Glossary

• Blanch

Sticking something in boiling water for a short period of time, then cooling it quickly in something cold, usually an ice bath.

• Boil

Like simmering, but more metal.

• Bouquet garni

Tasty herbs tied together and chucked in wet stuff, I generally don't bother, but sometimes it's handy.

• Braising

Searing something, then cooking it slowly in something wet. Think pot roasts and stews.

• Deglaze

Using a liquid (often alcohol or stock) to remove all the delicious stuff (fond) stuck to the bottom of a pan, most useful for sauces.

• Dice

Cutting stuff into cubes/squares. Fine:4-5mm Medium:6-8mm Large:10+mm

• Fond

The cooked on stuff on the bottom of a pan, usually contains a great deal of flavour.

• Maillard reaction

This is why seared food tastes good, it's basically the magic that describes the caramelisation of sugars in meat when it browns.

• Mire poix

Carrot, Onion, Celery. French combination of aromatics that go in most things that end up wet.

Chop as roughly or finely as needed, for stocks I'll just break the carrot and celery, and quarter the onion, makes it easier to fish them out once they're dead.

• Mise en plas

French for having your shit together, all those silly little bowls TV cooks have.

Worth being aware of, and useful in theory. but fuck that shit.

• Poach

Cooking stuff in flavoured wet, usually simmering in a pan.

• Roux

Butter and flour cooked a bit, used to thicken a lot of sauces.

• Saute

Frying over high heat, french for jump, which should give you some idea.

• Seal

Nothing of the sort, just an old misnomer for browning meat off. Often explained as sealing flavours in. (those flavours you almost always add afterwards) See: Maillard reaction

• Sear

Applying animal to extreme heat to make that maillard thing happen, also lovely crust of flavour.

• Simmer

Not quite a boil, water should be moving, but not violently.

• Sous Vide

French for under vacuum. Basically cheffy boil in the bag, Food sealed in a vacuum pack, Cooked in a water bath at the temperature you want the food to finish at (say, 50c for a steak) for as long as you want. In the case of meat, it's usually seared afterwards to make for awesome flavour.

• Stock

Bits of stuff cooked in water, until it tastes of the stuff. Often a mire poix is involved.

• Sweat

Frying slowly, to soften the food and make the flavour more mellow.

• Umami

Basically savoury delicious, as found in parmesan, some mushrooms, anchovies, parma ham. Also what makes MSG delicious.