DALUBHASAAN NG LUNGSOD NG LUCENA

(formerly City College of Lucena)

Isabang, Lucena City
Tel. No. and Fax No. (042) 797 – 1671

CULINARY TERMS
The following are just some of the basic terms of techniques, dishes, and kitchen jargons widely used in the kitchen. It is important to at
least familiarize yourself with some of the terms.
À blanc- To keep white
À brun- To make brown
À la- In the style of
A la carte- separately priced items not part of a set
Al dente- Cooked that is still tough when bitten (usually, pasta)
Amuse bouche- Means “gratify the mouth”, this is usually a smaller version of a dish served after the order was taken. Also known as
Amuse gueule (ah-mooz-gœl)
Antipasto- Italian term for hors d’oeuvres which can be any dish including canapes, bruschette and a plate or a platter
Appetizer- The first dish in a multi-course, sit-down meal traditionally prepared by the garde manger(gard-mahn-zhey) or the pantry
chef
Au beurre- with butter
Au bleu- beef steaks cooked ‘blue’ or very underdone
Au four- oven baked
Au jus- served with natural cooking juices
Au- gratin- Food sprinkled with grated cheese or breadcrumbs and browned under salamander or in a hot oven
Bain- Marie- A way of cooking or warming food by placing a container in a pot of very hot water. Used for preparations that must not
cook over direct heat, for keeping delicate sauces hot, and for melting chocolate
Ballotine- a large piece of meat or a whole bird that is boned and stuffed
Baste- pour or brush with juices or melted fat
Béchamel- White sauce made from milk and white roux
Beurre Blanc- Sauce made by reducing white wine with vinegar and shallots, then whisking in cold butter, emulsifying into a thick,
buttery sauce
Beurre manie- Butter and flour mixed together in equal parts and used to thicken liquids
Beurre noisette- browned butter
Bisque- a thickened shellfish soup
Bouillon- A clear, flavorful broth made by simmering beef, chicken, vegetable, or other ingredients
Bouquet garni- A small bunch of herbs; classically a bay leaf, few parsley sprigs, and few sprigs of thyme—wrapped in a leek leaf or
bunched with a piece of celery and tied with string
Brunoise- Vegetables cut into very small diced pieces
Canapé- An appetizer consisting of a small bread or biscuit base covered with a flavored topping
Chateaubriand- a thick tenderloin of beef
Charcuterie- cold cooked or preserved meat
Chiffonade- Finely shredded leafy vegetables used to garnish and flavor soups
Chinois- Fine/coarse conical strainer
Chowder- A thick chunky seafood soup; comes from the French Chaudière which is a heavy, three-legged iron cauldron used to make
stews by fishermen
Compote- stewed fruit
Concasse- roughly chopped
Confit- meat cooked slowly in its own fat, usually duck
Consommé- broth that has been made clear
Cordon- Ribbon, indicates a thread or ribbon of sauce used to flavor and garnish culinary products
Coulis- Smooth, thick fruit or vegetable sauce made by pureeing or sieving the fruit
Court- bouillon- a French culinary term that means “briefly boiled broth”. It is a flavorful, aromatic liquid used for poaching with a light
color.
Crepes- very thin pancake
Croquettes- Cooked forcemeats of meat, fish, or cooked vegetables, shaped and prepared for frying
Crouton- a small piece of fried or toasted bread served with soup or used as a garnish.
Crudité- Raw vegetables usually arranged creatively on trays and served with a dip. Also known as relish
Darne- A steak of round fish on the bone
Devilled- to highly season with hot flavorings
Duxelle- a basic preparation of cooked finely chopped mushrooms, flavored with shallots and seasonings
En papillote- cooking and serving foods in a paper bag
Farce- a stuffing
Fillet- A boneless piece of meat, poultry, or fish; the French version ‘filet’ refers to a cut of beef that is boneless
Flambé- a technique by which alcohol is added to a dish and ignited, both for effect and to burn off the alcohol
Fonds- French word for stock – the flavored liquid base for making sauce, stew, or braised dishes
Fondue- From the French word “fondre” meaning to melt; a dish of warm, melted cheese flavored with wine in which bits of bread are
dipped
Fumet- Essence of fish stock
Garde manger- the pantry chef
Gastric- A mixture of sugar and vinegar used to sharpen the flavor of tomato sauce or soup
Gravy- Traditionally mean naturally concentrated juices that come from meat as they roast; these juices can be combined with liquids
such as white or brown stock, milk, wine, then thickened with flour, cornstarch, or other agents to make it thicker and sauce-like.
Hollandaise- A mother sauce made from emulsified egg yolks and clarified butter and flavored with lemon juice.
Hors d’ Oeuvre- Small food items served on passed-around trays or on attractively-arranged platters during receptions and cocktail
events.
Jardinière- A term used to denote vegetables cut into bâtonette
Julienne- A term used to denote foods cut into thin strips
Jus- with juice or gravy
Jus lie- thickened gravy
Jus roti- Roast gravy, unthickened
Jus rotilie- Roast gravy, thickened
Lard- Solid fat from pork. Lard gras contains fat only, while lard maigre (bacon) contains meat as well.
Lentils- edible bean that grow in pods
Liaison- Mixture of egg yolks and cream used to thicken and enrich culinary products
Macerate- to soak in liquor in order to soften and add flavor; often applied to fresh fruits
Mandolin- A special vegetable slicer
Marinade- A preparation used to flavor meat, poultry, fish and vegetable
Medallion- A round shaped portion of meat or fish
Meringue- Mixture of beaten egg whites and sugar
Meuniere- A cooking technique where an item (especially fish) is dipped in flour and shallow-fried in butter
Mirepoix- A vegetable flavoring, roughly cut to various sizes according to requirements
Mise en place- Put in place, in culinary jargon refers to advanced preparation
Mousse- Any number of frothy, airy dishes, both sweet and savory usually lightened with whipped egg whites or cream
Parfait- specialty single flavored ice cream set in a mold
Paupiette- a stuffed portion of meat/ fish rolled into a cylindrical shape
Paysanne- Peasant style, also indicates the use of particular shapes, i.e. circles, squares, and triangles
Petits fours- selection of after dinner sweet items
Prosciutto- Dry-cured Italian ham usually sliced thin
Provençale- regional or provincial style
Pulse- edible seed of various crops
Puree- pulped foods
Quenelles- Various shapes of fine forcemeats produced from veal, chicken, fish, and game
Ratatouille- Dish made from red bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and often, olives.
Roux- a mixture of butter and flour cooked together; used as a thickener
Sorbet- Frozen ices lightened by the addition of Italian meringue
Soufflé- A very light sweet or savory product
Spatchcock- A poultry or game bird split into two, usually, for grilling
Supreme- Denotes use of delicate cuts taken from the breast of poultry or game. Also, a cut of fish on the slant, free from bone
Truss- a procedure to secure items using a string
Veloute- a thickened sauce made from white stock and a roux
Vin (au)- in wine
Vinaigrette- Also known as French dressing, literally means “little vinegar” in French; fairly thick salad dressing from a mixture of olive
oil, wine vinegar, and salt and pepper and flavored accordingly