Chapter 2 assembled 20jy02; all here 21jy02
13-14 pp17-23
Au gratin. A food is prepared au gratin when it is covered with sauce then sprinkled with breadcrumbs and dotted with fat, after which it is browned in the oven or under the grill. It is served in the cooking dish and may have cheese mixed with either the sauce or the crumbs.
Baking. Any food cooked in the oven may be 'baked', but the term is most generally used for cakes, meat, fish, and vegetables, cooked in the oven without liquid or with a little fat.
When learning how to use a new oven it is always advisable to follow the instructions provided by the maker. With most ovens, best results are obtained if only foods requiring about the same temperature are cooked together. Dishes should not be crowded too close to one another or the circulation of hot air will be stopped and baking will be uneven. Most ovens need to have a space of 2-3 in. [50-75mm] left between the oven walls and the dishes or trays of food.
Basting means to keep the surface of food moist by spooning liquid or melted fat over it at frequent intervals.
Beating is vigorous mixing with a wooden spoon or an egg whisk to make a mixture smooth and beat air into it.
Blanching. One method of blanching is to dip the food in boiling water for a minute and then into cold water. This method is used to remove the skins from fruit, tomatoes, nuts etc. A second method is used for preparing offal for cooking. The food is put in cold water to cover, brought to the boil, drained, and again put in cold water to cover. In some cases the food is cooked a little before draining.
Blending is used to describe the thorough mixing of ingredients especially mixing flour or starch to a paste with cold liquid. Add liquid gradually, as too much at the beginning causes lumps which are difficult to remove.
Boiling. This means cooking food in boiling liquid, but many foods are called `boiled' when they are actually cooked below boiling point- that is, `simmered' or `poached'. When boiling, use only sufficient heat to keep the liquid bubbling gently. Violent boiling wastes fuel and spoils the appearance of the food. It is used only when a liquid is to be `reduced' or made thicker by evaporation of water, which takes place more quickly with rapid boiling.
Bouquet garni. This is usually made up of a small sprig of thyme, a small bay leaf and two sprigs of parsley, tied together with thread; or their equivalent in dried herbs tied in muslin. It is used for flavouring soups, stock, stews and other savoury dishes.
Braising. See Nos. 359-364
Breadcrumbs. See #772
Brush with egg or milk. A pastry brush is used to cover the surface of foods such as scones or pastry with a coating. of egg or milk before baking. This improves their appearance. See also `Glaze'.
Casserole. Any heat-resisting baking-dish with a lid may be called a casserole. It is used for cooking all sorts of food in the oven, and the food is usually served in the casserole.
Cereals. See #548.
Coat. To cover with a thin layer.
Consistency. This is the term used to describe the thickness of a mixture, as with cake and batters; see #657.
Creaming. this means to beat until the mixture is of the consistency of cream. 'Creamed' fat and sugar are beaten until they look like whipped cream. 'Creamed' fat is softened and made smooth by beating.
Croutons. These are small cubes or square of toasted or fried bread used for garnishing savoury dishes.
Cut and fold. This method. is used for combining two mixtures without beating. One mixture is folded over the other by turning gently with a spoon. The cutting is done by occasionally passing the spoon through the centre of the mixture. These actions are repeated gently until the ingredients are well mixed.
Dice are small cubes. The easiest way of dicing food is to cut it in thin strips and then cut the strips across to make the dice.
Dissolve. Some foods, such as sugar or salt, `dissolve' when mixed with a liquid.
Dot means to cover with small pieces, generally fat.
Dredge means to sprinkle lightly. Special containers or `dredges' with perforated tops are used for flour or sugar; but a tin the lid of which has been pierced with holes will do.
Dripping. Fat from cooked meat, or that rendered down from raw fat, is called dripping. See Nos. 145-7.
Dry Ingredients include flour sugar, salt, spices, and so on, but not fat, liquid, syrup, jam, etc.
Fillet. When fish is boned, the pieces are called `fillets', see #227. With meat the word refers to a special cut, without bone, which is used for frying or grilling, see #306.
Garnish. Trimming or decoration.
Glaze. A food is glazed when it is brushed with liquid to give a shiny surface. Egg and milk glazes are brushed on before cooking; sugar and water is put on 10-15 minutes before cooking is finished. See #598. For meat glaze, see #649.
Grate. Food is grated when it is shaved into small shreds on a grater. There are many different graters, but for general purposes the kinds required are: fine for nutmegs & onion juice; medium for lemon or orange rind and breadcrumbs; coarse for vegetables & suet.
Grill. Grilled food is cooked by direct red heat. A grill is also useful for browning the tops of savoury dishes and for making toast. For details of grilling consult the index.
Knead. To pummel or work a dough lightly with the knuckles to give a smooth texture
Marinade. A mixture of vinegar, oil, and seasoning in which meat is sometimes soaked before cooking. See #335.
Mixing. Combining ingredients by continuous stirring
Poaching. Cooking in liquid below boiling point.
Pulses. Peas, beans, lentils, and split peas.
Puree: A fine pulp obtained by rubbing cooked food through a sieve, or by pulping in an electric liquidiser.
Scald. This may mean to heat a liquid to just under boiling point as with milk, see #163, or to pour on boiling water.
Sear. To brown or form a coating on the surface of meat by using a fierce heat for a short time.
Seasoned Flour. Flour mixed with salt and pepper, & used for dusting meat & fish before cooking. Mix 1 level Tbs. Salt, ¾ level tsp. Pepper, & 4 oz [110g] flour. Keep in a dredger ready for use.
Seasoning, Generally salt or pepper, but may include other flavourings.
Simmer Cook below boiling point, about 185°F [85°C]. Only an occasional bubble or agitation appears on the surface of the liquid.
Skewer. A metal or wooden pin used for fastening food together as in trussing poultry.
Tepid. Just warm to the finger. A mixture of two parts of cold water and one part of boiling water gives about the right heat, 80°F [27°C].
Whip. The same as beating, but generally used for cream & eggs.
Anglaise or a l'Anglaise means to cook plainly in water or to coat in egg and breadcrumbs before frying.
Au beurre noir means with Brown butter sauce, #109
Au fromage means with cheese
Au gratin: see 13 above
Bain Marie is a container of hot water in which other utensils are stood to keep hot, e.g. sauces.
Beignets are fritters.
Blanquette is a stew of white meat which starts with a roux sauce, and then the meat and vegetables are cooked in it. Cream or egg is added to the sauce before serving.
Bouquet garni: See 13 above
Brochettes are small pieces of meat threaded on skewers and grilled, similar to Lamb Shashlik, see #337
Civet De Liévre is similar to Jugged hare, see #327
Colbert or a la colbert means served with a sauce similar to Parsley Butter, #122
Compote, or en compote means stewed, generally fruit, See #528.
Condé, or a la condé means served with sweet rice cooked in milk, see #579
Consommé is a clear meat stock.
Cotelette is a cutlet or chop.
Court-bouillon is a mixture of water, vegetables, seasoning, and wine or vinegar used for boiling fish, see #228.
Creme de menthe is peppermint flavouring, see #637
Cuite au beurre means cooked with butter.
Doré is a special method of cooking fish, see #251
Escalope is a very thin slice of meat, most often a slice of veal from the top of the leg; see #347
Florentine, or á la Florentine means cooked or served with spinach.
Fricassee is like a Blanquette, but the meat is fried before putting it in the sauce to cook. In English cooking the word is often used for a dish in which cooked meat is reheated in a sauce and then served with bacon rolls, see #381
Frit is fried, generally in deep fat.
Hachi means minced.
Jardiniére means a garnish of several different kinds of cooked vegetables, arranged in separate heaps, see number 370
Lyonnaise means cooked with onions, see #418
Macédoine is a mixture of fruit or vegetables, see #391
Marinade. See 13 above
Meuniére or a la meuniére is very special way of cooking fish, see numbers 251 and and 912
Mirepoix is a mixture of chopped vegetables with ham or bacon and herbs, used for flavouring meat and poultry during cooking.
Mornay is with a Cheese sauce, see #195
Parmentier means cooked with potatoes as part of the dish.
Portugaise or á la Portugaise means cooked or served with tomatoes
Pot a feu is boiled beef with vegetables. The stock is used for soup.
Purée or en Purée means rubbed through a sieve to make a pulp.
Ragout is similar to a stew, but the liquid is first made into a sauce by the roux method, and the other ingredients are then added and cooked in the sauce.
Robe de chambre or en Robe de chambre means in the skin or without peeling.
Roti means roasted.
Roux is a mixture of melted fat and flour which forms the basis of most sauces; see #69
Sauté means fried in shallow fat, see #156.
Tournedos is a special piece of steak for frying or grilling, see #334.
Vinaigrette is a mixture of oil, vinegar and seasonings, see #117
Vol au vent is a puff pastry case, see #719.