Test your knowledge Culinary terms

Mise en place Basic preparation in the kitchen before service starts, e.g., chopping onions, peeling carrots, weighing ingredients etc

Egg wash Beaten egg, sometimes with a little milk or water. Used to glaze foods, before cooking, e.g., glazing pasties and sausage rolls before baking.

Baking blind To cook pastry without any filling. Usually the pastry shell is lined with paper and baking beans. Once the pastry is cooked, the filling is added, e.g., the pastry base for a quiche.

Dice To cut foods, often vegetables, into neat squares, e.g., onions, carrots etc.

Sauté To toss foods in hot fat, usually to quickly fry foods in a frying pan, e.g., sauté potatoes

En croute To wrap foods in pastry, e.g., sausage rolls, beef Wellington

Garnish A trimming added to a savoury dish, to improve the presentation, e.g., a tomato crown with cold meats. Creamy cannellini bean soup with crispy bacon garnish. Delicious short ribs with a stunning garnish of pickled lotus root chips.

Decorate Trimming added to a sweet dish, to improve the presentation, e.g., a strawberry slice on top of a cupcake

Al dente An Italian term used to describe the degree of cooking for vegetables or pasta, meaning “just done”. It means to the bite, or literally means to the tooth

A la carte Dishes from a menu that are prepared to order and priced individually

Au gratin To cover with breadcrumbs and / or grated cheese and to grill until brown, e.g., macaroni cheese

Coulis A sauce that is thickened by its main ingredient (vegetable or fruit) and served as a puree, e.g., raspberry coulis Chocolate Torte with Ganache and Raspberry Coulis Cream of potato with pepper coulis

Canapé A bite sized savoury start to a meal, often presented on a small slice of bread or in a pastry case

Bain Marie A vessel (such a as saucepan) half filled with water which sauces and other delicate dishes are cooked or kept warm without burning, e.g., melted chocolate.

Croquette Cooked foods (often potato) moulded into a cylinder, dipped into flour, egg and breadcrumbs and deep fried.

Marinade Ingredients (often liquid such as oil and vinegar, and spices etc) that food is placed in before cooking to add or improve the flavour. It often also tenderises the meat. Often used in Indian cookery and for barbeques.

La brochette On a skewer, e.g., kebabs.

Bouquet garni A bundle of herbs, such as bay leaf, parsley, thyme wrapped in a leek skin, or muslin cloth. This is used to flavour soup, casseroles etc, but is removed before serving.

Croutons Cubes of bread, fried or toasted served with soups or in salads.

Crepes Thin French-style pancakes.

Canapés A bite sized savoury start to a meal, often presented on a small slice of bread pastry case.

Flambé A dish containing spirits (alcohol). This alcohol is set alight either during the cooking process or just before serving, e.g., Christmas pudding.

Gateau A cake (usually an upmarket one) of more than one portion.

Hors D’oeurve first course dishes

Roux A thickening of flour and fat of equal proportions, e.g., as the basis of a béchamel sauce.

Table d'hôte A meal at a fixed price (a set menu).

Brulee Melted and caramelised sugar on top of a dessert, e.g.., crème brulee

Puree A preparation obtained by mashing / sieving certain foods, e.g.., a pureed vegetable soup, a fruit coulis

Julienne A method of cutting long strips of ingredients, usually vegetables such as carrots.

Menu A list of dishes available to order from a restaurant.

Reduce To concentrate a liquid by boiling. It is reduced by at least half.

Accompaniments Foods offered separately with a meal, e.g.. garlic bread, fries.

Vol au vent A puff pastry case, usually with a savoury filling in the centre (very 80’s).

Patisserie Means the art of the pastry cook, or foods made from pastry

Entree The main course on a menu.