Cookery Terms

8/6/2019 Cookery Terms

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M ignonette - Coarsley ground pepper.

M ince - To cut or chop in very fine pieces usually through a mincing machin. Sometimesnone as ground meat.

M iso - Japanese condiment made from a paste of fermented soya beans with rice,barley, orwheat grains and salt

M irepoix - A dice of carrots, onions and celery used to improve the flavour of sauces , as agarnish and in braised and pot roasted dishes. Named after the D uc de Lvis-Mirepoix,created by his chef!

M iroton - A sliced cooked meat dish usually made from boiled beef with sliced onions oftenin a sauce.

M ise en place - The french term for pre-preparation in the Restaurant or the Kitchen -where it means the setting out the ingredients and equipment required for the preparation

of dishes on the menu.

Moc h a - A variety of strong coffee with a distinctive bitter musky aroma - a variety of A rabica

Moist h eat cooking - A dding liquid during preparation to create steam. Improvestenderness of less tender cuts. Examples include braisingand stewing.

Mortadella - A mild smoked sausage from Bologna, Italy, the city that brought us"bologna" sausage. Made from finely ground beef, pork, cubes of pork fat, and seasonings.Mortadella often has P istachio nuts or W hole P eppercorns added.

Offal - The general term for parts of an animal other than Meat (muscle tissue).This includes internaledible parts of animals especially organs and glands andalso extremities such as feet, head, tongueand tripe. see Recipes: Faggots, Braised Liver & Onions, Hot Salad of Chicken Livers, Duck Liver & Chi

Salad

Orzo - A form of pasta which is sometimes called "barley" it resembles rice and comesin various sizes grains. More associated with greek cookery than Italian. Cook in boilingsalted water or stock.

O lives - are the small oval fruit of the olive tree. The fruit ripensfrom green to black; the flesh encloses an oval stone and is thesource of olive oil - the fruit stoned or stuffed is used as anappetiser and as a flavouring and ingredient in dishes. O riginatingin the eEast the O live was consumed by both the ancient Egytiansand Greeks and was spread in its cultivation to all Mediterranean


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regions by the Romans. More recently the low level of saturated fat has made the olivemore popular as a healthy and tastier alternative to other vegetable oils.

There are two basic types of olive green and black (ripe). Green olives are harvested beforethey ripen and treated with an alkali to reduce the bitterness the rinsed andpickled in brine.Black O lives are harvested when fully ripe and are nottreated with alkali but are still pickled in brine. Varieties are well illustratedon Chef's Thesuarus

Paella - A traditional Spanish rice dish made with saffron, chicken,shellfish and vegetables. It is prepared in a paellara from which itderives its name. Various other ingredients are used to garnish manylocal varieties of the dish.

Panada - A paste used to bind and thicken. Made from flour (choux paste), frangipane,bread, potato, or rice, panadas are used in forcemeats, terrines andquenelles.

Pan broil - A quick, dry heat cooking method using a pan on a stovetop. No oil is used andthe pan is uncovered. Used for thinner cuts.

Pancetta - A n Italian cured pork with spices which is rolled. P ancetta can be eaten raw andis often used as a flavouring agent in sauces, pasta fillings, roasts and vegetables.

Pan fry - A quick, dry heat cooking method using a pan with a small amount of oil. No lid isused. Used for thinner cuts. A lso called sauting.

Parboil - To partially cook food in boiling water before completely cooking by some otherprocess.

Pare - To cut off the outer covering of a fruit or vegetable with a vegetable peeler.

Paris Brest - A ring of choux pastry filled with a cream usualyy praline flavoured andcovered with shredded A lmonds. The name of this cake comes fromthe route of the P aris toBrest bicycle race on which the original pastry shop was found that produced it. see ChouxP astry and P raline

Parma Ham - The famous sweet italian ham which is dry cured and pressed.

Parmesan-Reggiano - The best known italian cheese made in the old D uchy of P arma. Itis aged at least two years and makes an excellent cheese for cooking as it melts withoutrunning or becoming rubbery.

Pastrami - A seasoned preserved meat made from dry-cured salt beef .

Pastry C ream- a cream used as a filling for pastry products usually associated with aconfectione'rs custard.

Pecorino Romana - Italy's oldest cheese. A hard sheep's milk cheese, it is much sharperand stronger than parmesan and tends to crumble more.


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P h yllo (filo) pastedoug h - A tissue thin sheet of dough of Greek origin made by rollingand pulling a sheet of pliable dough and used to make leaved pastry dishes. It is similar to thesofter strudel paste. Phyllo can be made or purchased fresh or frozen. Its best known use is

in Baklava but is now commonly used in many other dishes.

Physalis - also known as Cape Gooseberry, strawberry tomato, winter cherry orlove-in-a-cage - I don't know why its got so many names! These fruit areoriginally from P eru, yellow to red in color and often wrapped in its finewafer thin brown leaves/bladder (calyx). O ften used for their

presentation value to decorate sweets. The fruit has a pleasant tart flavor and is often usedin preserves and compotes, fruit salads, sorbets and ice cream.

Poblano pepper - A member of the pepper family. The peppers are dark green in color andvary in heat intensity from medium to hot. D ried poblano peppers are called ancho peppers.

Polenta - A cornmeal porridge from Northern Italy. Traditionally made with water in a largecopper pot called the paiolo and stirred with a bastone (a wooden baton) then cooledin madia - a round wooden tray and cut up into diamond or squares and then served plain

with butter snd cheese, any of a number of sauces as pasta is and braised or roasted meat.Various ingredients can be added during cooking including cheese, vegetables, ham andtruffles. There are two main types of P olenta - fine or coarse- they result in differenttextures in the finished product. see Recipe

Portobello mus h room - A meaty, delicious mushroom usually 4-6 inches wide. Forpreparation, remove and discard dark gills from the underside of the mushroom cap with aspoon.

Praline - Either asweet consisting of an almond coated with caramilsed sugar or apreparation consisting of crushed A lmonds and H azlenuts that have been coated incaramalised suger. which is used for flavouring ice creams and as a filling in pther seets andchocolates.see Recipe.

Pre h eat - To set an oven or broiler at the desired temperature 15 to 30 minutes before useso that the temperature is reached before food is put in to cook.

Profiteroles - Small choux pastry buns. They can be either sweet or savoury. Various fillingare used such as pastry cream. chantilly cream, jam, ice cream, game pure and cheesemixtures. The word profit meant small gift.

Prosciutto - The Italian word for ham, it is used to describe a salt-cured and air-dried ham coming from Italy. The meat is pressed to produce a firm texture, then slicedvery thinly. P arma ham is a true prosciutto. " P rosciutto cotto" is cooked ham, " P rosciuttocrudo" is raw.

Pure - To mash solid food or pass it through a food mill or processor until it is smooth.

Q uail - A small game bird of the partridge family that resembles a small, plump chicken.Known also as "bobwhites" and "partridges." The flesh is white and delicately flavored. Mostquail today are raised on bird farms.


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Q uenelle - A dumpling made of meat or fish forcemeat bound with eggs, fat or a panada.Quenelles are usually shaped into a small egg shape or sausage and poached in water orstock.

Reconstitute - To rehydrate dried food by soaking it in water or another liquid.

Reduce - To thicken or concentrate a sauce by boiling, which lessens the volume andintensifies the flavor.

Rice - The most widely cultivated cereal in the world after wheat. Manyvarieties divide broadly into long grains (such as P atna, Basmati,Surinam) which tend to stay separate when cooked and short grain(Carolina, A rborio, P iedmont) which tend to stick together. Versatile andused in innumeral dishes rice is the staple diet of a large proportion of the worlds population. Rice can be cooked either on the stove (risotto.steamed plain boiled), in the oven ( P ilaff) or in a rice cooker picturedbelow.

Generally speaking rice is cooked 1:2 rice:liquid by volume to achieve full absortion of thewater or stock. For Rissotto the ratio is 1:3 rice:liquid and the result is a moist creamymixture.

Rillettes - A preparation of pork, rabbit, poultry or goose cooked in lard then pounded intoa rough paste and potted. Rillettes are served cold and usually as an hors d'oeuvre, oftenwith toast.

Roast - A dry cooking process in the oven or on a spit with a small amount of fat, usuallyrefers to meat.

Root Vegetable - The "hard" vegetables that are grown underground such as carrots,

turnips, swedes.

Roulade - A rolled up preparation of meat, sponge, vegetables, fish which is usuallystuffed.

Roux - A mixture of butter and flour cooked over low heat. Used for thickening a sauce andsoups. The roux can be prepared in three ways.

W hite-where the mixture is barely cooked and takes on no clor. This is used to produce awhite sauces called Bchamel.

Fawn - where the roux is cooked for a few minutes so that it starts to color slightly, this is

used to make white sauces - Veloute

Brown - where the roux is cooked to the colour of white coffee and is used to make brownsauces such as Espagnole. see also Boiling

Rub - To blend ingredients by rubbing through the fingers, more often called rubbing in . A blend of herbs and spices that coats the surface of meat used to add flavor.


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S affron - A spice made from the stigmas of the saffron crocus. It comes in either powderform or in dried stands. The best saffron probably comes form Valencia. Iran, Italy, Greeceand South A merican countries also produce it. Saffron should be used carefully as it will givethe dish a soapy and bitter flavour if used in excess, it is also the most expensive of allspices. Indian Saffron (not to be confused with tumeric) is redder in colour is considerablycheaper but much less pungent.

S ausage - Basically, sausage is ground meat with fat, salt, seasonings, preservatives, andsometimes fillers. They may be smoked, fresh, dry or semi-dry, uncooked, partially cooked,or fully cooked. There are thousands of variations of sausage.

S alami - O riginally an Italian sausage variety. Now any of a family of boldly seasonedsausages similar to "cervelats," except that they tend to contain more garlic and are coarserand drier. Salamis are rarely smoked. " P epperoni" is a popular type of salami. Milano is one

of the best Salamis available.

S alisbury S teak - A ground beef patty seasoned with onions and seasonings before it isbroiled or fried and served with gravy. Named after D r. J. H . Salisbury who recommendedeating a lot of beef for a wide variety of ailments.

S almis - a game stew. usually made with feathered game - abbreviated from salmigondis.

S altpetre - the common name for potassium nitrate . It is used to preserve food especiallymeat in which it produces a characteristic bright pink colour. It is used to make brine incombination with salt and sugar. Numerous meat products are cured using saltpetreincluding pastrami and knackwurst

S aut - To brown or toss food in a small amount of oil. see Shallow Frying S cald - To heata liquid just below the boiling point. Tiny bubbles should form around the edge of the pan.

S ear - To brown the surface of food quickly using high heat.

S errano Ham - A Spanish ham air dried often with paprika and oil. Served in thin slices, itmakes an excellent snack; and small amounts add a distinctive flavor to a wide variety of dishes such as soups, vegetables, or pasta. Serrano means "from the mountains", as thedry mountain air offers the ideal conditions for the curing process.

S h allot - A member of the onion family shallots often have a pinkish tinge and are moredelicate in flavour than some onions when cooked. Shaped like cloves of garlic.

S h red - To slice finely.

S immer - To cook liquid below or just at the boiling point. The bubbles should rise slowly tothe surface.


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S nail - P opular since prehistoric times the "escargot", was eaten by ancient Romans whoset aside special vineyards where snails could feed and fatten. Now a national dish of Francebut available worldwide. Usually served with garlic butter and in the shells.

S lice - To cut food into similar size flat pieces.

S low C ooker - A m electric duck oven or casserole used to cook stews and soups slowly.A lso known as a crock pot.

S moke point - The point at which fat breaks down, starts to smoke and gives off an odor.D ifferent fats have different smoke points. The smoking point of animal fats is about190C/375C, vegetable fats tend to be about 200C/400F, peanut and corn oils tendto have a higher smoke point at around 220C/425F. Take care as fat burst into flameseasily if overheated.If it does turn off the heat and cover with a lid,a baking sheet, a fireblanket or a damp teatowel. DO NO T attempt to move the pan or fryer or use water toextinguish.

S ouse Loaf - W ell-cooked pig's head and feet that are chopped into small pieces,

marinated in lime juice, chili pepper and salt, then pressed into a loaf.

S oya - the soya bean is very versatile and nutritious. When milled, becomes very high in protein.

ptzle - A form of pasta/noodle paste formed into irregular strips or dumplings which areserved as a garnish or as a main dish. The word means "little sparrow". see Recipe

S pelt - A n ancient variety of wheat. It has small brown grains that adhere strongly to thechaff. Used in some special bread varieties and broths.

S pice - An aromatic substance used to season food.

Sq uirrel - A n abundant, largely tree based rodent. Red and gray squirrels are commonlyeaten in the U.S. The gray squirrel is fatter and has a flavor considered by many as superiorto the red squirrel. Contrary to popular belief Squirrels only have a strong "gamey" taste if "hung".

S tew - A slow, moist heat cooking method using a pot with a tight-fitting lid. The meatshould be completely covered in liquid. Used for less tender cuts.

S tir-fry - A quick, dry-heat cooking method using a lightly oiled skillet or wok. Use highheat while continuously tossing ingredients. Any cut can be used as long as it is cut intothin, uniform strips.

S tock - A liquid produced when water, seasonings, bones and/vegetables have been slowlysimmered. None is French as fond (meaning foundation)or fumet (fish stock)they are thebasis of many soups, sauces and stews.

S troganov - A dish of thinly sliced beef (usually fillet, sirloin, tenderloin or top loin),onions, and mushrooms sauted with a cream based sauce and garnished with sautedmushrooms. O ften served with a rice pilaf. Invented by the chef of Count P aul Stroganoff inthe 19th century.


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S trudel - A very thin pastry filled and rolled - either sweet or savoury. O riginally fromVienna it was reputedly invented by a H ungarian chef who based it on P hyllo pastry.Classically filled with A pples and raisins many other variants are now coomonly used. Recipe

S ugar Granulated sugar is the most common type of white sugar,it is crystaline and pourseasily. British granulated is coarser than A merican granulated. It is used for making syrupsand other heated mixtures, including adding to tea and coffee. Castor or caster sugar is theBritish name for a fine granulated sugar used in desserts and baking similar to the French"sucre en poudre" or the A merican superfine. Icing sugar is a powdered sugar mixed withcornflour to prevent it from caking.

S wedis h Meatballs - A combination of ground meat (often a combination of beef, pork, orveal), sauted onions, milk-soaked breadcrumbs, beaten eggs, and seasonings. The mixtureis formed into small balls, then sauted until brown.

S wiss S teak - Round or chuck steak that has been tenderized by pounding, coated withflour, and browned on both sides. The meat is then covered in chopped tomatoes, onions,carrots, celery, broth, and seasonings, and baked for approximately two hours.

T abasco - an american sauce consisting of chilli peppers marinated in spirit vinegar andsalt.

T abboule h - a Lebanese salad of bulgur (cracked) wheat, mint, tomatoes, onions andparsley - sometimes with peppers and onions. It is traditionally wrapped in cos lettuce and

eaten with the hands.

T agine - a spicy vegetable or meat stew. The traditional method of cooking inNorth A frica-- Tagine--has been used for centuries to slow cook with thesespices. Very little water is needed to keep foods moist, and the unique designof the Tagine lid locks in the combination of flavors. The base in this model,

made of cast iron, works with any heat source: gas, electric radiant or solid plates, ceramic,halogen, induction, and A ga-Rayburn-type stoves. The tall, inverted cone shape keeps thetop far from the heat source and from absorbing the heat, and thus stays cool to the touch.

T a h ini - a paste made from sesame seeds used in H ummus and also in Middle Easternsweets. Can be light or dark if toasted.

T apenade - a condiment originally from P rovence made with capers, stoned black pittedolives, and desalted anchovies pounded in a mortar with lemon juice and herbs. There arenumerous variations but the name comes from tapeno which means caper! Used asaccompaniment to grilled fish, meat or served with crudites or on toast.

T exas T oast - Thickly sliced (1-inch) French/Italian bread spread with butter on both sidesand browned under broiler or on the grill.

T oss - To mix ingredients lightly.

T ronon - A slice of a large flat fish cut through the bone.


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T ripe - The stomach tissue of ruminant (chewing animals) usually beef. There are two maintypes of tripe: "blanket" or ridged from the first stomach and "honeycomb" from the secondstomach.

T ruffle - An edible fungus which is found underground. It is round and can be black, white,dark brown or grey in color. The scarcity and decline in truffles has led this once widelyused item becoming an expensive garnish. P robably the best and most expensive truffle isthe black P rigord truffle. There are some 70 varieties of truffle. Truffles are also sold in jarsand cans, truffle oil can also be bought and used to finish dishes with.

T umeric - A spice made from the powdered stem of a plant, it is an yellow/orange colouredpowder that imparts a bright yellow color to food and has a distinctive yet delicate flavour.Known as H aldi in Indian Cookery. It is used in A merican Mustard, in P icalilli and in manycurries to give colour and flavour.

T urkey - A farm bird raised for its delicate flesh. O riginally an A merican game bird from thepheasant family that has been domesticated. The flesh of turkey cocks is drier andrequires barding and basting. See also tips on Cooking Turkey

T urning - Cutting a vegetable into barrel shapes

Vanilla is a bean from the pod of a tropical climbing orchid. It can also be obtained asVanilla extract or as Vanilla essence, these should be used sparingly as the flavour can beacrid if used in excess. Vanilla sugar is made by leaving one or two vanilla pods in a Jar of sugar . This gives a hint of vanilla flavour to the sugar. It can been made by mixing in a bitof vanilla essence and then drying out the sugar , but the result is less satisfactory. Use inplace of ordinary sugar to give a hint of flavour.

Velout - A white stock thickened with a blond roux. Velout is the basis of many classicsauces and soups.

Veal - The meat of a calf up to one year old reared for slaughter when weaned. "Milk-fed"veal are unweaned calves. "Bob veal" is under a month old; "baby beef" is 6 - 12 monthsold. To keep their flesh from darkening, these animals are not fed grains or grasses. Venison - D eer Meat. The term Venison covers the meat from any laege game animal suchas antelope, caribou, elk, deer, moose, and reindeer. Venison is probably the most popularlarge game meat eaten today. The term comes from the latin" v enatio " to hunt.

Vienna S ausage - A small frankfurter, often served as an hors d'oeuvre.

Water Buffalo - A buffalo native to the O ld W orld tropics with large flattened horns. A lsocalled "water ox."

Wild Boar - is the ancestor of the domestic big but its meat is richer, leaner and strongertasting than pork.

Wok - A round bottom pan used for stir fry and other cooking methods using high heat.

Wonton skins - A thin noodle dough that is used in O riental recipes. O ften available in theproduce area of the grocery store.


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Y ankee Pot Roast - A "pot roast" is a piece of chuck or round cut that is browned, thenbraised very slowly in a covered pot with a little liquid. A "Yankee pot roast" includesvegetables that are added part way through the cooking process.

Y ork Ham - A classic british H am with a mild and sweetish flavor.

Y orks h ire Pudding- A batter based pudding traditionally served with Roast Beef.

Zest - To remove, in fine strips, the outermost peel of citrus fruits. Be careful not to includethe bitter, inner white pith.


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