 | Allumettes - Thin strips of
puff pastry sandwiched with a savory filling, cut into fingers and baked.
The filling may be anchovy, liver pâté or
well-flavored meat or fish bound with a little sauce. Generally served
as an hors d'oeuvre. The name is also applied to small pastries
with a sweet filling. |
| Andouille - A large firm
salami type sausage composed mostly of chitterlings.
It is bought already cooked and is generally served cut in thin slices as an
hors d'oeuvre. |
| Angelica - Generally classed
as an herb. the stalks are candied and are used for flavoring and
decorating sweets. The leaves can be used in the fresh state in salads,
and a few finely chopped angelica leaves are a splendid addition to tomato
salad. |
| Aquavit - An alcoholic drink,
distilled from potatoes or grain, not unlike Vodka and associated with
Scandinavia where it is served with Smørrebrød. |
| Armagnac -The name given to a
brandy distilled from wine from the Armagnac district of south west France |
| Arrowroot -A fine powdered
starch prepared from the root or tuber of the Maranta, a plant which grows in
the West Indies and India. It is used as a thickening agent for sauces
and syrups and with milk in invalid diets. |
| Aspic -
A savory jelly made from clarified meat stock flavored with vegetables and
herbs and set with gelatin. It can be bought ready for use in powder or
tablet form. |
| Athole Brose - Scottish drink
composed chiefly of whisky and honey. |
| Attereau - This word was used
to describe a metal skewer on to which small savory morsels were threaded and
also to describe the dish itself. It is seldom used today. Small
pieces of ham, chicken, liver and mushroom were threaded on to the attereau,
dipped into a white sauce, then coated with egg and breadcrumbs, deep fried
and served as an hors d'oeuvre. |
| Au Blanc - In cooking, this
implies that a dish is kept white during cooking and is served with a white or
cream sauce. |
| Au Bleu - A favorite method of
cooking trout. The trout should be killed and cooked at once in court
bouillon acidulated with vinegar. When cooked, the skin should have a
bluish tinge. Boiled potatoes and melted butter are served with trout au
bleu. |
| Au Gratin - A method of
cooking which usually gives the food a brown surface, the dish being covered
with a sauce and sprinkled with breadcrumbs, then cooked in the oven or under
the broiler. Cheese is not necessarily used in au gratin dishes. |
| Aurore - A sauce, based on a
béchamel with fresh, well-reduced tomato pulp added to it. I is
generally served with veal, chicken or eggs. |
| Avgolémono -
Greek lemon soup. |
| Bain-Marie - A utensil
containing hot water in which sauces or other dishes can be kept hot without
drying out. Dishes that need gentle cooking such as baked custard,
caramel custard or pâtés
can be cooked in a Bain-Marie or water bath. In the home kitchen, a
roasting pan or similar vessel can be used. |
| Banbury Cake - A small cake
made with flaky pastry and filled with a rich mincemeat mixture. It
originated from Banbury in Oxfordshire. |
| Bard - To cover poultry, game
or meat which may be deficient in fat, with thin strips of pork fat or green
bacon before roasting. |
| Barm - Brewers yeast. |
| Bath Chaps - The cheek and jaw
bone of the pig, salted and smoked. |
| Batterie de Cuisine - The
French term for general kitchen equipment. |
| Bavarois or Bavarian Cream - A
cold, sweet consisting of a rich custard made with egg yolks, milk and cream,
set with gelatine and flavored with chocolate, coffee or a fruit purée. |
| Béarnaise - A rich butter
sauce, sharp in taste and flavored with chopped tarragon or chervil.
Usually served with steaks. |
| Béchamel - A basic white
sauce. (Fondly called "beach camel" by some chefs) |
| Beignets - Fritters or small
spoonfuls of choux pastry cooked quickly in deep fat so that they puff up
quickly. When cooked they can be sprinkled with sugar and served with a
jam sauce, or rolled in grated cheese and served as a savory dish. |
| Benedictine - A liqueur,
invented and made by the Benedictine monks at Fécamp,
France. |
| Beurre Manié - A paste made
with equal parts of butter and flour used to thicken soups and sauces. |
| Bilberry - A small black fruit
also known as whortleberry, blueberry, blaeberry and huckleberry. Bil
berries can be stewed, used in tarts, or made into wine. In season June
and July. |
| Brill - A flat sea fish,
something like a small turbot, it can be cooked in much the same way. It
is in season from September to May. |
| Brine - Used for pickling and
in the preservation of meat and fish. Basically it is a strong solution
of salt and water. |
| Brisling or Sild -The young of
herrings available in Britain in tins. |
| Broiling - An American term
for grilling. |
| Brunois - Finely diced
vegetables: carrots, celery, onions, leeks, used as a basis of a soup or
stuffing. |
| Bubble and Squeak - The name
originally given to a reheated dish of slices of beef and cabbage. Now
it more often refers to cooked potatoes and cooked cabbage fried up together. |
| Buckling - Smoked herring,
generally served as an hors d'oeuvre. |
| Buck Rarebit - This is a Welsh
rarebit with a poached egg on top. |
| Buckwheat - A variety of
Saracen corn, used in America for making pancakes and similar dishes.
Boiled buckwheat is also known as Kasha. |
| Bullace - A kind of wild plum,
greenish yellow in color and about the size of a small cherry. It is
used for pies, or for jams and fruit cheeses. |
| Burnet - Sweet herb with
cucumber-scented leaves. It is used in salads, soups and in iced drinks. |
| Butter Muslin - Thin cloth for
straining liquids and used in cheese making. Also called cheese cloth. |
| Cabinet Pudding - A hot
pudding made with bread or sponge cake and an egg custard. It usually
contains a little dried fruit and is flavored with grated lemon rind or
vanilla. |
| Carrageen - This is an edible
seaweed, much used at one time as a food for invalids and children. It
is gelatinous, and can be used in place of isinglass. It can be obtained
in some health food shops ready prepared for use in making jellies. |
| Chitterlings -
A name given to edible intestines of an animal, usually a pig.
They are normally fried. |
| Chokos - A green vegetable
resembling a pea in appearance available in Australia, generally used in
pickles and chutneys to build up their bulk. |
| Chorizo - Small thin sausages
made of beef and pork, often used for stews in Spanish cookery. Another
variety made with pork only, can be bought ready-cooked. Chorizo is
often available in delicatessen shops. |
| Chutney - A condiment of
Indian origin with a sweet-sour flavor which results from the mixture of
ingredients. Vinegar, spices, sugar and fruit are cooked together very
slowly. Chutney is always served with curry and often with cold meats. |
| Citron - A large citrus fruit
grown in Corsica and Provence. It has a thick, aromatic skin and is
generally candied and used with candied orange and lemon rind for cakes.
Traditionally, a Madeira cake always has a slice of citron on top. |
| Civet - The French name for a
rich ragout of game in which red wine and blood is used e.g. jugged hare. |
| Clafouti - A sweet usually
made with black cherries over which a batter is poured and the whole baked.
It is a popular dish in Provence. |
| Clementine - A small fruit of
the orange family. |
| Coal-Fish - Also known as
Coley or Saithe, it is a fish of the cod family. It takes it's name from
it's black skin, is found in the North sea. Cook like Cod. |
| Cochineal - A pink food
coloring obtained from the cochineal insect which is found on cacti in Mexico
and Brazil. |
| Cocotte - A round or oval
cooking utensil made of earthenware, china, metal or glass in which individual
portions of food are cooked e.g. Eggs en cocotte. |
| Cointreau - A liqueur made in
France from oranges. |
| Concasser - To chop roughly.
The term is generally applied to tomatoes which are first peeled and seeded. |
| Consommé - Meat or chicken
stock which has been enriched, concentrated and clarified. It is served
as a hot soup with various garnishes, or it can be served cold when it should
be lightly jellied. |
| Coriander - A spice which
mainly comes from the Netherlands, Rumania and Morocco. In flavor it
resembles a mixture of sage and lemon peel. It is used in curries, and
gives a lift to rice dishes. |
| Corned Beef - Salt boiled
beef. The small crystals or "corns" of coarse salt used in the pickling,
give it it's name. |
| Cornish Pastry - Consists of a
round of short crust or flaky pastry with a filling of raw meat, potato and
onion. The pastry is folded over to make a torpedo shape. The
pastries are made in various sizes, and the ingredients for the filling should
be cut into small pieces to ensure that they are well cooked. |
| Corn Salad - Sometimes called
Lamb's lettuce. It is used in salads or can be cooked like spinach. |
| Coulibiaca or Koulibiaka - A
Russian dish of flaked salmon and rice cooked in a casing of choux pastry.
It is shaped into a long flat roll and glazed, then baked and served hot with
a creamy white sauce. |
| Coulis - (Pronounced kool-ee)
a concentrated liquid, the result of long slow cooking. |
| Coupe - A shallow glass or
silver utensil, usually on a short stem, used for serving ice cream
confections such as Coupe Jacques--ice cream of various flavors, served over
fruit, and flavored with liqueur. |
| Courgette - Also called
Zucchini, it is a vegetable which looks like a baby marrow. It is cooked
in much the same way, but usually whole and unpeeled. |
| Court-Bouillon - The liquid in
which a fish is cooked to improve the flavor. It consists of water to
which root vegetable have been added, and is acidulated with vinegar or wine. |
| Couscous - A North African
specialty dish dating back to early times. It is made with millet flour
or crushed rice and served with mutton or chicken stew. An American
version contains chickpeas and slices of carrot and turnip. |
| Crackling - A name given to
the crisp skin of pork after roasting. |
| Crawfish - There is often some
confusion between a crawfish (langouste) and a crayfish (ecrevisse). The
crawfish lives in salt water and is like a large lobster without it's big
claws. It is sometimes called Rock Lobster and can be used in most
recipes which call for lobster; when available, it is generally cheaper.
Crayfish are small fresh water shell fish. It is important that the
intestinal tube is removed with the point of a knife, before the fish is
cooked. Crawfish is known in Australia as crayfish. |
| Crémet -
A milk curd, like cream cheese, made in the Dauphinois district
of France. Stiffly whipped cream and stiffly whipped egg whites are
added very slowly to milk curd and are beaten all the time. It is then
put into small perforated pots and left to drain. When ready for use, the crémets
are turned out of their molds and covered with fresh cream. |
| Cress - A plant used in
salads, and for garnish. It is generally sold in small punnets.
Also known as Watercress. |
| Croque-en-Bouche - A very
ornamental sweet, made with balls of choux pastry or small meringues, built up
to form a pyramid. |
| Croustade - A case of fried
bread or pastry in which chicken, game or minced meat may be served. |
| Crowdie - A Scottish cheese
made from the soured curd of milk. |
| Cuisson - The cooking juice
from various food stuffs such as chicken, meat and mushrooms. |
| Curd - The term refers to the
part of milk which coagulates when acid is added and heat is applied e.g.
Junket. It is used also to describe the milk solids which forms when
milk becomes sour. |
| Curing - The process of
preserving meat by dry salting or pickling in brine. A small proportion
of saltpeter is added and this gives the pinkish color to the meat. For
bacon and ham, a process of smoking follows the salting. Fish such as
haddock, and kippers are also salted or cured before smoking. |
| Currants - A small fruit which
may be black, red or white. Red currants are used to make jelly to serve
with meat and game, and for syrups. White currants have less culinary
uses. Dried currants are the dried fruit of the Corinth grape. |
| Curry - A hot, spicy dish of
meat, fowl and fish, of Indian origin. Curry powder is a mixture of
spices dried and ground into a powder. Up to 50 different spices may be
used. The curry powder commonly sold, typically contains about 15-20
spices. |
| Custard - A mixture of milk
and eggs sweetened and flavored. Whole eggs, or yolks only are used
depending on the type of custard required. For some dishes (baked
custard and caramel custard) extra yolks are used with the whole eggs and
milk. |
| Cut In - A term applied to a
method of combining fat and flour when making some kind of pastry. The
fat is "cut in" using two knives, or a pastry blender, as distinct from
"rubbing" the fat into the flour. |
| Cutlet - A cutlet is a piece
of meat which is taken from the rib bone of the best end or top rib of the
lamb. Before cooking, cutlets should be neatly trimmed. |
| Dab - A small, dark brown
fish, a species of Flounder. It derives its name from the rapidity with
which it "dabs" or dives under the sand. It is usually caught near the
shores of the English Channel and in the tidal stretches of rivers. |
| Daikon - A large Japanese
radish, which can be eaten raw or cooked. |
| Damson - A small, oval plum,
purplish-blue in color, sometimes known as the Damask plum. It is in
season from late August until September. It is not generally used as a
dessert fruit as it is somewhat bitter, but cooked with sugar makes a good
compote and is excellent for jam, jelly and fruit cheese. |
| Dandelion - Generally
considered a weed and because of it's deeply notched leaves is sometimes know
as Lion's Tooth. Some varieties are cultivated, and the young tender
leaves are used in salads or cooked like spinach. The roots were once
used medicinally, and for making dandelion tea. |
| Dariole - A small, cylindrical
mold in which food can be steamed, baked or poached, or used for individual
savory or sweet dishes which require to be set. |
| Darne - A French term applied
to a thick slice cut from the middle of a large fish, e.g. salmon, turbot. |
| Dartois - The name given to
two layers of puff pastry put together with a sweet or savory filling. |
| Date - The fruit of the date
palm. The best come from Tunis and are sweet and pulpy. Because of
their high sugar content, dates are considered a very nutritious fruit. |
| Daube - A method of cooking
meat, generally beef, by braising in red wine and stock, well seasoned with
herbs. |
| Daubière -
A type of casserole used in France, as it's name suggests, for
the cooking of Daubes. Originally, a Daubière had a very deep lid so
that it could be covered with charcoal and live ashes. |
| Decant - A term generally
applied when wine is poured from one container to another, to get rid of the
sediment formed in the bottom of the wine bottle. |
| De-Glaze - The term applied
when a roasting tin or pan is rinsed out with stock or wine to remove the
sediment left after roasting meat or game. The resulting liquid is then
used used as a gravy or as the basis for a sauce. |
| Dégorger -
A term used in French cookery which generally means to soak
food in cold water, either to remove a strong flavor or impurities, or to
remove excess water, as for cucumber and aubergine. The vegetables are
sliced, sprinkled with salt, and left to stand about an hour. Any excess
moisture can then be poured off. |
| Demi-Deuil - (Literally half
mourning). It applies mainly to poultry and veal, cooked in wine, then
finished with a white sauce such as a Suprême
or Béchamel, and garnished with truffles. |
| Demi-Glace - (Literllay
half-glazed). The name is given to a very well reduced brown sauce,
which, when used to coat food, gives a glazed appearance. The sauce is
also used to accompany grills when it would be flavored with Madeira or
sherry. |
| Dépouiller -
A process used in making a brown or demi-glace sauce, by
which any scum can be removed as it rises. As the sauce simmers, small
quantities of cold water are added at intervals and, as the scum or grease
rises, it can be removed. |
| Desiccation - The process of
drying or dehydrating food, e.g. desiccated coconut. |
| Devilled - Usually applied to
a method of cooking small joints, e.g. drum sticks of chicken or game.
The food is highly seasoned and often marinated in a piquant sauce before
frying or grilling. |
| Dhal -A well seasoned lentil
puree flavored with curry or ginger and served with curry. |
| Dice - To cut into small,
even-sized cubes. |
| Dill - An herb somewhat like
fennel in appearance and flavor. Both the leaf and seeds are used.
The former is often chopped and added to cream cheese and to sauces to serve
with fish. The seeds are used in pickles and for flavoring vinegar. |
| Dolmas - These are made by
rolling a mixture of lamb and rice in blanched vine leaves or cabbage leaves
and then braising in a little stock. They are very popular in Greek and
Turkish cooking. |
| Dough - The name given to a
foundation mixture of flour and liquid. Other ingredients are added
according to the purpose of the dough. |
| Drambuie - A liquor made from
whiskey and honey. |
| Dredge - T sprinkle with
flour, corn flour or sugar. |
| Dripping - The fat which comes
from meat during roasting. If strained into a basin and left to cool,
the solid cake of fat can be lifted off, the underside scraped free of gravy
and used for general frying purposes or sued as a shortening. |
| Drop Scone - A small round tea
cake made with a thick batter and cooked on a girdle (or griddle). They
may also be called Scotch pancakes. |
| Drumstick - The lower part of
the leg of a chicken or game. |
| Duchesse - Pureed potatoes are
used as a garnish or an accompaniment. Egg yolk and hot milk is added to
the puree which is then put into a piping bag and piped on to a baking dish
and browned in the oven, or piped round the edge of a serving dish. |
| Duglère -
This indicates that white fish such as sole or turbot has been
cooked in white wine and the sauce is finished with cream, chopped parsley and
concassed tomatoes. |
| Dulse - A reddish-brown edible
seaweed. |
| Dumpling - Small balls of
dough made from a paste of flour and water, sometimes with the addition of
suet or other fat. They are simmered in boiling water or stock and served with
stews, or can be cooked in the stew pan with the other ingredients.
Dumplings can also be served as a sweet with jam. |
| Dust - To sprinkle lightly
with flour, corn flour or sugar. |
| Dutch Oven - A small portable
oven, provided with hooks which can be attached to the bars of a grate.
Chops, steak and kebobs can be roasted or grilled in the oven. |
| Duxelles - Finely chopped
mushrooms with a little onion or shallot sautéed in butter until soft and dry.
This is generally used for flavorings, stuffings, and sauces. |
| Earth-Nut - A tuberous root,
black outside and white inside which tastes something like a chestnut and is
prepared in the same way. The seeds are sometimes used in place of
caraway seeds. |
| Eau-de-Vie - This is an
alcohol produced from the distillation of wine and forms the base of many
liqueurs. |
| Eccles Cakes - Similar to
Banbury Cake, but are round instead of oval. |
| Eel - A snake-like fish with a
slippery skin found in both salt and fresh water. They should be kept
alive until ready to be prepared. Smoked eels are popular as an hors
d'oeuvre |
| Eel Pout - A fish rather like
an eel sometimes known as Burbot. The flesh is coarse and is best
stewed, boiled, or used in soups. |
| Egg Nog - A nourishing drink
made with egg yolks and milk generally flavored with nutmeg and laced with rum
or brandy. |
| Elderberry - The fruit of the
Elder. When ripe they are used for making jelly, wine and syrup. |
| Elderflowers - Often used to
give added flavor to gooseberry jam or stewed gooseberries. Flowers are
tied in muslin and left to infuse while the fruit cooks. |
| Elvers - Young eels which
travel from European countries and reach English shores in the late Spring
after a year's journeying. |
| Émincé -
A dish made with leftover roast or braised meat, covered with a
sauce. |
| Émincer - To slice meat,
vegetables or fruit very thinly. |
| Emulsion - The name given to a
mixture of fat - oil or butter -- with egg yolks as in mayonnaise or
Hollandaise sauce. |
| Entrecôte -
The term in French is literally translated as "between
the ribs" and is used for steak cut from between two ribs of beef. |
| Entremet - (Literally "between
dishes"). Nowadays the term is used for the whole range of desserts, but
is also applied to dressed vegetables served as a separate course. |
| Epigramme - Originally this
consisted of two cuts of lamb, a slice of breast and a cutlet. The
breast was braised or poached in stock, then boned, cooled under pressure and
cut into heart-shaped pieces. these were then coated with egg and
breadcrumbs and fried or grilled. The cutlet was fried in the same way
and cutlets were arranged with the breast in a crown shape on a long dish.
The term is now more generally applied to the best end of neck or breast of
lamb cooked as described above. |
| Escalope - A thin slice of
meat cut from the leg or fillet of veal or pork and flattened. |
| Escargot - Edible snails
imported from France. |
| Escarole - A salad plant with
wide, dark green leaves, sometimes called Batavian endive. |
| Espagnole - A basic brown
sauce from which many other sauces are made. The basic sauce is made
from brown stock, vegetables, herbs and wine. |
| Estouffade - This term is
applied to a dish requiring long slow cooking like a stew. It also
describes a clear brown stock to dilute sauces or moisten meat dishes. |
| Fadges - These are small
scones made with flour, fat and milk, and cooked on a griddle or hot plate.
They are popular in Ireland, and used to be popular in England. |
| Faggots - Sometimes used to
describe a bundle of herbs like a bouquet garni. |
| Fécule or Fécula
- A very fine starch, usually from potato or
arrowroot, used for thickening. |
| Fennel - An herb of Italian
origin now widely cultivated. It has a slight flavor of aniseed and is
used in fish dishes. Another specimen has a white bulbous root, which
can be sliced and eaten raw in salads or cooked as celery. The black
seeds are not unlike nutmeg and sometimes used like poppy seeds for bread. |
| Fenugreek - Also called Bird's
Foot. The elongated seed pods resemble those of string beans. This
spice is used in curry powder and sometimes in confectionery to which it
imparts a flavor reminiscent of maple. |
| Fermentation - The chemical
change induced by the action of bacteria or yeast. |
| Fermière
à la - A method of
preparing braised or pot-roasted meat, garnished with carrots, turnips, celery
and onions cooked very slowly in butter. |
| Feuillantines - These are
fingers of pastry, popular in France, served with ice cream instead of wafers
or with afternoon tea. They are made with flaky pastry, rolled and
folded several times and cut into strips about 2 inches long and 1/2 inch
wide. |
| Fig - This fruit which
contains a large proportion of sugar is imported when dried and pressed.
Specially selected dried figs are eaten raw, but generally they are stewed.
Fresh figs, known as green figs, are imported from the Mediterranean and are
generally eaten raw. They can also be purchased in cans. |
| Filbert - An almond-shaped
nut, generally sold in it's outer husk. |
| Fillet - When applied to meat,
it is the undercut of sirloin of beef, or the fleshy part of the buttock of
other meat. Fillet mignon is a small cut taken from the end of the
fillet of beef, or the small pieces of chicken found lying near the breast
bone. When applied to fish, the flesh taken from the bone is called the
fillet. When applied to poultry, the fillet consists of the breast and
wing. |
| Financière
à la - In French
cookery, a la financière indicates that a
dish of poultry or meat is garnished with a mixture of cock's combs,
mushrooms, olives and truffles and possibly cock's kidneys. |
| Fines Herbs - Originally this
indicated a mixture of herbs, but it now applies to parsley and chervil only,
e.g. Omelet Aux Fines Herbes, is an omelet containing only parsley, chervil,
salt and pepper. |
| Fish Fumet - A highly
concentrated fish stock used for poaching fish or for fish sauces. It is
made by reducing well-flavored fish stock. |
| Fish Kettle - A large oval pan
used for cooking fish. It generally has a removable grid in the bottom
to facilitate the removal of the fish. |
| Flageolet - A small kidney
bean, pale green in color. The beans are removed from the pods and sold
fresh or dried. |
| Flame or Flambé - To pour
brandy or fortified wine e.g. sherry, over food and ignite it. This
gives flavor to the dish and at the same time reduces the alcohol content of
the spirit. The dish may be meat, poultry, or pancakes e.g. crêpes
suzettes.. The brandy or wine should be warmed before it is ignited. |
| Flank - A cut of beef from the
belly of the animal which varies in thickness. It is fairly lean but
needs slow, moist cooking e.g. braising, pot roasting or stewing. |
| Flathead - A prize table fish
of the Platycephalidae family available in most Australian waters, different
species being found in different areas. Flathead is a wedge-shaped fish
and derives its name from its large flat head with its body narrowing down to
the tail. It is sold whole, in halves, or in fillets, lending itself to
almost every type of fish cookery. |
| Fleurons - Small pieces of
puff pastry usually cut into crescent shapes and baked in a hot oven.
They are normally used as garnish for fish dishes coated with sauce and
sometimes for meat dishes. |
| Flitch - A side of pork,
salted or cured. |
| Florentine - When this word
appears in the name of a dish, it indicates that spinach is used, either as a
garnish or an accompaniment. The name is also given to a thin biscuit
containing fruit and nuts and coated with chocolate. |
| Flounder - A fish of the same
family as brill, dab, sole and turbot. It is oval in shape and covered
with tiny scales. Also a salt water fish, it is often found in
fresh water. |
| Flour - The milled grain of
wheat and other cereals including rye, oatmeal and maize (corn).
However, as wheat flour is used so widely for making bread and cakes, the word
flour commonly refers to this. Seasoned flour is flour to which salt and
pepper has been added. Self-rising flour has some rising agent added. |
| Flummery - The name is now
applied to any starch jelly made from wheat, rice, sago or potatoes, cooked in
fruit juice, milk or cream. It is sometimes confused with Frumenty and
was originally made from husks of oats. |
| Foie Gras - The livers of
specially fattened geese. They grow to an enormous size and are made
into pâtés,
which are considered a great delicacy. The finest foie gras comes from
Strasbourg, Germany and Toulouse, France. |
| Foil - A sheet of paper-thin
aluminum invaluable in the kitchen for keeping food sealed from the air or
from direct heat. |
| Fold in -A method of combining
whisked mixtures with other ingredients so that they retain their lightness,
e.g. when flour is added to a whisked egg and sugar mixture for a sponge cake
it is "folded" in with a metal spoon using a "cutting" action. Sift a
little of the flour on top of the whisked mixture, draw the spoon across the
bottom of the bowl and fold in over the top, thus enclosing the dry flour.
This action is repeated until all the flour is incorporated. |
| Fondant - This is made by
boiling sugar and water to the soft ball stage (240o F). It
is then poured on to a flat surface e.g. a marble slab, and worked with a
spatula until it is firm and white. It can then be flavored and colored
as required. Fondant is used for sweets, as the centers for chocolates
or when diluted with syrup it is used for icing. |
| Fonds Blanc and Fonds Brun -
These mean white and brown stock. Fonds Blanc is made by simmering white
meat and bones (veal) gently in water with vegetables and herbs. Fonds
Brun is made by cooking beef and or veal bones and meat with bacon rinds,
vegetables and herbs in a little water until the water is reduced to almost
nothing. Then more water is added and left to simmer. |
| Fondue - A dish which
originated in Switzerland, consisting of cheese, generally Gruyere or
Emmenthal, melted in white wine, seasoned and flavored with kirsch. It
is generally made t the table and special dishes or casseroles can be bought
for it. |
| Fondue Bourguignonne -This is
cooked at the table as Fondue in a fondue dish in which oil is heated.
Cubes of tender fillet steak are speared on the end of a long fork and then
are dipped into the hot oil for a few minutes until they are cooked.
Small bowls of piquant sauces re arranged around the center and the meat
dipped, before being eaten. |
| Fool - A cold sweet consisting
of equal parts of sweetened fruit puree and partly whipped cream. |
| Frangipane - A pastry cream
flavored with almond, attributed to an Italian, Frangipani. Also a rich
cake mixture containing a proportion of ground almonds. |
| Frankfurter - A lightly smoked
German sausage made of finely minced pork. |
| French Dressing - A salad
dressing consisting of oil and wine vinegar or lemon juice, usually in the
proportion of three parts oil to one part vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar,
paprika and mustard may be added to taste, and the whole should be shaken well
until the mixture emulsifies. |
| Fricadelles - These are
meatballs, or rissoles made from raw or cooked meat. If raw meat is
used, it is minced and mixed with soaked bread, eggs and seasoning, then
shaped and fried and served with a piquant sauce. When cooked meat is
used, it is chopped and mixed with cooked potato and onion, egg and seasoning,
then shaped and fried. |
| Fricandeau - A long piece of
veal cut from the fillet. It is larded and braised. This is only
obtainable when the meat has been butchered in the French way. |
| Fricassée -
A white stew of veal or chicken. The meat is first "stiffened", i.e.
fried in butter without browning, and then cooked in white stock with
mushrooms and other vegetables. Finally it is thickened with egg yolks
and cream. |
| Fritters - Pieces of food
dipped in batter and deep fried. |
| Frumenty - An old English dish
made from creed or stewed wheat. To cree wheat, the whole grain is
soaked in cold water and then cooked slowly until tender. It is then
cooked with milk and spices, and sugar or fruit is added depending on what
region it is made in. |
| Frying - A quick method of
cooking small pieces of food. Steaks, chops and sausages require the
minimum amount of fat and this method is called dry frying. Fish, fish
cakes and rissoles are fried in shallow fat, which means there should be
sufficient fat to come about 1/4 to 1/2 inch up the pan. Food coated
with egg and breadcrumbs, flour or batter, and chip potatoes are fried in deep
fat, i.e. sufficient fat to cover the food completely. All fried foods
need to be well-drained before serving. |
| Fumet - A strong well-reduced
stock made from fish or game. |
| Galantine - This indicates a
dish made with chicken or breast of veal. The chicken or veal is boned
and stuffed, then rolled in a cloth and simmered in stock or braised until
tender. The roll is then pressed and glazed and served cold. The
term is now more loosely applied, and a galantine can be made with beef or
game. The mixture is sometimes cooked in a mold. |
| Galette - A symbolic cake
eaten the Twelfth Night in some regions of France. North of the Loire,
around Paris, it is a round cake made with flaky pastry. In the
south of France, it is made with a yeast dough. In both kinds a symbolic
bean is baked in the dough. |
| Gall - A bitter secretion in
the gall bladder which is attached to the liver in poultry and game.
When drawing poultry, great care must be taken to remove the gall bladder
without breaking it, as it would give a bitter flavor to the bird. |
| Game - Wild birds and animals
which are hunted and eaten are classified as Game. Amongst those more
commonly known are pheasant, partridge, grouse, hare, snipe, plover, wild
duck, woodcock and venison. |
| Game Chips - Potatoes that are
sliced wafer thin and fried in deep fat - potato chips. |
| Gammon - The hind leg of a
bacon pig, cut square off the side of bacon and not rounded like ham. It
is brine cured, and then may be smoked or left unsmoked (green). |
| Garbure - The name applies
especially to a thick vegetable puree of the Béarnaise region of France, but
is also used collectively for other similar soups. The common
characteristic is the slice of browned bread, covered with a savory mixture
which is served with the soup. |
| Garlic - A bulb of the onion
family with a very pungent flavor. It is composed of small divisions,
which when separated are called cloves. |
| Garlic Butter - Butter
flavored with chopped or pressed garlic, sometimes served with grilled meat. |
| Garnish or Garniture - The
trimmings or additions to a cooked dish to improve the appearance, flavor, or
both. The term generally is applied to savory dishes, sweet dishes are
"decorated". The garnish can be simply a sprig of parsley or watercress,
a single vegetable, croutons, or it can be a composite garnish made from a
number of ingredients. The name of the dish may indicate the garnish
(see Florentine). As a general rule the
garnish of any dish should be edible. |
| Gâteau -
A rich sponge cake mixture, filled with cream and iced. |
| Gaufre - Another name for
waffle. |
| Gazpacho - This is a Spanish
dish best described as a soup-salad. It is served ice cold and consists
mainly of tomatoes, cucumber, onion and green pepper. Traditionally it
is served with individual bowls of raw vegetables and croutons flavored with
garlic. |
| Gelatin - Used in the
preparation of sweet and savory jellies and creams. It is obtained from
animal tissue, bones, ligaments and other parts by prolonged boiling. It
can be bought in granulated form or in sheets called leaves. Also called
Isinglass. |
| Genoese -A whisked sponge
mixture of eggs and sugar to which a proportion of butter is added with the
flour. It forms the base of many iced cakes and petits fours. |
| Ghee - A clarified butter made
from buffalo milk, much used in Indian cookery. The consistency is
almost that of oil. |
| Gherkin - A very small,
prickly cucumber, cultivated especially for pickling. They are often
served with cocktails and are useful in garnishes for both meat and fish
dishes. |
| Gibelotte - A stew made with
rabbit, pickled pork and onions. |
| Giblets - The edible viscera
of poultry - neck, heart, liver, gizzard and also the feet and pinions.
They can be used for making stock and also as a base for soup. The
giblets of turkey and geese are often used in ragouts. All giblets should be
well washed and trimmed before use. The gizzard should be split on the
curved side and the inner bag containing grit removed. The feet should
be scalded and the outer skin removed, and the gall bladder carefully removed
from the liver. |
| Gigot - The French name for a
leg of lamb or mutton and the name used in Scotland for this joint. |
| Gin - A spirit distilled from
grain - barley, wheat, oats - and flavored with juniper berries. There
are two kinds of English gin, dry or London gin and Plymouth or sweetened gin. |
| Ginger - The rhizome or
underground stem of the ginger plant. It may be dried and sold as ground
ginger, or it can be bought whole when it is used mainly for pickles.
The fresh root ginger (green ginger) is obtainable at certain times of the
year. Crystallized ginger is used in cakes or as a sweetmeat, and when
preserved in syrup (stem ginger) it is used as a dessert. |
| Girdle or Griddle - A thick
round iron plate with a half loop handle over the top. It is used on the
top of a cooker for baking girdle scones, Scotch pancakes and soda bread. |
| Glacé -
1. This term is applied to a type of icing. 2. It refers to fruits
dipped in syrup which has been boiled to 325o (hard crack) |
| Glaze - A strong gravy or meat
stock, so reduced by boiling that the residue is a tacky syrup which will set
when cold. The warm glaze is brushed over meat dishes, galantines,
tongues and similar things to improve the appearance. For household use,
a good glaze can be made by adding a little gelatin to a good, clear brown
stock. A sweet glaze can be made with a sugar syrup or with jam or jelly
and is used for brushing over pastries, cakes and fruit flans. |
| Glucose - A sugar found in its
natural state in various fruits and particularly in grapes. Commercially
it is prepared by heating starch with acid. Powdered glucose is used
medicinally. It is quickly absorbed into the blood stream and produces
energy. Liquid glucose is used in confectionary as it does not
crystallize and when added to a sugar syrup, will prevent it from graining.
It is used in the manufacture of jams. |
| Gluten - A sticky albuminous
substance in wheat. When wheat flour is mixed with liquid to a dough,
this elastic, sticky protein substance is formed which can support starch, fat
and air and which also allows the dough to stretch during cooking. Flour
containing a high percentage of gluten i.e. strong flour, is suitable for
making bread and other yeast mixtures. |
| Glycerin - A sweet, colorless
liquid obtained from animal and vegetable fats and oils and used in the
commercial manufacture of cakes to keep them moist. A little glycerin
added to royal icing will keep it soft and easier to work with. |
| Gnocchi - Can be made with
polenta (corn meal), semolina, potatoes, or choux paste. The polenta or
semolina is mixed with milk and eggs, flavored with cheese, and formed into
small rounds, squares or rolls. Some are cooked by gentle simmering,
then drained and served with a sauce or with melted butter. Those made
with potato or choux paste are sprinkled with cheese and butter and browned in
the oven or under the broiler. |
| Gooseberries - A summer fruit
generally served cooked, though some varieties are eaten raw when quite ripe.
They are good for jam and jelly and gooseberry sauce is a popular
accompaniment to mackerel. |
| Goujons - The name applied to
small strips of sole or plaice which are coated with flour and fried in deep
fat. The fillets should have both skins removed and they are cut
diagonally into strips about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide. |
| Goulash - A stew, of Hungarian
origin, generally made with beef, although veal is sometimes used. It is
highly seasoned and contains paprika and a large proportion of onion. |
| Graham Flour - American name
for whole wheat flour, named after a 19th century dietician, Sylvester Graham.
He held that by sieving the flour after grinding, the most nutritious part of
the wheat was removed. |
| Graining - A term used in
sugar boiling. When heated above 250o the syrup will "grain"
or candy when stirred as when making fudge. To prevent this, or lessen
the possibility, a small quantity of glucose or cream of tartar is added. |
| Gratin Dish - |
