Don’t worry if you come across a word in any recipe book that you don’t understand, here are some common used terms and with these explanations should help you out:
Al dente – Pasta that is cooked through but still slightly firm when bitten.
Bake – Cooking food in an oven.
Batter – An uncooked, semi-liquid mixture usually containing beaten eggs,flour, liquid, and a leavening ingredient, such as baking soda or baking powder, that makes the batter rise when cooked.
Beat – Stirring ingredients quickly using a whisk, fork, or spoon until it makes a smooth mixture.
Blend – Mixing ingredients together in a blender or food processor until combined.
Boil – Cooking liquid in a pan over high temperature so that it bubbles strongly.
Bone (or debone) – To remove the bones from meat, fish, or poultry.
Brush – To coat the surface of food with a liquid ingredient such as melted butter, egg, or fruit glaze.
Chill – Placing ingredients or a dish in the fridge to cool down or keep cool.
Combine – Mixing several ingredients together.
Chop – Using a knife to cut ingredients into smaller pieces.
Core – Removing the center of a piece of fruit to take out the seeds.
Cream – Quickly combining butter and sugar together to create a light, fluffy mixture.
Crumble – To break up or crush food, such as dried herbs or crackers, into small pieces with your fingers.
Cube – To cut food into 1 ⁄ 2 -inch square pieces. Cubed food is larger than diced food.
Devil – To season foods with hot and spicy ingredients such as Tabasco sauce, mustard, or red pepper flakes.
Dice – Cutting an ingredient into small, equal cubes.
Drain – Removing excess liquid by pouring ingredients through a colander or strainer, or by resting on kitchen paper.
Drizzle – Pouring a small amount of liquid, such as olive oil or salad dressing over a dish.
Dust – To give the surface of food a thin coating of flour or confectioner’s sugar.
Fillet – As a verb, to cut the flesh away from the bones of a piece of meat or fish. As a noun, a piece of meat, fish, or poultry that has the bones removed.
Fold – Using a spatula to gently mix ingredients together so that they stay light and fluffy.
Fry – To cook or sauté food in fat over high heat. Deep-fried foods are submerged in hot fat and cooked until crisp.
Garnish – An edible plate adornment, ranging from a simple wedge of lemon to a fancy chocolate leaf.
Grate – Shredding an ingredient into little pieces by rubbing it against a grater.
Grease – Spreading a layer of butter or oil on a tin to stop ingredients from sticking to it.
Grill – Cooking food from one direction, usually using high heat.
Juice – Squeezing the liquid out of fruits or vegetables.
Knead – Working a dough by stretching and pulling until it becomes smooth and elastic.
Line – Placing baking paper or foil in a tin so that food won’t stick to it.
Marinate – Soaking ingredients in a flavourful liquid to add flavour.
Mash – Crushing ingredients with a fork or potato masher.
Mince – To cut food into tiny pieces
Mix – Combining ingredients together, either by hand or with equipment.
Pickle – To preserve food in a salty brine or vinegar solution.
Preheat – Turning the oven on 15 minutes before it is needed so that it reaches the recommended temperature before the food goes in.
Purée – To mash or grind food into a paste by forcing it through a food mill or sieve or by whirling it in a food processor or blender. Finely mashed food also is called a purée.
Roll – Flattening out and shaping dough or pastry using a rolling pin.
Rub in – Rubbing flour and butter together with your fingers to create a texture that is similar to breadcrumbs.
Sauté – To cook food quickly in a small amount of fat, usually butter or oil, over very high heat
Score – Making shallow cuts across the surface of an ingredient.
Sear – To brown quickly in a pan, under the broiler, or in a very hot oven
Season – Adding salt, pepper, vinegar, or other spices to a dish to add flavour.
Set – Leaving food on the worktop, in the fridge, or in the freezer until it firms up and turns solid.
Sift – Using a sieve to remove lumps from dry ingredients such as flour.
Simmer – Cooking a liquid over a low heat, so that it bubbles gently.
Slicing – Using a knife to cut food into strips.
Skim – To remove the fat and bits of food that rise to the surface of a soup or stock with a spoon
Stew – To simmer food for a long time in a tightly covered pot with just enough liquid to cover. The term stew also can describe a cooked dish
Stone – Remove the stone from fruit or vegetables.
Stir-fry – Cooking ingredients in a pan very quickly over high heat whilst stirring.
Strain – To separate liquids from solids by passing a mixture through a sieve.
Whisk – Whipping up ingredients using a whisk. Used to introduce air into the mixture.