Glossary Of Basic Cooking Terms

English - (O - Z)

Glossary of cooking terms page 3 - (O - Z)
for Italian Traditional Food

Here is page 3 of the glossary of basic cooking terms to help you find your way around the mysteries of cooking. For your convenience the glossary of basic cooking terms has been listed alphabetically. By understanding some of the glossary of basic cooking terms you will be able to better follow individual recipes.

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Glossary of English basic cooking terms - (O - Z)

P

Parboil: To boil until half-cooked, as with potatoes, before roasting.

Pasta: Paste of flour and water cut into different shapes.

Pastry: Basic mixture of flour, fat and water, with additions of butter, milk, sugar, egg yolk, cream to produce different types, eg. shortcrust, flaky, puff, choux, croute (pie/bread crust).

Pate: Cooked meat/game/fish mixture, well-seasoned, minced or pounded and served cold.

Patisserie: Pastry, small cake, gateau.

Pectin: Substance contained in some fruits and vegetables which acts as a setting agent for jams and jellies.

Pickle: Brine used in preserving/salting meats. Also vegetables preserved in spiced vinegar.

Pith: White part of citrus fruits between rind and flesh.

Poach: To cook gently in trembling (not boiling) liquid.

Preserve: To cure, smoke, can, freeze meats/fish/vegetables. Also fruits preserved with sugar to form jam or conserve.

Puree: Fruit/vegetables/meat, usually pre-cooked, sieved/blended to a thick cream. 

R 

Ragout: Brown stew cooked slowly without thickening unless it is an Irish (white) stew when potatoes are added.

Rare: Underdone, "pink" when applied to roast or grilled meat.

Reduce: To boil down sauce or any liquid to concentrate flavour and thicken the consistency.

Refresh: To pour cold water over previously blanched and drained food.

Roast: To cook by direct heat, eg. well basted with fat over an open flame, gas or electric spit.

Roux: Fat and flour liaison (mixture). This is the basis of all flour sauces.

Rust: Underside of ham or bacon rasher, on the side opposite the rind.

S

Saignant: Extremely underdone so that the blood runs out when meat is cut.

Saute: To brown food in butter or oil and butter.

Savoury: Small, piquant dish, traditionally served as last course (to clean palate after sweet course in preparation for port).

Scald: To plunge into boiling water for easy peeling. Also to heat a liquid, eg. milk, to just under boiling point.

Sear: To seal in valuable juices of foods, usually meat, by frying (browning) over fierce heat for a short time.

Seasoning: Salt and pepper, also other flavourings.

Shortening: Fat, which when worked into flour gives a "short" crisp quality to pastry/cakes.

Simmer: To cook in liquid at 195F (91C) or just below boiling point so that bubbles occasionally break surface.

Skim: To remove impurities(eg. fat or scum) from surfaces of sauces/soups/stocks. This is done when liquid has been gradually brought to the boil.

Slake: To mix arrowroot/cornflour with a little cold water before adding to a liquid for thickening.

Souse: To cover food in wine vinegar and/or wine, and spices. Cook slowly and allow food to cool in the same liquid.

Steam: To cook steadily in closed container over half-filled pan of steadily boiling water.

Stew: To cook meat/vegetables/fish slowly in liquid in covered pan.

Stock: Liquid or jelly made by simmering meat/bones/vegetables/fish for several hours. Used for making gravy,sauce/soup.

Sweat: To draw out flavour by cooking diced or sliced vegetables gently in a little melted butter in covered pan until softened.

Syrup: Sugar and water boiled together to specified temperature. Used for stewing fruit. Also liquid derived from sugar cane: treacle or golden syrup.

T

Tenderise: To break down tough fibres in meat by heating or marinating.

Tisane: Herb/camomile tea which is made by steeping fresh or dried herbs/flowers in hot water to extract flavours.

Truss: To secure legs/wings of poultry/game neatly with string/skeweres to facilitate carving.

V

Vol-au-vent: Case of puff pastry filled with small pieces of cooked meat/poultry/shellfish in a thick sauce.

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