Culinary Cooking Terms
A well written recipe should be easily understood, but some recipes sometimes use words and terminology not understood by all.
Learning a few cooking terms, you might encounter can make the difference between a failed or successful outcome.
If the instruction to a recipe says: “Sauté the blanched, julienne carrots.” It is helpful to know what Sauté, blanched, and julienne means.
Here is a list of the most used culinary terms.
Al dente – Italian for “to the tooth” used to describe pasta and vegetables cooked just enough to still be firm to the bite.
A point – French for food cooked to the perfect point of doneness. Used for steaks cooked rare/medium rare.
Au gratin – A dish topped with breadcrumbs and/or cheese and butter and baked or broiled until golden brown.
Au jus – French for meat served in its own natural juices.
Bain Marie – Water bath or double boiler is a hot water container used to slow cook items, either on the stove top or in the oven. Can also be used for hot holding.
Bake – Cooking food by dry heat in an oven. The heat source is most often from beneath, or as in a convection oven hot air is circulated by a fan.
Barding – To cover lean meat or fowl with a layer of fat, such as bacon or fatback, to prevent the meat from drying and maintain the moister while cooking.
Baste – To pour melted fat, stock, or juice over food as it cooks to keep it moist and add flavor.
Batter – Usually flour, eggs, and milk mixed into a batter thin enough to be poured or spooned.
Beat – To stir, whip, or mix ingredients together to add air and make the mixture light and smooth.
Blanch – Briefly submerge food in boiling water and then place it in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
Blend – To mix two or more ingredients together.
Boil – To cook in boiling water or other liquid at 212ᵒF.
Bouquet garni - Several types of herbs either tied together or wrapped in cheesecloth used to flavor soups, broths, or stews.
Braise – A combination-cooking method that first sears the food at high temperature, then finishes it in a covered pot at low temperature with a small amount of liquid.
Brine – A solution of water and salt. Used for brining meat, poultry, and vegetables.
Broil – To cook food under the heat source.
Broth – A flavorful liquid from simmering food in water or stock
Butterfly – To split a food horizontally, almost through, down the center and open it like a book to resemble a butterfly.
Cheesecloth – A lightweight, fine mesh gauze, used for straining and to wrap herbs and spices to flavor soups and stews.
Chiffonade - shredded or finely cut vegetables and herbs, often usually used as a garnish.
Concasse - to roughly chop raw or cooked food by peeling, seeding, and chopping to make it ready to be served or combined with other ingredients, usually referring to tomatoes.
Confit- meat cooked slowly in its own fat, usually referring to duck.
Consommé- a type of clear soup made from richly flavored stock that has been clarified, a process of using egg whites to trap impurities.
Coring - to remove the core section of some fruits, which contain seeds and tougher material that is not usually eaten.
Coulis - a thick puree or sauce made with fruit or vegetables.
Deglaze - to use a liquid to dissolve the browned food residue from a pan to flavor sauces, soups, and gravies.
Degrease- to remove the fat from the surface of a hot liquid such as a sauce, soup, or stew.
Dredging- to coat with a dry ingredient before cooking to provide an even coating.
Dress– Fish and poultry are prepared (dressed) before cooking. Also, to put dressing or other toppings on a salad or other food.
Emincer - to slice thinly, usually meat.
Emulsion – A liquid mixture in which fatty particles are suspended, causing it to thicken.
Fabrication – Butchering, cutting, and trimming of meat, poultry, fish, and game.
Fermentation – A process by which food goes through a chemical change caused by enzymes produced from bacteria, microorganisms, or yeasts.
Filet/Fillet- A boneless piece of meat, poultry, or fish. Some use Filet for meat and poultry, and Fillet for seafood.
Flambe- The process of adding alcohol such as brandy, cognac, or rum to a hot pan and ignite it.
Formula – A recipe; measurements for each ingredient may be given as percentages of the weight for the main ingredient.
Frenching - The process of removing fat, meat, and cartilage from between rib bones on a rack roast, often referring to lamb, beef, or pork ribs.
Fry – to cook food in hot fat over moderate to high heat.
Garnish – A decorative edible accompaniment to a dish from appetizers to desserts.
Gelatin – A pure, odorless, tasteless, and colorless protein found in animal bones and connective tissue. Thickening agent.
Glace – French for ice cream. Also used for a reduced stock.
Glaze – To give an item a shiny surface.
Grate – To rub food into tiny particles using a grater.
Grease – Rubbing a pan or dish with grease, shortening, or butter to prevent it from sticking.
Griddle – A flat, rimless pan where food is cooked directly on the griddle with minimal amount of fat or oil
Grill – To cook on a metal grate with the heat source below the food.
Grind – To pulverize or reduce food into small particles, such as coffee or spices.
Heat – to make ingredients warm or hot.
Hull – To remove stems and hulls from fruit and berries.
Invert – To turn an item upside down.
Induction cooking – Special smooth ceramic cooktop using magnetic energy.
Infusion – Steeping an item in liquid to extract its flavor.
Julienne – To cut food into matchstick strips. Usually about 2 inches long.
Jus lie – Meat juice or stock that has been slightly thickened with arrowroot or cornstarch.
Knead – to work dough to form it into a pliable mass and develop the gluten.
Kosher salt – Pure, refined rock salt that does not contain magnesium carbonate.
Lard – Rendered and clarified pork fat used for pastries and frying.
Larding - the process of inserting strips of fat into a piece of meat that doesn’t have as much fat.
Legume – Plant species that have seed pods that split along both sides when ripe, such as beans, peas, and lentils.
Liaison – A mixture of eggs and cream used to thicken soups and sauces.
Liqueur – A sweet alcoholic beverage flavored with ingredients such as seeds, fruits, herbs, flowers, nuts, and spices.
Liquor – A distilled alcoholic beverage from fermented mash of different grains and other ingredients.
Lukewarm – A temperature that is approximately 95° F.
Macerate – To soak food (usually fruit) in liquor to absorb the flavor of the liquor.
Mandoline – A hand operated slicing device with adjustable blades for cutting fruit and vegetables.
Marinade – A seasoned liquid used to soak meat, seafood, and vegetables, to add flavor and tenderize.
Marinate – To soak food in a marinade.
Medallion – A small round piece of meat.
Microwave – A microwave oven cooks with high-frequency electromagnetic waves that cause food molecules to vibrate, creating friction that heats and cooks the food.
Mince – To chop into very small pieces.
Mise en place – French term for ‘put in place’, referring to having all ingredients, utensils, and equipment ready to prepare a dish or service.
Mix – Combine two or more ingredients.
Mold – 1) A container in which a food is placed in order to take the shape of that container.
2) Any of thousands of varieties of Algae-like fungi that grow on food items such as bread, cheese, fruit, and jams.
Molecular Gastronomy – The application of chemistry and physics to the culinary world.
Nappe – To coat food with sauce or glaze.
Nature – Plain, ungarnished
Noisette – Hazelnut, Also, a small slice of meat. Beurre noisette is browned butter.
Nouvelle cuisine – ‘New Cooking’ A culinary style emphasizing freshness and lightness of ingredients.
Nutraceutical – Describing food that provides health or medical benefits as well as nutritional value.
Nutrition – The process by which an organism takes in and uses food.
Open-faced – A culinary term for a sandwich consisting of one slice of bread topped with various ingredients.
Organic food – Describes food that is grown/raised and processed without chemicals such as insecticides, herbicides.
Pan-broil – To cook, uncovered over high heat, with little or no fat. Drippings are removed as they form.
Pan-fry – To cook items in fat in a skillet. It used more fat than sautéing, but less than deep frying.
Parchment paper – Heat-resistant paper used for lining baking sheets, wrapping food, and covering items during poaching.
Parboil/Parcook – To partially cook a food that will be finished later.
Pasteurization – A process to kill bacteria by heating milk products or other liquids.
PH scale – An acidity scale from 0 to 14. A measurement of 7 is neutral. 0 is the most acidic and 14 the most alkaline.
Poach – To cook gently in a simmering liquid.
Preheat – To heat oven, stove, or grill to the proper temperature before starting the actual cooking procedure.
Proof – To allow yeast dough to rise.
Puree – Any food that is finely mashed to a smooth, thick consistency.
Quatre-epices – French meaning “four spices” a ground mixture of spices. Usually cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger.
Quenelle – A light poached mixture of seafood, chicken, veal, or game with a light egg binding, that is shaped in an oval with a spoon.
Ramekin – A small oven-proof dish.
Reduce – To decrease the quantity and concentrate the flavor of a liquid by boiling or simmering.
Refresh – To immerse hot food in cold water to stop the cooking process.
Render – To melt and clarify fat.
Roast – A cooking method to cook meat, uncovered in an oven or on a spit over a fire.
Rondeau – A wide, shallow pan with straight sides and two handles.
Roulade – An item rolled around a stuffing.
Roux – A cooked mixture of fat and flour, used to thicken soups and sauces.
Rub – A mixture of herbs and spices (sometimes also salt and sugar) that is spread on the outside of meat, chicken, and fish before cooking.
Salamander – same as broiler. Equipment with a heat source above the food.
Sanitize – To kill pathogenic organisms by chemicals or heat.
Sauté – A cooking method used to cook food quickly in a small amount of fat in a skillet or sauté pan over direct heat.
Scald – To heat a liquid, usually milk or cream to just below the boiling point.
Scale - To measure ingredients by weighing.
Score – To cut shallow gashes across an item at regular intervals.
Sear – To brown the surface of food, often meat, briefly over high heat.
Shallow poach – A method in which items are cooked gently in a shallow pan of simmering liquid.
Sieve – Used to strain liquid or puree foods.
Simmer – To cook slowly in a liquid just below the boiling point.
Skim – To remove fat or foam from the surface of a liquid with a spoon or ladle.
Skimmer – A kitchen utensil with a long handle attached to either a perforated disk or a shallow bowl-shaped wire mesh.
Slurry – A thin paste of starch (cornstarch, arrowroot, or flour) and cold water, add to hot soup, stew, or sauce as a thickener.
Smoking – Any of several methods for preserving and flavoring foods. Methods include cold smoking, hot smoking, and smoke roasting.
Smoking point – The temperature at which fat begins to break and emit smoke when heated.
Smother – to cook in a shallow covered pan with liquid over low heat.
Sous vide - A cooking technique that involves vacuum-sealing food in a bag and cooking it in a precisely regulated water bath.
Spider – A long handled skimmer used to remove items from hot liquid or fat.
Spit-roast – Toasting an item on a large skewer or spit over, or in front of, an open flame or other radiant heat source.
Spring-form pan – A circular straight-side pan whose sides are formed by a hoop that can be unclamped and detached from its base.
Steam – To cook food by steam, on a rack or in a steaming basket, placed over boiling water.
Steamer – A perforated insert that can be inserted in a pot and used to steam foods.
Steam-jacketed kettle – A kettle with double-layered walls, between which steam circulates, providing even heat.
Steel – A tool used to hone knife blades.
Steep – To allow dry ingredients to soak in a liquid until the liquid takes on its flavor.
Stew – To cook food slowly in simmering liquid on a covered pan.
Stir – To combine ingredients with a circular or figure-eight motion until uniform.
Stir-fry – To quickly fry small pieces of food over very high heat, in a lightly oiled pan, such as a wok, while constantly stirring the food.
Stock – A flavorful liquid prepared by simmering meat, poultry, seafood, and/or vegetables in water with aromatics until their flavor is extracted.
Stockpot – A large, straight-sided pot the is taller than it is wide. Used to making stocks and soups.
Sweat – To cook an item, usually vegetables, in a covered pan in a small amount of fat until it softens and releases moisture.
Tart – A pie with top crust; maybe sweet or savory
Tartlet – A small single serving tart.
Temper – 1) To gently raise the temperature of a food, by adding hot liquid.
2) The proper method for melting chocolate.
Tempura – Seafood or vegetables that are coated with a light batter and deep-fried.
Terrine – 1) A loaf of forcemeat, similar to a pate.
2) A mold used to cook terrines, usually rectangular or oval.
Tilting kettle – A large, relatively shallow, tilting pot used for braising, stewing, and steaming.
Timbale – A small pail-shaped mold used to bake various dishes.
Tourner/Tourné - To cut items, usually vegetables, into barrel, olive, or football shapes.
Truss – To tie up meat or poultry with string before cooking.
Variety meat – Meat from a part of an animal other than the muscle; for example, organs.
Whip – To beat an item, such as cream or egg whites, to incorporate air.
Whisk - a cooking utensil used to blend ingredients in a process such as whipping.
Vol-au-Vent- a round pastry that is baked and then filled with meat or vegetables after the fact.
Wok – A round-bottomed pan, usually made of rolled steel.
Zest – The thin, brightly colored outer part of citrus rind.
Resource: The New Professional Chef, The Culinary Institute of America.
The Food Lover’s Companion
The Recipe Writers Handbook
