Escaloper

Back 124

to cut meat or fish on a bias

Front 125

Essence

Back 125

concentrated extract used as a flavoring

Front 126

Etuver

Back 126

to stew; to cook slowly; to cook gently without coloring with some fat and little water

Front 127

Evider

Back 127

to hollow out; to gut

Front 128

Farce

Back 128

Forcemeat stuffing

Front 129

Farcir

Back 129

to stuff something with forcemeat stuufing

Front 130

Farnier

Back 130

To flour

Front 131

Ficeler

Back 131

to tie with string

Front 132

Fines Herbes

Back 132

Mixed herbs used as seasonings

Front 133

Flamber - 2 meanings

Back 133

1 to use flame in order to remove th down from poultry

Front 134

Fleurons

Back 134

Pieces of puff pastry cut into cresent shapes or other forms as decorations with fish dishes

Front 135

Foncer

Back 135

to line the bottom and sides of a mold or pan with dough

Front 136

Fond

Back 136

Stock

Front 137

Fondant

Back 137

a sugar prepartion used for glazing pastries

Front 138

Fondre

Back 138

To cook covered certain vegetables in water and butter untill the liquid has completely evapoated and without coloring

Front 139

Fontaine

Back 139

A well; to form a deep impression in flour in order to add other ingredients for making dough

Front 140

Fraiser or Fraser

Back 140

a manner of mixing the dough evenly by smering it with the fleshy part of the palm of the hand

Front 141

Fremir

Back 141

To simmer

Front 142

Frire

Back 142

To deep fry

Front 143

Friture

Back 143

dep frier, deep fried foods

Front 144

Fumet

Back 144

Basic stock made from fish and used to make sauces

Front 145

Fusil

Back 145

Sharpening Steel

Front 146

Galantine

Back 146

cold poached meat that has been stuffed and larded, coated with aspic made from the poaching liquid and gelatine

Front 147

Ganache

Back 147

Made from chopped chocolate and boiling cream,then cooled

Front 148

Garniture

Back 148

Garnish, served as an accompaniment to the dish

Front 149

Gastrique

Back 149

A carael deglazed with vinegar; used as a base for a sweet and sour sauce

Front 150

Genoise

Back 150

Yellow sponge cake, made from sugar flour and eggs

Front 151

Glacage

Back 151

Glaze; mixture of ingredients of a syrupy consistency

Front 152

Glace - 2 meanings

Back 152

1. icecream
2. Glaze; stock reduces until thick and syrupy

Front 153

Glace al'eau

Back 153

Sugar glaze; made with sugar and water to glaze pastries

Front 154

Glacer

Back 154

to Glaze; to cover or coat pastries with glaze

Front 155

Glace royale

Back 155

Royal icing; mixture of egg, sugar, egg whitesand lemon used to glaze pastries

Front 156

Graisser

Back 156

to grease; to coat or cover with fat bafor baking or roasting in the oven

Front 157

Griller

Back 157

to grill

Front 158

Habiller

Back 158

to dress; to prepare item for cooking

Front 159

Hacher

Back 159

to chop; cut into small pieces with knife

Front 160

Imbiber

Back 160

to imbibe; to wet or soak an element with stock or syrup

Front 161

Inciser

Back 161

to make small shallow cuts in order to help the cooking

Front 162

Incorporer

Back 162

to incorporate; to gradually mix ingredients together by gently mixing

Front 163

Infuser

Back 163

to infuse; place an element into simmering water and leaving it to sit in order for the element to flavor

Front 164

Jardiniere

Back 164

garden vegies cut into sticks; cooked spereately and then served together

Front 165

Julienne

Back 165

Cut into very fine strips

Front 166

Jus

Back 166

Juice or mixture of fats and juices released from meats during cooking

Front 167

Kirsch

Back 167

Alcohol made from wild cherries

Front 168

Lard

Back 168

Solid fat from pork

Front 169

Larder

Back 169

to lard; to insert strips of ;ard through tough or inexpensive meats using a larding needle in order to prevent the meat from drying out during cooking

Front 170

Lardons

Back 170

A specific way of cutting slab bacon into small pieces

Front 171

Levain

Back 171

sour dough; made from live yeast and flour

Front 172

Lever

Back 172

to rise

Front 173

Lever les Filets

Back 173

to fillet

Front 174

Levure

Back 174

Yeast

Front 175

Levure Chimique

Back 175

Baking Powder

Front 176

Liason

Back 176

Thickener; element or mixture used to thicken a liquid or sauce

Front 177

Lier

Back 177

To thicken, to change the consistency of a liquid

Front 178

Macedoine

Back 178

A mixture of vegetable of fruit cut into small cubes

Front 179

Macerer

Back 179

To macerate; to soak am element in alcohol in order to flavor it

Front 180

Manchonner

Back 180

to remove the meat that covers the end of the bone such as a chicken leg, to achieve a clean presentation

Front 181

Mandoline

Back 181

a slicer with many blades

Front 182

Margarine

Back 182

emulsion made of vegetable oil and water.

Front 183

Mariner

Back 183

To marinate; to soak a piece of meat or fish in a liquid and aromatics in order to tenderise, flavor and conserve

Front 184

Medaillon

Back 184

medallion, round piece of meat

Front 185

Mijoter (Faire)

Back 185

to simmer

Front 186

Mirepox

Back 186

aromatic vegetables

Front 187

Monter - 2 meanings

Back 187

1. to whisk
2. to add butter to a sauce in small pieces

Front 188

Mouiller

Back 188

to wet; to add liquid to a preperation before coking

Front 189

Mouler

Back 189

To mold; to fill a mold before or after the cooking

Front 190

Nappage

Back 190

Apricot or raspberries used to cover pastries

Front 191

Napper

Back 191

To coat

Front 192

Noircir

Back 192

to blacken

Front 193

Paner

Back 193

to coat a food with fresh or dry breadcrumbs after dipping in an anglaise

Front 194

Panier

Back 194

a frying basket

Front 195

Papillote

Back 195

paper frill used to decorate the ends of bones of certain poultry and meats

Front 196

Parer

Back 196

to trim meats and fish

Front 197

Passer

Back 197

To starin

Front 198

Pate

Back 198

Dough or batter

Front 199

Pate en croute

Back 199

chopped meat, poultry, fish cooked in a dough

Front 200

Paupiette

Back 200

Thin slice of meat or fish that is stuffed, rolled tied and cooked

Front 201

Persillade

Back 201

a mixture of parsley and garlic

Front 202

Petrir

Back 202

To knead to work dough

Front 203

Piler

Back 203

to grind; to make a powder by crusing in mortar with pestle

Front 204

Pilon

Back 204

a pestle, a tool for crushing and grinding

Front 205

Pincee

Back 205

a pinch

Front 206

Pincer

Back 206

to pinch the edges of a dough before cooking

Front 207

Piquer

Back 207

to make small holes in a dough usin a fork inorder to prevent it from rising too much

Front 208

Pluches

Back 208

Sprigs; small leaves picke doff the stems

Front 209

Pocher

Back 209

To poach

Front 210

Poeler

Back 210

to pan fry

Front 211

Pointe

Back 211

the tip of something, a point of a knife

Front 212

Pousser

Back 212

1. To rise
2. The action of feeding meat into a meat grinder

Front 213

Quadriller

Back 213

to mark foods using the grill

Front 214

Quatre-Epices

Back 214

Four Spices

Front 215

Quiche

Back 215

Savory tart garnished with a creamy egg base

Front 216

Rafraichir

Back 216

to refresh, quicly cool down something thta has been blanched

Front 217

Raidir

Back 217

to precook without coloring

Front 218

Raper

Back 218

to grate

Front 219

Rassis

Back 219

to stale bread or meats

Front 220

Rectifier

Back 220

to rectify, to correct the seasoning of a dish

Front 221

Reduire

Back 221

to reduce

Front 222

Relever

Back 222

to reinforce the flavor through the use of spices

Front 223

Revenir (Faire)

Back 223

to quickly color food in hot fat or oil

Front 224

Rissoler

Back 224

to cook a food untill well colored

Front 225

Sablage

Back 225

to rub fat into flour until evenly dispursed

Front 226

Salamandre

Back 226

a salamander or broiler

Front 227

saupoudrer

Back 227

to sprinkle

Front 228

Sauter

Back 228

to saute

Front 229

Singer

Back 229

To sprinkle with flour at the start of cooking eventually to give a certain consistency to the sauce

Front 230

Siroper

Back 230

to add syrup to a pastry

Front 231

Suer

Back 231

to sweat, cook in fat to bring out flavor

Front 232

Supreme

Back 232

the breat part o fthe fowl

Front 233

Tailler

Back 233

to cut in a precise fashion

Front 234

Tamiser

Back 234

to Sift

Front 235

Tamponner

Back 235

to dot the surface of a cream or sauce to prevent the formation of skin

Front 236

Timbale

Back 236

thimble shaped mold

Front 237

Tourer

Back 237

To turn for puff pastry

Front 238

Tourner

Back 238

turning veggies

Front 239

Travailler

Back 239

To work, knead, mix , soften

Front 240

Tremper

Back 240

To soak, dip, to wet

Front 241

Truffer

Back 241

To ad truffles to a dish

Front 242

Turban

Back 242

A way of presenting certain dishes in a circle

Front 243

Vanner

Back 243

to mix a cream or sauce in order to slow down the process of emulsion

Front 244

Vapeur

Back 244

Steam

Front 245

Veloute

Back 245

a thickend soup made with stock and roux

Front 246

Zester

Back 246

to zest