Like other professions, vocations or hobbies, cooking has its own vocabulary. Here, I've made a comprehensive list of some of the basic cooking terms I use often which you should also know to keep your cooking games strong.
1. Blanch
To cook by dipping briefly in boiling water, then tossing directly into cold water. This is usually done with vegetables like carrots, green beans etc to retain their colour and texture.
2. Knead
To work dough into a soft and uniform texture by pressing, folding and stretching with your hands.
3. Marinade
A mixture of seasonings, spices, oil or similar ingredients inn which meat, fish or any other foods is marinated (soaked) before cooking in order to flavour, soften and prepare it for cooking.
4. Mince
To finely cut food into uniform pieces that are smaller than diced/chopped foods
5. Dice/Chop
To cut into small cubes/chunks. Chopping (1/2 to 3/4inch) has a little larger chunks than dicing (1/4 to 1/8 inch).
6. Sautée (sauté, sautee)
To cook food (vegetables) in minimal amount of oil in an open pan over medium/high heat. You don't let the vegetables sit in the pan for too long.
7. Simmer
To cook something liquid or something with liquid in it slowly or at a temperature slightly below boiling point.
8. Stir-fry
To fry small pieces of meat, vegetables etc quickly in little oil while constantly stirring it.
9. Pinch/Dash
A pinch (often used for dry ingredients like spices, salt) is the quantity that you can pick between your thumb and index finger around 1/16 teaspoon size.
A dash often used for liquids is around 1/8 teaspoon.
10. Zest
The outer coloured part of citrus that can be removed with a grater, zester or small knife often used as flavoring or garnish.
To scrape the zest form a fruit.
11. Debone
To remove the bones from meat or fish before cooking
12. Fillet
A boneless piece of meat or fish.
Let me know if you find this helpful and would like to see more.
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