Basic cooking terms?

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Every profession, hobe and interest has its terms and cooking is no exception. Some cooks rarely consult a recipe, while others live and die by them. There are cooking terms, however, that are commonly seen in recipes, but may not be explained. So here are some cooking terms that deserve explanation.

Blanching: Partially cook the vegetables in boiling water. This can be used to soften the skins of vegetables for easier removal or to prepare vegetables for canning or preserving.

Bouquet garni: A French cooking method of binding whole herbs in a piece of cheesecloth, securing it with a cotton string, and using it to flavor soups, sauces, and other dishes.

Braising: Cook slowly in a covered pan, with a small amount of liquid – can be used for meat or vegetables.

Caramelize: Cook until the sugar in the food has browned, such as with onions or garlic. This process brings out the sweetness of the food and adds color.

Custard: A method used in baking, in which sugar and butter are combined in small quantities, mixing thoroughly between additions. This method incorporates air into the sugar/butter mixture and produces a tender baked product.

Deglaze: Pour water or wine into a hot pan where the meat was cooked. The process loosens the browned crumbs in the pan and can provide a base for gravy or sauce.

Dredging: for coating meat or vegetables in a dry mixture, such as flour or breadcrumbs, before cooking.

Flambé: To ignite spirits heated in a pan of food, often a dessert, for effect, and to caramelize the dish.

Crease: For gently incorporating ingredients together, usually with a scraper or spoon. Often used to mix whipped cream with other ingredients.

Parboil: partially cook vegetables in boiling water, to be finished with another cooking method.

Poaching: Simmering a food item in liquid just below boiling point – usually eggs.

Rotation of the boil: when a liquid boils, and cannot be stirred below the boiling point.

Roux: A mixture of flour and oil, cooked together until the flour is browned. Used as a base for Cajun / Creole dishes such as gumbo, jambalaya and etouffé.

Sauté: Quickly cook vegetables or meat on the stove over high heat. This method uses only a small amount of fat.

Scalding: for heating milk or cream to just below boiling point. The milk is scalded when steam rises from it.

Sear: Browning the meat all over to create a crust, to be finished off with another cooking method.

Soft/hard peaks: When beating egg whites, a soft peak is reached when the beaters are pulled out of the whites and the peaks they form fall off. The hard tops don’t sag, but keep their shape.

Sweat: Slow cook the vegetables in a covered skillet until soft, but still hold their shape. This is often done with onions or garlic.

Temper: To gently warm a food item, often before adding it to a hotter substance. An example is adding a teaspoon of hot sauce to beaten eggs. The mixture is mixed and then added to the sauce. This prevents the eggs from curdling. The method is also used in the production of chocolate candies.

Candy making has a whole set of cooking terms not used in baking. For example, soft/hard ball phase refers to the temperature of a candy mixture. If the cook takes a small amount of candy and drops it in cold water, it will form a soft or hard ball.

Soft or hard crack refers to when the cook drops a scoop of the compound into cold water and it forms pliable or stiff strands, rather than a ball. Spinning a drizzle means the sugar syrup mixture will form a drizzle when the cook scoops the spoon out of the candy. While these terms are useful, it is always recommended for a cook to use a good candy thermometer to make sure the desired temperature is reached, but not exceeded.

The internet is always a good source of information for basic cooking terms. A quick search on most search engines will bring up definitions for both common and obscure cooking terms. A cook should always seek out unfamiliar cooking information for information, but also to discover other cooking methods.

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