Kitchen Assist

24 published terms. A glossary of cooking words and techniques to help you in the kitchen.

Al Dente: The general idea is to cook your pasta for slightly less than the recommended cooking time. For example, if you’re cooking dried pasta (pasta secca) then a good rule of thumb is to cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions, before fishing out a piece of pasta and tasting. If the pasta is firm but not chalky, then it’s ready to be drained. Some packets of dried pasta will specify an ‘al dente’ cooking time – which can usually be trusted to deliver good results – but it’s still worth testing the pasta while it cooks.
Blanch: To plunge food briefly into boiling water, then straight into iced water to halt the cooking. Blanching sets the colour of green vegetables, softens firm ones before a final cook, and loosens the skins of tomatoes, peaches and nuts. The cold shock — refreshing — is what keeps the colour bright; skip it and the residual heat dulls everything you just brightened.
Braising: This is a moist-heat technique for cooking meats and vegetables. The low and slow temperatures help tenderise tough cuts of meat as well as root vegetables, greens, and legumes and are the starting point for making soups and stews.
Cartouche: A disc of greaseproof paper laid directly on the surface of a simmering liquid, cut to the width of the pan with a small hole in the centre. It slows evaporation while still letting steam escape, so a braise or poach stays submerged and cooks evenly without the liquid reducing too far. Less enclosing than a lid, and easy to cut from a folded square.
Chiffonade: A knife cut for leafy herbs and greens: stack the leaves, roll them into a tight cigar, then slice across into fine ribbons. Cutting them rolled keeps the ribbons even and limits bruising, so basil, sage, sorrel and spinach stay bright instead of blackening at the cut edges. Do it just before serving.
Confit: Confit is a French cooking technique where food is cooked very slowly at a low temperature, completely submerged in a liquid (usually fat, oil, or sugar syrup). The word comes from the French verb confire, meaning 'to preserve'.
Deglaze: Deglazing a pan is a technique used after sautéing, searing, or browning food in a pan. Liquid is added, such as stock or wine, to loosen and dissolve the food particles that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. The flavorful mixture produced by deglazing can be used to make a simple pan sauce.
Emulsion: A stable mixture of two liquids that do not naturally combine — usually fat and water — held together by a third ingredient such as egg yolk, mustard or starch. Mayonnaise, vinaigrette, hollandaise and a carbonara sauce are all emulsions. They break when overheated or when the fat goes in too fast, which is why such sauces want gentle heat, steady whisking and, for pasta, a splash of the starchy cooking water.
Fond: The browned residue left stuck to the pan after searing meat or vegetables — concentrated, savoury, and the starting point of a pan sauce. Deglazing is what dissolves it back into the dish. Brown fond is flavour worth chasing; black, acrid fond is burnt and will turn the sauce bitter, so drop the heat if it darkens faster than it browns.
Hasselback: Hasselback potatoes are baked potatoes sliced horizontally about halfway through into thin, fan-like layers. This accordion-style cut creates a crispy, chip-like exterior while keeping the inside fluffy and tender, allowing flavors like butter, herbs, and garlic to penetrate the layers during roasting.
Maillard: The Maillard reaction is the chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food its distinctive flavour and colour — think of the crust on seared steak, golden roast potatoes, toasted bread, or the skin of a roast chicken. It kicks in properly at around 140–165°C, which is why it needs dry heat: as long as the surface of the food is wet it stays close to 100°C and will steam rather than brown. For the best results, pat meat dry before searing, don’t overcrowd the pan, and be patient — leave the food undisturbed so the surface gets hot enough to brown deeply. It is not the same as caramelisation, which involves only sugars, though the two often happen together.
Monter au Beurre: To finish a sauce by whisking in cold butter, off the heat or over the barest flame. The butter melts slowly enough to stay emulsified, giving the sauce gloss, body and a rounder flavour. Soft butter or a boiling pan splits it into something oily and thin, so add it last, a few cold cubes at a time, and serve the sauce promptly.
Nappe: The point at which a sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Lift the spoon and draw a finger through the film: if the line holds clean instead of running back together, the sauce is at nappe. It is the classic doneness cue for custards, gravies and reductions, and far more reliable than a stated cooking time.
Ramekin: A ramekin is a small, round, straight-sided baking dish used to prepare and serve individual portions of food. Typically made of ceramic, porcelain, or glass, these mini vessels are oven-safe and can handle high temperatures.
Ravigôte: Ravigôte (or ravigotte) is a classic French culinary term meaning "to revive" or "to refresh". In cooking, it refers to a highly seasoned, pungent sauce or herb blend designed to stimulate the appetite and invigorate the palate.
Reduction: In cooking, reduction is the process of thickening and intensifying the flavor of a liquid mixture, such as a soup, sauce, wine or juice, by simmering or boiling.
Rest: The pause between cooking meat and carving it. Off the heat the muscle fibres relax and reabsorb the juices that cooking has driven towards the centre, so the meat stays moist on the board instead of bleeding out. Give a steak or fillet a few minutes and a large roast 15–30, loosely tented with foil so the surface stays warm without steaming.
Saute: Saute is a form of dry-heat cooking that uses a hot pan and a small amount of fat to cook foods like vegetables, meats, and seafood very quickly. Like other dry-heat cooking methods, sauteing browns the food's surface as it cooks and develops complex flavours and aromas.
Slurry: A starch such as cornflour, arrowroot or potato flour mixed smooth with a little cold liquid before it goes into a hot one. Mixing cold first separates the grains so they thicken evenly. Tipped in dry, they seize on contact with the heat and the lumps will not whisk out. Stir the slurry in, then bring the sauce back to a simmer to thicken it fully.
Soufflé: A soufflé is a baked dish built from two parts: a flavoured base — a thick béchamel or pastry cream for savoury and sweet versions, or a fruit purée — and whisked egg whites folded through to lighten it. In the oven the air trapped in the whites expands and steam pushes the mixture up, so it rises dramatically above the rim of the dish. The name comes from the French souffler, 'to blow' or 'to puff up'. A soufflé sinks a few minutes after it leaves the oven; that is normal, not a failure, which is why it is served the moment it comes out. For a good rise: butter the ramekin and coat it with grated cheese, sugar or fine breadcrumbs using upward strokes so the mixture can climb the sides; whisk the whites only to soft-to-firm peaks, as over-whisked whites turn grainy and can no longer stretch; fold them into the base gently in two or three additions to keep the air in; and keep the oven door shut while it bakes.
Sweat: To cook vegetables gently in a little fat over a low heat until they soften and release their moisture, without taking on colour. The opposite intent to sautéing: a low flame, and often a lid, keep the pan below browning temperature so the vegetables give up their sweetness rather than build a roasted flavour. It is the usual first step for soups, stews and braises.
Tent: To tent in cooking means to loosely cover food with aluminum foil. By bending or folding the foil in the middle, you create a raised, dome-like shape resembling a small tent. The foil should hover just above the food without touching the surface. Tenting is done for three primary purposes. Preventing over-browning: it acts as a shield, reflecting direct heat away from the top of cakes, pies, or casseroles so the center can finish cooking without the top burning. Retaining moisture: covering the food, especially while it is resting off the heat, traps steam and allows the food's natural juices to redistribute rather than evaporate. Protecting toppings: it keeps delicate items, like melted cheese on a lasagna or a decorative bread crust, from sticking directly to the foil.
Unctuous: In cooking, unctuous describes a rich, smooth, and velvety texture that feels oily or fatty on the palate. Often associated with braised meats, slow-simmered sauces, or soft cheeses, it is a highly desirable quality that coats the tongue in a luxurious layer of flavour.
Zested: The culinary process of scraping or peeling the colourful, outermost skin of citrus fruits (like lemons, limes, and oranges). This vibrant layer, called the zest, contains essential oils that deliver a concentrated, fresh citrus flavour without the sourness of the inner juice or the bitterness of the white pith.