Reference guide
Cooking glossary
Not sure what a recipe means when it says “deglaze,” “fold,” or “bloom”? This plain-English glossary covers 56 essential cooking terms and techniques so you can cook with confidence.
A
- Al dente
- Italian for "to the tooth." It describes pasta or vegetables cooked until they are firm when bitten — not soft or mushy. Al dente pasta should still have a tiny bit of resistance in the centre when you bite through it.
B
- Bain-marie
- A water bath used for gentle, even cooking. You place one container (a bowl or smaller pan) inside a larger pan of simmering water. It's used for melting chocolate without burning it, making custards, and keeping sauces warm.
- Baste
- To spoon, brush, or squirt liquid (such as pan drippings, melted butter, or a marinade) over food while it cooks. Basting keeps the surface moist and adds flavour — it's especially common when roasting a chicken or turkey.
- Blanch
- To plunge food (usually vegetables) briefly into boiling water, then immediately transfer it to iced water to stop the cooking. Blanching sets the colour, softens the texture slightly, and makes it easier to peel things like tomatoes or almonds.
- Bloom
- In baking, to dissolve yeast in warm liquid until it becomes foamy — this proves the yeast is alive and active. In spice cooking, to heat whole or ground spices in hot oil or butter for 30–60 seconds to release their essential oils and deepen their flavour.
- Braise
- A slow-cooking method that uses a small amount of liquid in a covered pot. First you brown the food (usually meat) at high heat, then add liquid and cook it low and slow for a long time. Braising turns tough, cheaper cuts of meat into fall-apart-tender dishes.
- Brine
- A solution of water and salt (sometimes with sugar and aromatics) used to soak meat, fish, or vegetables before cooking. Brining adds moisture and seasons the food all the way through, making it juicier and more flavourful. A turkey or chicken soaked in brine overnight will be noticeably more succulent.
- Broil
- To cook food directly under intense, high heat from above — the oven's top element. It's the opposite of grilling (which heats from below). Broiling is great for quickly browning the top of dishes, melting cheese, or getting a char on peppers.
- Brunoise
- A very fine, precise dice — typically 3 mm (⅛ inch) cubes. You first cut the ingredient into thin strips (julienne), then cut across to create tiny cubes. It's used for garnishes, mirepoix in refined sauces, and anywhere you want flavour without visible chunks.
C
- Caramelise
- To cook sugar (or foods containing natural sugars) until it turns golden-brown and develops a rich, sweet, slightly nutty flavour. Onions caramelise when cooked slowly over low heat for 30–45 minutes. Sugar caramelises when heated past about 170 °C (340 °F).
- Chiffonade
- A knife technique for cutting leafy herbs or greens into very thin ribbons. Stack the leaves, roll them into a tight cylinder, then slice across the roll. It's the classic way to prepare basil for topping pasta or pizza.
- Clarify
- To remove impurities from a liquid (usually stock or butter) to make it clear. Clarified butter (also called ghee) is butter with the milk solids and water removed — it has a higher smoke point and a clean, nutty taste.
- Cream
- As a technique, to beat a fat (usually butter) with sugar until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and pale. Creaming incorporates air, which helps cakes and biscuits rise and gives them a tender crumb.
- Cure
- To preserve food using salt, sugar, smoke, or a combination. Curing draws out moisture, which inhibits bacterial growth. Bacon, gravlax, and salami are all examples of cured foods.
D
- Deglaze
- To add liquid (wine, stock, or even water) to a hot pan after browning food, then scrape up the caramelised bits stuck to the bottom. Those brown bits — called fond — are packed with flavour and form the base of a sauce or gravy.
- Dice
- To cut food into small, even cubes. A small dice is roughly 6 mm (¼ inch), a medium dice about 12 mm (½ inch), and a large dice around 20 mm (¾ inch). Even sizing means everything cooks at the same rate.
- Dock
- To prick small holes in pastry dough before baking — usually with a fork. Docking lets steam escape so the pastry stays flat instead of puffing up. It's essential when blind-baking pie crusts or making crackers.
- Dredge
- To coat food lightly in a dry ingredient — usually flour, cornstarch, or breadcrumbs — before frying or baking. Dredging creates a surface that browns nicely and helps batters and sauces stick.
- Drizzle
- To pour a thin stream of liquid over food, usually as a finishing touch. A drizzle of olive oil, honey, or balsamic glaze adds both flavour and visual appeal.
E
- Emulsify
- To combine two liquids that normally don't mix (like oil and vinegar) into a smooth, stable blend. Emulsification happens by whisking vigorously or using an emulsifier like egg yolk or mustard. Mayonnaise and vinaigrettes are emulsions.
- En papillote
- French for "in parchment." Food — usually fish with vegetables and aromatics — is sealed inside a parchment paper parcel and baked. The trapped steam cooks the food gently and infuses it with the flavours of whatever's inside the parcel.
F
- Ferment
- To use naturally occurring bacteria, yeasts, or moulds to transform food. Fermentation creates complex flavours and can preserve food. Sourdough bread, yoghurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and beer are all products of fermentation.
- Flambé
- To pour alcohol (usually brandy, rum, or cognac) over food and ignite it briefly. The flames burn off the raw alcohol and leave behind a concentrated, caramelised flavour. Crêpes Suzette and steak Diane are classic flambéed dishes.
- Fold
- To gently combine a lighter mixture into a heavier one without deflating the air. You use a spatula to cut down through the centre, sweep along the bottom, and bring the mixture up and over. Folding is used when adding whipped cream or beaten egg whites to batters.
- Fond
- The caramelised bits of food that stick to the bottom of a pan after browning meat or vegetables. Fond is pure concentrated flavour and is the foundation of pan sauces — you unlock it by deglazing.
G
- Ganache
- A smooth, rich mixture of chocolate and cream, made by pouring hot cream over chopped chocolate and stirring until melted. Depending on the ratio of cream to chocolate, ganache can be a pourable glaze, a whipped filling, or firm enough to roll into truffles.
- Glaze
- A thin, glossy coating applied to food. Savoury glazes (like a honey-soy reduction brushed on salmon) add flavour and shine. Sweet glazes (like icing drizzled over doughnuts) add sweetness and a finished look.
- Gratinate (gratin)
- To brown the top of a dish under a grill or in a hot oven, usually after adding a layer of cheese, breadcrumbs, or béchamel. The result is a crisp, golden crust — as in a potato gratin or French onion soup.
J
- Julienne
- To cut food into long, thin strips, typically about 3 mm (⅛ inch) wide and 5–7 cm (2–3 inches) long. Julienned vegetables cook quickly and look elegant in stir-fries, salads, and spring rolls.
K
- Knead
- To work dough by pushing, folding, and pressing it with your hands (or a stand mixer). Kneading develops gluten — the protein network that gives bread its structure and chew. Most bread doughs need 8–10 minutes of kneading.
M
- Macerate
- To soak fruit in sugar, alcohol, or other liquid to soften it and draw out its natural juices. Strawberries macerated in a little sugar for 20 minutes become syrupy and intensely flavoured — perfect for shortcakes or spooning over ice cream.
- Marinate
- To soak food (usually meat, fish, or tofu) in a seasoned liquid to add flavour and sometimes tenderise it. A marinade typically contains an acid (citrus juice, vinegar, or yoghurt), oil, and seasonings. Marinating times range from 30 minutes to overnight, depending on the food.
- Mince
- To cut food into very tiny, irregular pieces — smaller than a dice. Garlic is often minced so it distributes evenly and almost melts into a sauce. You can mince by rocking a knife across the ingredient repeatedly.
- Mise en place
- French for "everything in its place." It means measuring, cutting, and preparing all your ingredients before you start cooking. Having your mise en place ready makes cooking smoother, faster, and less stressful — especially for complex recipes.
N
- Nappe
- A consistency check for custards and sauces. The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and, when you draw a finger through it, the line holds without running. It's how you know a crème anglaise or stirred custard is done.
P
- Parboil
- To partially cook food in boiling water, then finish it using another method (roasting, frying, or grilling). Parboiling potatoes before roasting, for example, gives you a fluffy inside and a crispier outside than roasting alone.
- Poach
- To cook food gently in liquid held just below boiling point — around 70–80 °C (160–180 °F). The surface should barely shimmer, not bubble. Poaching is ideal for delicate foods like eggs, fish, and fruit, because the gentle heat keeps them tender.
- Proof (prove)
- To let yeast dough rest in a warm place so the yeast can ferment and produce gas, causing the dough to rise. Most bread recipes call for two proofs — a longer first rise (bulk fermentation) and a shorter second rise after shaping.
- Purée
- To blend or process food until it's completely smooth and lump-free. Soups, sauces, and baby food are commonly puréed using a blender, food processor, or stick blender.
R
- Reduce
- To boil a liquid (stock, wine, sauce) uncovered so that water evaporates and the liquid becomes thicker, more concentrated, and more intensely flavoured. Reducing a cup of stock by half, for instance, doubles its flavour intensity.
- Render
- To slowly melt fat out of a piece of meat or poultry by cooking it over low heat. Rendering bacon produces crispy meat and liquid fat (dripping) that you can use for cooking other things. Duck fat is often rendered and saved for roasting potatoes.
- Rest
- To let cooked meat sit undisturbed for a few minutes after it comes off the heat. Resting allows the juices — which have been pushed to the centre by the heat — to redistribute throughout the meat. A rested steak will be noticeably juicier than one cut immediately.
- Roux
- A mixture of equal parts fat (usually butter) and flour, cooked together as a base for thickening sauces. A white roux is cooked briefly and stays pale; a dark roux (used in Cajun and Creole cooking) is cooked longer until it turns deep brown and develops a nutty flavour.
S
- Sauté
- To cook food quickly in a small amount of fat over medium-high to high heat, stirring or tossing frequently. The word comes from the French "sauter" (to jump). Sautéing keeps food moving so it browns evenly without steaming.
- Scald
- To heat a liquid (usually milk or cream) until it's just below boiling — you'll see tiny bubbles forming around the edge and steam rising, but no full boil. Scalding is used in baking to dissolve sugar, melt butter into milk, or activate yeast.
- Score
- To make shallow cuts across the surface of food. Scoring bread dough lets it expand in the oven. Scoring the fat on a duck breast or pork belly helps it render and crisp up. Scoring fish helps marinades penetrate and heat reach the thickest parts.
- Sear
- To brown the surface of food (usually meat) very quickly over high heat. Searing creates a flavourful, caramelised crust through the Maillard reaction. It doesn't "seal in juices" (that's a myth), but it does add tremendous flavour and texture.
- Simmer
- To cook liquid at a temperature just below boiling — around 85–95 °C (185–205 °F). You'll see gentle, occasional bubbles breaking the surface. Simmering is the go-to for soups, stews, and sauces, where you want slow, even cooking without violent agitation.
- Skim
- To remove fat, foam, or impurities from the surface of a liquid using a spoon or ladle. Skimming stock as it simmers gives you a clearer, cleaner-tasting broth.
- Sweat
- To cook vegetables (typically onions, celery, and carrots) slowly over low heat with a little fat and often a lid. The goal is to soften them and release moisture without browning. Sweating is the first step in many soups and sauces.
T
- Temper
- In cooking, to gradually raise the temperature of a cold ingredient by slowly adding a hot one. For example, whisking a spoonful of hot milk into beaten eggs before adding the eggs to the pot — this prevents the eggs from scrambling. In chocolate work, tempering is a precise heating and cooling process that gives chocolate a glossy finish and satisfying snap.
- Truss
- To tie poultry (usually a whole chicken or turkey) with kitchen twine so it holds a compact shape during roasting. Trussing keeps the legs and wings close to the body, which promotes even cooking and a neater presentation.
U
- Umami
- Often called the "fifth taste" alongside sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Umami is a deep, savoury flavour found naturally in foods like Parmesan cheese, soy sauce, mushrooms, tomatoes, and seaweed. It's what makes certain foods taste rich and deeply satisfying.
W
- Water bath
- See bain-marie. A method of surrounding a cooking vessel with gently heated water to ensure even, gentle cooking. Essential for baking cheesecakes (prevents cracking), making crème brûlée, and tempering chocolate.
- Whisk
- To beat a mixture rapidly with a whisk, fork, or electric beaters to incorporate air and combine ingredients smoothly. Whisking egg whites to stiff peaks, for example, creates a foam that gives soufflés and meringues their lift.
Z
- Zest
- The thin, colourful outer layer of a citrus fruit's skin (not the bitter white pith underneath). Zest is packed with aromatic oils that add bright, intense flavour to baked goods, dressings, and sauces. Use a microplane, fine grater, or vegetable peeler to remove it.
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