al dente
Cooking only until barely tender (vegetables or pasta).
bacon fat
Fat derived from frying bacon and/or the fat of bacon.
bain-marie (au bain marie)
A method for cooking or keeping hot (80 °C) certain delicate foods or sauces that should not be exposed to a direct flame in order to prevent burning or curdling. The pan containing the food is placed in or over another pan, in which water is kept at or below the boiling point.
baking
See roasting (1).
bar mixer
Mixer, which has the shape of a bar.
bard
To cover lean meat or a dish to be prepared with a layer of pure white lard before cooking it. The fat from the lard prevents the lean and tender meat from drying out while it is prepared.
basil
A herb with a fine, distinctive flavour with a slight dash of cloves and a spicy nutmeg-like tone. Freshly chopped leaves are used in salads. In dried form, when the taste is less distinctive, it is used in lamb- and mutton,, sauces, soups, … Basil can be a perfect combination with garlic, onions, pepper, salt, sage, rosemary and tarragon.
bay leave
Aromatic shiny, leather-like green leaf of ever green laurel tree. The leaves have an aromatic, somewhat bitter flavour and are used as a seasoning to obtain a strong aromatic flavour.
bite
Indication of the degree of cooking, for vegetables cooked but still crisp, for pastry, cooked but barely tender.
blanch
Immerse in boiling water. Used mainly for vegetables, to obtain a quick semi-cooked to cooked effect (spinach). Also used to minimise the strong flavour of onions and garlic.
blue cheese
Cheese marbled with a blue-green mould. Also referred to as blue-veined cheese.
boletes, (black)
Edible variety of mushrooms which, almost entirely, belong to a single species, being the tubular fungi species.
braise / smother
To prepare the meat with a golden brown colour in an open utensil after which it is steamed. This method uses less time than steaming. Due to the heated butter the meat will soon be 'impermeable' and as such the juices will remain in the meat and fat cannot enter.
broth
A clear seasoned stock or broth usually made from browned meat (often used is offal) and/or various types of garden vegetables. The broth is often the seasoned substitute for water or white fond in soups as well as in sauces. Broth refers to all warm and cold clear soups (consommé's) and to the nourishing English broth "beaf tea", being a concentrated liquid of high nutritional value.
browning
Refer to sauté /glaze.
brunoise
The cutting (of vegetables) in cubes or other uniform shapes.
candy
To cook fruit, fruit peel (lemon curd or lime curd) in sugar or syrup.
champignon
Edible mushroom related to pore species.
cherry tomato
A tomato, small in size as a cherry, often used as garnish.
chervil
Leave grown in many countries in the temperate zone and which is related to the parsley species. Chervil is best used as a fresh herb due to the fact that its flavour is strongly reduced while heating, even ground, dried chervil as well as chervil blended with oil loose flavour while cooking. Chervil is used as parsley and celery are used. Two varieties are available, one 'curling' and one with 'straight' leaves. However apart from these varieties a chervil with root-bulbs is available, which is very aromatic and rich in starch.
chives
A hardy plant of the onion and garlic family with small green leaves which have a delicate onion flavour. To be used as an seasoning with numerous dishes, warm and cold. The taste is somewhat less pronounced than onion, but is still distinct.
cider
Juice based on fermentation of apple juice, mainly used in the Normandic cuisine for the preparation of fish or rabbit.
cinnamon
Aromatic bark of the Ceylon cinnamon tree and related to the family of the ever green laurel tree. Stick cinnamon is the dried bark of the tree. Cinnamon distributes/has a sweet, strong, spicy smell and is often used for pickling compotes, desserts and warm wine.
cinnamon powder
Refer to cinnamon.
cl
Abbreviation of centilitre.
clarified butter
Melt the butter and leave for 10 minutes. The floating butterfat is the clarified butter, ideally suitable to prepare/bake and glaze vegetables.
clarify
To clear a liquid (such as a consommé, aspic or jelly). By adding slightly beaten egg white and finely minced meat or fish, the particles which cause cloudiness will adhere to these ingredients and can be removed by a skimmer while cooking. The mixture is then strained en a clear liquid is obtained.
coat
To coat the ingredient(s) with e.g. bread crumbs or seasoned flour prior to the preparation (baking, deep frying or roasting.
cocktail onion
Conserved onion with a silver fleece.
colour
Browning of ingredients.
cooking
Heating of water or other liquids up to the boiling point in order to prepare foods. The boiling point of water is 100 °C, the boiling point of fat is
200 °C.
coulis
Sauces based on soft or raw fruit, slightly cooked and sifted.
covering
To cover a dish with a sauce, coulis or cream and to ensure that the shape of the dish is still clearly visible.
creamy
Thick liquid, thick.
crepinet
Porkgut with which i.e. sausages are made.
crushing / concassage
Chopping or cutting of e.g. tomatoes.
curry
This blend of spices, originally from India is available as a ground dried spice or as paste. A classic blend includes turmeric, coriander, caraway, pepper, cloves, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg and pimiento. This blend may be enriched by fennel, cumin, ginseng, basil, mustard seeds and cinnamon. The herbs are ground prior to storage in a aromatic wooden box. Curry is often used as a flavour for pork, chicken or lamb.
curry powder
Refer to curry
cut / incision
A deep, short cut by means of a sharp, pointed knife.
deep fry
Cooking in hot fat or oil, the quantity of the oil or fat to be enough to cover the ingredients/foods.
deglaze
A fond, broth, vinegar or wine (Madeira, port, white wine) is used to quench the flavoured cooking juices and titbits (that remain after the meat has been removed) after which the coagulated cooking juices are scraped from the bottom of the pan and stirred in after which the sauce is prepared.
degrease
To remove excess fat from the surface of a dish or hot liquids by pouring the liquid fat out and by removing the hardened fat by means of a spatula or skimmer.
dl
Abbreviation of decilitre.
dripping
Fat and juices that drip from meat or poultry while roasting.
dust
To coat with a thin film.
flambé
A term applied to dishes that have a liquor (usually brandy, jenever (Dutch gin)) poured over it and is ignited.
flour-butter, mixture of
Refer to roux.
fond
A spicy reduced broth, used as a basis for sauce. A fond is white (or blond) if the ingredients of which the fond consists have been directly immersed into the cooking juices. A brown fond is fond of which the ingredient have been sautéed in butter or oil.
g
Abbreviation of gram.
garlic
A strong-flavoured bulb of a plant of the lily family. The garlic bulb consists of 12 to 16 cloves, protected by a parchment-like skin.
garnish
To decorate food, usually with something edible.
gelatine
Colourless, tasteless and odourless substance, derived from animal bones and gristle and in some cases from algae. Available in granulated form as in transparent sheets. Gelatine is first softened in cold water, subsequently immersed in boiling water and then added to the dish.
gelatine powder
Refer to gelatine.
ginger
A pungent flavoured root with a spicy flavour. Used as a fresh herb, candied or in ground, dried form. In Europe it is generally used in pastries and candies. The oriental kitchen finds ginger a herb of major importance, it is used fresh and dried, whereas also purée and curry are flavoured by ginger.
gratin
The thin golden crust that is obtained whilst preparing dishes in the oven, when the dish has been sprinkled with a topping of crumbs, dices of butter or grated cheese prior to placing the dish into the oven.
gravies
A liquid more or less enriched by flavour and taste, but rich in nutritional components, which drips from the meat, poultry or vegetables while cooking, steaming or roasting.
glaze
To give vegetables or other dishes a brown, glazed coating. Oven dishes can be glazed by coating the dishes near the end of the preparation time with a fond or sauce based on gelatine. Vegetables (carrots, onions) are glazed by preparation with sugar and butter/fat.
grill
Iron grates on which dishes are prepared by means of radiant heat (no direct contact with heating source) of e.g. hot charcoals. The oven-grill is an element that gives off radiant heat by itself as such enabling preparation of dishes, usually browning (gratin).
grilling
Refer to roasting (2).
hot-air oven
Oven wit a circulation system, allowing a better spread of the heated air in the oven, resulting in a faster and more even cooking.
julienne
Match-like strips (of vegetables).
kg
Abbreviation of kilogram.
kneading
To mix and knead with your hands or by means of electric kitchen utensils of flour and the required liquid and possible further ingredients to obtain a dough with the required elasticity and consistency.
knob / dash of butter
Dice of butter.
l
Abbreviation of litre.
lasagne
Flat, broad noodles, at times green in colour due to spinach, at times red in colour due to tomatoes.
leaking
Letting excess fluids leak out after rinsing a product, or after pouring off boiled water.
leek
Member of the onion family, mainly related to garlic and chives, famous for their strong flavour.
leek powder
Refer to leek
marinade
A spicy liquid in which meat or fish is placed for added flavour and tenderness. The duration of the use of the marinade is determined by the structure and size of the piece. For small pieces of meat, poultry or fish 20 minutes will suffice (an instant marinade) larger pieces will require an overnight process.
marinate
To place and leave ingredients such as meat, poultry or fish in a marinade in order to obtain added flavour and tenderness.
mash
Mashing by means of a fork after which the ingredients are mixed thoroughly.
medaillon
Round or oval cutting of rather thick slices of meat.
'Meesterlycke ham'
Cooked ham Flemish style under the quality label 'Meesterlyck' with guarantees related to e.g. water and phosphate percentage.
muscatel
Wine based on the grape 'Muscat' of which numerous varieties exist, blue grapes as well as white grapes and all have the specific muscat taste. Most white wines are somewhat sweet.
noodles
Type of pasta based on flour, eggs and water and cut in thin strips.
nut oil
Has a specific and extraordinary taste and is mainly used for the preparation of dishes. This type of oil will be rancid quite quickly and is at times mixed with other oils.
nutmeg
The seed of the fruit of the nutmeg tree. The nut has a pungent. Spicy flavour and contains 25-35 % oil of which 12 % muscat acid. Nutmeg is used in a grated form only, mainly as seasoning for eggs dishes and dishes based on potatoes and cheese. It also certainly improves dessert, sauces and soups.
oil
Cooking oil/fat, liquid at room temperature and which has a high nutritious value (approximately 900 cal. per 100 g). Mostly based on vegetable origin, however edible mineral and animal oils exist as well. Cooking oil as used in the kitchen is usually based on seeds and roots.
oven-grill
Refer to grill.
oyster mushroom
Edible mushroom, mouse-grey or brown grey in colour, and related to one of the five French Pleurotus-types of mushroom.
papillote
Dish prepared and served in aluminium foil or fat-free paper. The dish is fully covered during the preparation and is opened whilst serving only in order to ensure that the flavour will protrude at the table.
paring / serrate
Use of the serrated knife to create milled edges as decoration of e.g carrots or lemon rind. paring knife / lemon rind
paring knife
A knife provided with small grooves in order to cut vegetables and fruits as a garnish.
parsley
Three types of parsley are available. The common leave-parsley with its flat, slightly carved/notched leaved is the parley which has the most flavour and which is one of the most frequent used seasoning in the kitchens. Curley-leaved parsley has a deep green colour and is used for garnish due to it decorative shape but has little. The 'root'- or flat leaved parsley (also know as wild parley) is used as celeriac, being mainly in soups.
pâté
Ready made cold meat product or meat dish that can be served either hot or cold. The varieties have a distinction between the 'real' pâté, based on a farce (mixture of raw or cooked, more or less finely chopped and seasoned ingredients) covered by a crust and prepared in metal mould/tin and the terrine, in which the farce is prepared in a earthenware or cast-iron mould/tin of which the innerside is covered with lard strips. The filling for the pâtés can be based on the preparation of pork, veal, ham, poultry, fish and even on vegetables.
patty pastry dish
Usually earthenware, to prepare and save a patty pastry.
peanut oil / groundnut oil
Made from groundnuts; ideal for various preparation methods and dishes; remains fluid at 5 °C; is well resistant against heating (up to 200 °C); the same oil can be used up to 12 times, if it is strained after use.
pilaf
Method of preparation of rice with which the rice is first baked in oil and subsequently boiled. The latter with or without seasoning.
pin
Long, slightly flattened pin, usually made of stainless steel, on which various pieces of chopped ingredients are placed in order to roast on charcoal or to grill.
pinch
An extreme small quantity (between 3 and 5 gram) of a powered-like substance, small grains of particles, which can be held between thumb and finger.
pine cone pit
Seed of the a specific type of pine tree, rich in fats and sugars and a taste which is comparable to almonds.
plunge into cold water
To plunge under cold running water in order to halt the cooking process quickly. As such the egg yolk will not change its colour to blue and vegetables will remain to have their original colour.
poach
To cook covered by a liquid at or below simmering (not boiling) in (slightly salted water) or broth.
port
Portuguese enriched (by adding wine alcohol) sweet wine. With the exclusion of vintage port, being a port on which the year of a certain extremely well year is detailed, all ports are blends of wines from various years.
pour over
A dish served with a sauce, a coulis or cream, to be fully and evenly covered.
preparation
The preparation by means of exposure to a heat source.
puff pastry
Puff pastry patty cases made from thin puff pastry and often filled with ragout made of meat or fish.
purée
Grinding or crushing of cooked ingredients such as potatoes.
quadrill
The shape of a diamond, by turning the meat, poultry or fish a quarter in the grill or on the grid. The direct exposure of the rods or the ribs of the grill pan result in the diamond pattern.
reduce / boil down
To decrease the quantity of a liquid by continuing cooking, the final product often being a half or a third of the original quantity (by vaporisation of water).
roasting (1)
To prepare meat, fish or poultry while adding fats.
roasting (2)
Preparation of food by means of direct exposure to the radiation heat of e.g. charcoals or under the grill.
roasting bag
Transparent synthetic bag to be filled with meat, poultry and/or vegetables which is subsequently placed into the oven to be prepared with a seasoning. Roasting bags are available at the fresh counters of the various supermarkets, either empty or filed (rabbit parts and vegetables).
rolled meat
A dish of stuffed and rolled meat.
rosemary
A herb, when grow it can last for many years, with ever green leaves and a fresh tasting, rather strong taste and flavour, which can be used as a fresh herb as well as dried. Several leaves will suffice to season a marinade, ragout, fowl, grill, sauce or fish.
roux
A mixture of equal parts of flour and butter. Melt the butter on low heat and add the flour.
sage
A herb, to be grown for many years, of which the leaves with their spicy, somewhat bitter taste are used to season fatty dishes such as various cheese dishes, several beverages and vinegar.
sauté
To cook meat or fish in an open pan over a strong heat in fat in order to preserve taste and flavour.
sauté / glaze
To prepare in hot oil or butter to obtain a golden colour. To glaze (or sweating) is to bake without obtaining a colour.
schnitzel
A thin slices/cut of coated meat.
sesame seed
Small seed of a herb which also yields an oil containing distinctive flavoured oil. Depending on the type of sesame seed the seed is light yellow in colour up to reddish, the taste can be rather different, form soft-bitter up to a linseed-like taste. Sesame seed has a high nutritional value, it contains 50 % fat with a high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids, protein with essential amino acid and starch.
sherry
Spanish, enriched (due to adding of wine-alcohol) wine. Sherry is a mixture of wines of various years.
sieve
Kitchen utensil with which drinks and other liquids are filtered, or to leak raw or cooked food.
soaking
Immersing food-stuff for a shorter or longer period in cold water.
soy
Legume of which leaves grow on long stems, each time in a group of three, growing fifteen green or green-like fluffy peas in which three seeds, the size of a pea, grows. Various types are being grown, either for the seeds (being the beans or peas) or for the plants or sprouts.
soy sprouts
Consisting of a seed and a stem, which grows a couple of centimetres.
spicy
Powerful, rich in taste.
spit
Refer to pin.
steam
To cook by steam in a closed container over hot condensed water. During the steam process all flavours will remain in the meat or fish remain, as contact with the heat source is less aggressive.
stew
During stewing the meat or fish is prepared in only a small layer of liquid at a temperature of lower than 100 °C and with closed lid, perhaps covered with buttered paper. The meat or fish is prepared in its own liquids and remains juicy at the bottom, whilst the steam in the pan ensures that the meat or fish does not dry out.
stew pan
Pan with a proper closing lid.
stir-fry
Refer to wok.
stir-frying
Stir-frying in a wok.
sugar candy
Coarse granulated sugar, derived from the slow cooling process of hot cane sugar or beet sugar syrup. Available are white, yellow or light brown and dark brown sugar candy.
summer savory
Aromatic plant of which the aromatic leaves remind you of mint and thyme. It may be used as a dried herb but preferably to be used as a fresh herb with legumes.
sweat
To cook in oil or butter without the ingredients discolouring.
tagliatella
Golden yellow or green (due to spinach) egg noodles.
thicken
Refer to reduce / boil down.
thicken
A method to ensure thickening of a liquid (sauce, soup, cream), to obtain a more stable consistency by adding flour, egg whites, cream.
tuft
Bushel, picking, bunch.
vinaigrette
Cold sauce based on ¼ vinegar, ¾ oil, pepper and salt, to which several ingredients can be added (shallots, garden herbs, gherkins, …).
whisk
A kitchen utensil usually made of wire (mainly available in stainless steel) used to beat or stir liquids.
whisky
Corn alcohol, Scottish of origin, with a higher or lower percentage malt.
wok
Large frying pan with a round bottom, two ears or a long handle, used in the Chinese kitchen to stir-fry. The great advantage is that the ingredients can be quickly cooked with a fast fire in the lower part of the pan, in order to prevent absorbing too much fat, hence the constant stir-frying with a wooden spatula, also called stir-frying.