### A
**abaisser** roll out with a rolling pin
**aceto vinegar** (Italian), eg Balsamico
**achar** Indian pickle
**agrodolce** sweet and sour
**aiguillette** strips of meat or poultry
**aïoli** garlic mayonnaise from Provence
**ajo blanco** purée sauce of garlic and almonds(Spanish)
**al dente** cooked until firm and crunchy(pasta/vegetables)
**alloro** bay leaf (Italian)
**allumette** cut into matchstick shapes
**allumettes** matchstick shapes, e.g. baked puffpastry strips with a sweet or savoury filling or garnish
**amaretti** macaroons (Italian)
**amuse-bouche** small savoury snacks serve pre-horsd’oeuvres
**anchoide** Provencal paste-sauce of garlic, anchovyand olive oil
**anguille** eel
**antipasti** starters (Italian)
**arborio rice** short-fat-grained Italian rice usedfor risotto
**arroser** to baste
**arrosto** roast
**arugula** salad leaf similar to rocket
**aspic** clear jelly made from meat stock andgelatine
**assiette anglaise** platter of cooked meats
**assiette** platter
**au gratin** topped with breadcrumbs and grated cheeseand browned under the grill
**au jus** text
**au sec** until dry
**abaisser** roll out with a rolling pin
**anguille** eel
**arroser** to baste
### B
**babaganoush** aubergine purée (Middle Eastern mezedish)
**bain-marie** a hot-water bath for cooking at a slow,even heat
**baklava** Turkish and Greek sweet made from filopastry
**ballotine** meat, fish or poultry, boned, stuffed orrolled
**bard** to cover feathered game and poultry with astrip of pork fat
**basmati** aromatic long-grained rice
**baste** to spoon over liquid during cooking
**baton** stick-shaped
**bavarois** Bavarian cream – a sweet custardmade with eggs, cream and gelatine and served cold
**béarnaise** tarragon-flavoured butter emulsionsauce
**beaum** measure used for sugar boiling
**béchamel** roux-based white sauce
**beignets** deep-fried fritters or doughnuts
**belacan** South-east Asian fermented shrimp paste
**bercy** a white wine-based sauce for fish
**beurre blanc** light emulsion sauce of white wine,vinegar, shallots and butter
**beurre noisette** butter cooked until light brown
**bhaji** vegetable fried in batter (Indian)
**biryani** oven-baked rice with meats
**bisque** thickened shellfish puree soup, usually withtomato and cognac
**blanc** flour mixed with water for simmeringvegetables such as salsify
**blanch** to cook food briefly in boiling water
**blanquette** white stew of lamb, veal or white fishthickened with egg yolks and cream
**blini** leavened buckwheat flour pancake
**bollito misto** mixture of boiled meats
**bonito** flaked dried tuna used to make Japanesebroths
**bonne femme** mushroom garnish for fish, with onionsand bacon for chicken
**bonne-bouche** small savoury bite often in avol-au-vent case
**borlotti** dry speckled haricot bean
**bouchées** small sweet or savoury puff pastrybites
**boudin** black pudding
**bouillabaisse** fish stew from Marseilles
**bouillon** unclarified meat or vegetable stock
**bouquet garni** bundle of herbs such as parsley,thyme, bay leaf, used to flavour stews and casseroles
**bourride** a garlic fish stew from Provence
**brandade** purée of cod, olive oil, shallots andgarlic
**brasato** braised beef
**bresaola** cured fillet of beef
**brik** thin sheets of filo-like pastry
**brioche** rich yeast bread enriched with butter andeggs
**brochette** wooden or bamboo skewer
**brodo** stock (Italian)
**broyer** to crush or grind finely
**brunoise** finely diced mixed vegetables used as abase for soups and sauces or garnish
**bruschetta** grilled bread
**bulgur** part-cooked cracked wheat
### C
**calamari** squid
**canapé** small piece of food served hot or cold as anappetiser
**cannellini beans** white kidney beans
**cannoli** Sicilian pastry tubes filled with ricottacheese, chocolate and candied peel
**capsicum** bell pepper
**caramelise** to slowly brown sugar or foods such asonions and carrots over heat
**carbonara** spaghetti sauce of egg, bacon andparmesan
**carbonnade** beef braised in beer
**carciofo** globe artichoke
**carpaccio** originally thin slices of raw red meat,now also applied to fish
**chantilly** whipped cream with sugar and vanilla
**charcuterie** cooked and cured pork products, iehams, bacon, pâtés
**chard** spinach-like leaves with thick, white edibleribs
**charlotte** moulded dessert of pastry cream, custard,mousse or puréed fruit
**charsiu** Chinese glazed pork fillet
**chartreuse** herb-flavoured, brandy-based liqueur
**chartreuse, en** feathered game served withcabbage
**chemiser** to line a mould
**chermoula** Moroccan fish marinade
**chervil** green-leafed herb with a hint of aniseedflavour
**chèvre** (fromage de ~) goat’s milk cheese
**chiffonade of leaf vegetables:** cut into fineshreds
**chine** backbone of beef, lamb, pork or venison withmeat attached
**Chingkiang** vinegar dark vinegar similar to balsamic(Chinese)
**chinois conical** strainer
**chioca** yams
**choisum** Chinese greens with yellow flowers
**chorizo** spicy sausage of pork meat and fatflavoured with garlic and spices/paprika
**choucroute** sauerkraut
**choux** pastry for sweet fillings
**chowder** seafood stew-like soup
**cilantro** coriander
**civet** game stew
**clafouti** baked batter tart, usually withcherries
**clarified** removal of impurities from butter, stockor jelly
**cloud ears** dried Chinese mushroom
**cocotte** lidded earthenware cooking pot forslow-cooking meat
**compote** fruit poached in syrup
**concassé** roughly chopped
**confit** preserved meat (goose, duck, pork) cookedslowly and preserved in its own fat
**consommé** clear, concentrated meat, fish or poultrystock
**coque, à la** cooked in its shell, eg eggs
**coquilles Saint-Jacques** scallops
**coral** roe or eggs of some shellfish
**cotechino** pork sausage
**coulis** purée of fruit or vegetables
**court bouillon** seasoned poaching liquid, usuallyfor fish
**couverture** confectioner’s chocolate high in cocoabutter, used for coating and ornamental work
**crème anglaise** custard sauce
**crème pâtissière** custard or pastry cream, thickenedwith flour or starch
**crêpe** thin pancake with sweet or savouryfilling
**crépine** pork caul
**crevettes** shrimp
**cromesquis** croquette
**cross-contamination** transfer of bacteria to foodfrom another food, equipment or work surface
**crostini** bread canapés
**croustade** edible casing of puff pastry orhollowed-out bread containing savoury foods, eg stew
**croûte** bread or pastry crust
### D
**dacquoise** layers of meringue withwhipped cream or buttercream and fresh berries
**daikon** large white radish
**dariole** small cylindrical mould and sweet orsavoury items baked in it
**dashi** Japanese stock made from bonito flakes andkonbu seaweed (dulse)
**dauphinoise** sliced potatoes baked in cream,seasoned with nutmeg and garlic
**deglaze** dissolve caramelised sediment in a roastingpan by adding wine or stock
**dégorger** to soak fish or sometimes vegetables toremove impurities
**délice** used to describe delicate pieces of sweetand savoury foods
**demi-tasse** half-cup (espresso coffee cup)
**dépouiller** to remove skin or scum formed on top ofliquid
**dhal** split peas or pulses cooked to a grueltexture
**dim sum** small Chinese snacks
**donburi** Japanese dish of a bowl of rice topped withleftovers
**dubarry** garnished with or containingcauliflower
**dum** Indian steaming method especially for pilau
**duxelles** finely chopped mushrooms and shallots,sweated in butter and used as a stuffing, flavouring or garnish
### E
**elver** young eel
**emulsion** mixture of mutually insoluble liquids inwhich one is suspended in another
**en cocotte** cooked in a small round dish (used forpot-roasting)
**en daube** originally applied to meats cooked in aProvencal stewing pot (daubière) now applied to meat stews
**en papillotte** fish or meat baked in parchmentpaper
**endive** plant used raw in salad or braised as avegetable
**entrée** savoury dish served as a main course
**escalope** thin slice of meat or fish
### F
**falafel** dried broad bean rissoles
**faraona** guinea fowl (Italian)
**farce** stuffing or forcemeat
**fenugreek** plant of which the seeds are ground andused as a spice in curries and chutneys
**feuillantine** puff pastry strips brushed with egg,sprinkled with sugar and baked
**feuilletage** puff pastry
**fèves** broad beans
**flageolet** small, pale-green kidney bean
**flambé** foods served or prepared by pouring overalcohol and igniting
**focaccia** flat, round, flavoured Italian bread
**foie gras** enlarged liver of force-fed duck orgoose
**forestière** garnished with mushrooms
**fricassée** white meat or poultry casserole
**frittata** flat, unfolded omelette
**fruits de mer** assorted seafood, usuallyshellfish
**fumée** smoked
**funghi** wild mushrooms (Italian)
**fusil** sharpening steel
### G
**gailan** spring greens (Chinese)
**galangal** root from the ginger family, used in Thaicuisine
**galette** flat, round, sweet or savoury cake orbiscuit
**ganache** cake topping or filling made fromcouverture (qv) and cream
**gastrique** caramelised sugar and vinegar mixtureused to flavour sauces
**gazpacho** cold thick broth of tomatoes, garlic,onion etc
**gelato** ice cream (Italian)
**ghee** clarified butter
**girolles** similar to chanterelles (qv) but usuallypicked smaller
**glacé** iced or glazed
**gnocchi** small Italian dumplings cooked in boilingwater and served with sauce
**gosht** meat (Indian)
**gougère** ring of choux pastry with savoury filling,often cheese
**goulash** meat stew with paprika
**grana** grating cheese
**gratin** sweet or savoury dish that is browned undera grill
**gravadlax** same as gravlax
**gravlax** raw salmon cured in sugar, salt, pepper anddill
**gremolata** mixture of parsley, garlic and lemonzest, used to garnish osso bucco
**griottines** morello cherries, usually preserved inalcohol
**gurnard** small, round sea fish
### H
**HACCP** Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, afood safety self inspection system
**halloumi** goats’ milk cheese
**harissa** medium-hot chilli paste used in Moroccancooking
**harusame** transparent, rice-flour noodles
**hoisin** sauce made from soy, flour, vinegar, garlic,sesame, salt and pepper
**homard** lobster
**homardine** white wine sauce finished with lobsterbutter and garnished with diced lobster
### I
**infuse** to soak ingredient, eg herbs’ in liquid toimpart flavour
**insalata** salad
### J
**jaggery** unrefined sugar
**jalousie** baked pastry tart topped with latticedpastry strips
**jambonette** ham and pork sausage-like dish
**jambonneau** small leg – applied to poultry
**joue** beef or pork cheek
**julienne** food, particularly vegetables, cut intothin strips
**jus** juice extracted from roasted meats
### K
**kebab** skewered meat
**ketjap** manis thick, sweetened soy sauce
**khao niao** Thai glutinous rice
**khoresh** meat stew with fruit and nuts
**khoshaf** macerated dried fruit salad containingapricots, raisins and almonds
**konafa** Turkish pastry which resembles shreddedwheat
**korma** north Indian spiced meat stew
**kulebyaka** Russian salmon and rice pie
**kulfi** Indian ice cream made from reduced milk
**kway teow** Malaysian flat noodles
### L
**laifen** Chinese tubular noodles
**laksa** Malay soup with noodles and seafood
**lardons** strips of streaky bacon
**levin** starter dough made from live yeast andflour
**linguine** thin, flat pasta noodle
**lyonnaise sauce** sauce of chopped onions sautéd inbutter with white wine and vinegar
### M
**mace** outer covering of nutmeg
**macerate** to soften fruit by soaking in liquid
**magret** boneless breast of the moulard duck
**mancha** powdered green tea
**mandolin** manual vegetable slicer
**mantecato** the action of beating butter and Parmesaninto risotto
**marbling** fat deposited within muscle tissue
**marinade** seasoned liquid for flavouring andtenderising raw meat, game, poultry and fish
**marinate** to put meat, fish etc in a marinade(qv)
**marmite** stockpot
**marquis**e usually a ganache (qv) – based chocolatedessert
**Marsala** fortified wine from Sicily
**masala** Indian spice mix, eg garam masala
**matelote** French freshwater fish stew made with redor white wine
**medallion** small round cut of meat
**membrillo** quince paste
**mesquite** tree from America, the wood of which isused for barbecuing
**meunière, à la** lightly floured food cooked inbutter and served with butter and lemon
**mignonette** coarsely crushed peppercorns
**millefeuille** layers of puff pastry alternated withsweet or savoury fillings
**millet** a grain native to Africa and Asia
**mirepoix** diced vegetables (usually carrot, onion,celery) and often ham or bacon, used to flavour sauces, stocks andsoups
**mirin** sweet Japanese rice wine
**mise en place** preparation of food or small items ofequipment
**miso** fermented soya bean paste
**mitsuba** Japanese green leaf used as a herb
**mizuna** peppery-flavoured salad leaf
**moelle** beef marrow
**monté** to enrich by incorporating butter, egg yolks,cream
**mousseline** a light fish or meat mousse
**murgh** chicken (Indian)
**mushimono** steaming (Japanese)
### N
**nage, à la** cooked in a court bouillon
**nam pla** Thai fish sauce
**nam prik** Thai chilli sauce
**Nantua** crayfish sauce
**napper** to lightly coat in sauce
**navarin** lamb or mutton stew with onions andpotatoes
**nimono** simmering technique (Japanese)
**noisette** small cut of meat from the rib, usuallylamb
**nori** thin, black seaweed sheets used for wrappingsushi
### O
**offal** organs or trimmings of meat including brains,heart, liver, kidneys, sweetbread, tail, tongue and tripe
**OO** grade of pasta flour
**ossobuco** chopped veal knuckle braised with onions,garlic, carrot, celery and tomato
**oyster sauce** brown sauce used in Chinesecuisine
### P
**pak choi** Chinese white cabbage
**pakora** deep-dried vegetable fritter (Indian)
**pancetta** streaky bacon
**paneer** fresh milk curds used in Indian cookery
**paner** to coat with egg and breadcrumbs
**panna cotta** cooked-cream Italian dessert similar tobavarois (qv)
**papillote** paper wrapping to contain aroma andflavour when cooking meat or fish
**pappardelle** long-flat egg noodles with a crimpededge
**parboil** partially cook in boiling liquid
**parfait** enriched ice-cream made from a sugar, eggyolk and double cream base
**passato** puréed and sieved or strained
**pastilla (bastilla)** traditional Moroccan dish ofpigeon pie in egg, lemon and onion sauce sweetened with almonds inpastry layers covered…
**paupiette** thin slice of meat or fish wrapping asavoury stuffing
**pavé** square sponge cake layered with butter-cream;mousse or pâté prepared in a square mould
**pavlova** meringue and cornflour dessert topped withwhipped cream and fruit
**pecorino** ewes’ milk cheese
**peperonata** pepper and vegetable stew
**persillade** chopped parsley spiked with crushedgarlic
**piatto** plate or dish (Italian)
**piccata** escalope
**pieds de mouton** sheeps’ trotters; a wildmushroom
**pilaf** Turkish dish of long grain-rice simmered inflavoured liquid of Indian pilau
**pimento** large, sweet red pepper
**pimenton** Spanish paprika
**pirozhki** small savoury pastries
**plancha, à la** grilled on a griddle
**polenta** maize flour
**pont-neuf** puff pastry filled with frangipane creamand macaroons
**pot-au-feu** French dish of meat and vegetablescooked in stock – the broth is eaten first followed by the meatand vegetables as a…
**poussin** young chicken
**praline** almonds caramelised in sugar, crushed andadded to confections
**provençal** sauce of tomatoes, onions and garlicsautéd in olive oil
### Q
**quenelle** light dumplings formed into smallovals
### R
**râble** saddle, usually hare
**ragoût** thick, rich stew
**ragu** meat sauce for pasta
**raita** yogurt-based side dish (Indian)
**rapini** member of the broccoli family with bitterassertive flavour
**ras-el-hanout** Moroccan spice mix for tagines
**ratatouille** Provencal vegetable stew of dicedaubergine, tomato, courgettes, green peppers, onions and garlic cookedin olive oil
**ravioli** small, filled pasta squares
**réchauffée** reheated dish made with previouslycooked ingredients
**reduce** decrease quantity by simmering toconcentrate flavours
**rémoulade** sauce of mayonnaise combined withmustard, gherkins, parsley, capers, chervil and tarragon
**rillettes** shredded pork cooked in its own fat,mixed until smooth and potted
**ripieno** stuffing (Italian)
**romesco** Catalonian sauce of tomato, almond, sherry,garlic and paprika
**rosti** grated and fried potatoes
**roulade** rolled slice of meat with savoury stuffing;rolled and filled sponge cake
**roux** mix of flour and butter cooked together slowlyand used to thicken soups and sauces
### S
**sabayon** egg yolks and wine whisked over simmeringwater until thick and frothy
**sablé** French shortbread
**sachertorte** rich chocolate cake, coated in ganachewith apricot jam
**salé** salted, pickled (French)
**salmis** dark game ragoût
**salsa** Italian and Spanish for sauce
**salsify** root vegetable with oyster-like flavour
**samosa** deep-fried meat or vegetable patty
**sansho** prickly ash powder sprinkled on grilledmeat
**sashimi** sliced raw fish
**sauce** gribiche sauce of mayonnaise, capers,gherkins, herbs and hard-boiled egg whites
**sauté** to cook quickly in hot fat or oil
**savarin** yeast cake baked in a ring mould, soaked inrum and served with crème pâtissière and fruit
**scampi** Italian for Norway lobster, aka langoustine,aka Dublin Bay prawn
**score** to make parallel cuts on surface of food
**sepia** cuttlefish
**sfoglia** hand-made pasta
**shaoxing** amber-coloured rice wine
**shiitake** dark-brown Japanese mushroom with anearthy flavour
**short (of pastry)** having a high fat content
**Sichuan peppercorns** fragrant Chinese seasoning froma plant unrelated to pepper
**skorthalia** Greek garlic sauce
**slake** mix flour into thin paste with a smallquantity of water
**soba** buckwheat noodle
**soffritto** a sauce/stew base of fried dicedvegetables and sometimes pancetta
**sorbet** water ice, usually fruit, but can be wine,chocolate, etc
**soufflé** sweet or savoury baked pudding made withwhipped egg whites
**spatchcock** small whole birds split down thebackbone and flattened for grilling
**star anise** star-shaped, aniseed-flavoured seed
**stockfish** dried salt cod
**sumac** Middle-Eastern spice related to the cashewnut
**supreme** fillet taken from poultry or feathered gamebreast
**sushi** Japanese vinegared rice
### T
**tabbouleh** salad of bulgur wheat mixed withtomatoes, onion, lemon juice, mint and parsley
**tagliolini** thin Italian noodles
**tahina** crushed sesame-seed paste
**tamarind** spice from fruit of native Indian tree
**tamis** sieve
**tandoor** Indian clay oven
**tapenade** paste of capers, black olives, anchovies,garlic and often tuna
**tarka** Indian method of tempering spices in hotoil
**tarte tatin** French apple tart baked upside-down
**tartufo** truffle (Italian)
**tempura** seafood and vegetables dipped in batter anddeep-fried
**teriyaki** meat or fish marinated in mirin andsoy
**terrine** mixture of meat, fish or vegetables andseasonings in a lined dish
**tian** shallow gratin of chopped vegetables
**tikka** marinated pieces of meat or fish (Indian)
**timbale** food such as rice or vegetables pressedinto a single-portion mould
**tofu** soya-bean curd
**torte** German for round cake or flan
**tostada** Spanish for toast
**tournedos** round cut of beef fillet
**tranche** slice
**trenette** long, flat pasta; another name forlinguine
**trevisse (treviso)** red chicory
**trifolato** a method for sautéing vegetables in oil,garlic and parsley
**truffe** truffle
**truffle** Edible body of an underground fungus. Maybe used to flavour sauces etc, eaten raw in salads or used as agarnish
**tuile** crisp biscuit, traditionally with almond
### U
**udon** white Japanese wheat noodles
**univalve** mollusc with a shell consisting of onevalve, eg. snails, clams
### V
**vacherin** basket made of meringue rings filled withcream
**velouté** French sauce made withwhite stock and thickened with roux
**verjuice** sour grape or crab applejuice used in place of vinegar
**vermicelli** thin pasta noodles oftenused in soups
**viennoiserie** yeast dough bakeryproducts
**vierge** whipped butter seasoned withsalt, pepper and lemon juice and served withvegetables
### W
**wakame** Japanese seaweed
**wasabi** Japanese horseradish, greenpaste or powder used as a condiment
**won ton** wrappers of Chinese noodlepaste similar to ravioli
### Y
**yuzu** kind of Japanese citrusfruit
### Z
**zahtar** Lebanese seasoning of thyme,salt and sometimessumac