Finger Food Kitchen Vocabulary EHL

A fine linen mesh used to pass sauces or cream preparations to make them perfectly smooth

A 2 to 3 cm thick slice cut straight through a round fish, e.g. salmon, coley, cod

To separate meat from its cooking juices

To liquefy the caramelized juices at the bottom of a cooking container by adding a liquid, e.g. water, stock, wine

a) To remove the fat which has formed on the surface of a stock or sauce etc. by using a small ladle.

b) To remove the excess fat from a piece of meat

Applying egg wash glaze on choux pastry, éclairs, various pastries, using a brush to facilitate coloring during cooking

To place food harmoniously on serving dishes or plates

Hydrolyzed proteins and caramelized carbohydrates on the base of a cooking vessel. These are deglazed to prepare juices and sauces

Basic preparation of finely chopped button mushrooms cooked in butter with onion and chopped shallots (base for many fillings/stuffing)

Very tender piece of meat from the lumbar region for butcher's meat and from the pectoral area for poultry

Very tender piece of meat from the lumbar region for butcher's meat and from the pectoral area for poultry

Thin filaments of carrots, turnips, truffles, mushrooms, lemon or orange, etc.

Thin filaments of carrots, turnips, truffles, mushrooms, lemon or orange, etc.

To rub the surface of certain fruits (apples, pears) or vegetables (celeriac, artichoke hearts, etc.) with lemon to prevent them from browning when in contact with air or during the cooking process

Professional term which refers to the logical and rational sequence goods follow through different operations, from delivery to consumption. There is no possibility of return or contact between the clean products section and unclean products section

Liquid containing condiments used to marinate food prior to cooking, e.g. meat, game, fish, vegetables, tofu, etc. There are three types of marinade: raw, cooked and dry

Large cubes of vegetables used as an aromatic garnish to prepare stocks

Set of actions to be completed prior to each service in a restaurant

To sauté unwashed rice slowly in fat without browning it. The rice acquires a pearly gloss

The first steps of food preparation e.g. peeling, trimming, washing, etc. prior to the cooking process. This process should take place in a specific room

A binding or thickening agent that is composed of flour cooked in fat for a short or long time according to the desired color: white, golden or brown

Busy/intense moment of service

Fresh butter, softened and worked with a spatula until its consistency is like that of a cream

Preparation made with minced or finely chopped raw or cooked food products used to fill certain food items. Also used by butchers to make terrines, dumplings, pies, etc.

a) Chicken breast or fillet of game.

b) Wedge of citrus fruit from which the skin, pith, membranes, and seeds have been removed.

Give a certain consistency to stock, sauce or soup by adding thickening agents, e.g. starch, egg yolk, etc.

a) For vegetables: to plunge vegetables into boiling water for a few minutes, then cool quickly and drain to remove their pungency (this is sufficient to cook spinach). Potatoes and pulses are blanched from a 'cold water start'.

b) For meat: to immerse in cold water and then bring the meat and offal to a boil to remove excess salt and impurities.

c) To remove the skin of certain vegetables or fruits by plunging them into boiling water for a few seconds and cooling them immediately afterwards, e.g. peach, tomato, plum, almonds, pistachios, etc.

To cook food slowly in a shallow amount of liquid in a closed pot or braising pan in the oven

To dip a food product in beaten egg and cover it with breadcrumbs (e.g. meat, fish, croquettes, etc.) prior to cooking

To sauté food in a small amount of fat until it colors

a) Coating a baking pan with butter, a tart ring or other items to facilitate removing a preparation from a baking pan.

b) Adding butter to puff pastry dough.

Specific way of chopping using a knife. a) Cut into thin strips. b) Dice into equal sizes, e.g. onion, shallots, etc.

a) To refine a broth using egg white.

b) To melt butter slowly in a bain-marie to separate the non-fat elements.

To transfer solid foods or liquids to a suitable container