Culinary Test 1

Mis en place

A French term literally meaning "put in place", mis en place refers to preparing and measuring out all ingredients for a recipe in advance. Once a chef begins cooking a specific dish, everything should be in place.

Remouillage

A French word that means "re-wetting"/ "re-wet". It is a stock that is made from bones that have already been used once to make a stock. May be used in the place of water when starting a new stock.

Dutchess Potatoes (duh-shees)

A Puree of cooked potatoes, egg yolks and butter, seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg; can be eaten as is or used to prepare several classic potato dishes.

Oignon Pique

A bay leaf tacked with a clove to a peeled 1/4 onion; used to flavor sauces and soups.

Duxelles

A coarse paste made of mushrooms with shallots in butter used in sauces and stuffing.

Reduction

A cooking liquid such as a sauce until its quantity decreases through evaporation.

Risotto

A cooking method for grains in which the grains are lightly sauteed in butter and then a liquid is gradually added; the mixture is simmered with near-constant stirring until the still-firm grains merge with the cooking liquid.

Crouquette

A food that has been pureed or bound with a thick sauce (usually bechamel or veloute) made into small shapes and then breaded and deep fried.

Mince

A knife technique in which food ingredients are finely chopped. The effect is to create a closely bonded mixture of ingredients and a soft or pasty texture.

Chiffonade

A knife technique in which herbs or leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and basil) are cut into long, thin strips. Leaves are stacked, rolled together into a cigarette shape, then thinly sliced to make a fine shred.

Cheesecloth

A loosewoven cotton cloth used in cheese making, such as to press cheese curds for poutine. Also used in straining stocks and custards, bundling herbs, making tofu, and thickening yogurt.

Mirepoix

A mixture of coarsly chopped onion, celery and carrot used to flavor stocks, stews sauces and other foods.

Liaisons

A mixture of egg yolks and heavy cream used to thicken and enrich sauces.

Rondeau

A shallow, wide, straight-sided pot with two loop handles.

Brigade

A system of roles in the kitchen such as; Executive Chef Chef de Cuisine/Working Chef Sous-Chef Chef de Partie (ind. station chef) • Poissonnier (Fish) • Saucier (sauces & stocks) • Rôtisseur (roasting, broilling, grilling braising) • Grillardin (broil, grill, deep-fry) • Garde Manger (Cold Station) • Entremetier (Veg., Egg, & Side dishes + Soups) • Patissier (pastry) Commis (Assistant).

Beurre Manie

A thickening agent where flour worked into butter at room temperature.

Emulsion

A uniform mixtre of two unmixable substances.

Shocking

Also called refreshing; the technique of quickly chilling blanched or parcooked foods in ice water; prevents further cooking and sets colors.

Hollandaise

An emulsified sauce made of butter, egg yolks and flavorings (especially lemon juice).

Glaces

Another word for glazes. Stock reduced until syrupy and intensely flavored.

Aromatics

Any of various plants, herbs and spices (such as bay leaf, ginger, garlic, peppers, onions, shallots. Carrots, leeks or parsley) that impart a lively fragrance and flavor to food and drink.

Matignon

At its most basic is a vegetable mixture that has been cooked down to a pulp.

Beurre Fondu

Butter emulsified with a little water. Mixture emulsifies as water simmers or boils.

Clarified Butter

Butter from which the milk solids and impurities have been skimmed off after heating. This process is done to increase the smoke point.

Oignon Brulée

Charred onion halves; used to flavor and color stocks and sauces.

Mignonnette Sauce

Coarsely crushed whole peppercorns in vinegar with shallots.

Sauce Espagnole/ Brown Sauce (mother sauce)

Contains: • Fond de Veau/ Braisière (Veal Stock/ Brown Beef and Veal Stock) • Flour • Butter • Lardons • Mirepoix (Carrots & Onions) • Tomatoes, chopped • Tomato Paste • Garlic Clove, crushed • Tarragon • Mushroom Trimmings

Dry Heat Cooking Methods

Cooking methods, principally broiling, grilling, roasting and baking, sauteing, pan-frying and deep-frying, that use air or fat to transfer heat through conduction and convection; dry-heat cooking methods allow surface sugars to carmelize.

Moist-Heat Cooking Methods

Cooking methods, principally simmering, poaching, boiling and steaming that use water or steam to transfer heat.

Tourner

Exactly describes the act of turning vegetables into football shapes and has 7 sides.

Mother Sauces

1. Bechamel 2. Espagnole 3. Tomato 4. Hollondaise 5. Velouté.

Un Blanc

Flour + Water + Lemon Juice + Oil + Salt. When used to cook an item (i.e. Artichokes), the item is said to be cooked à Blanc.

Demi-glace

French word for "half-glaze"; a mixture of half brown stock and half brown sauce reduced by half.

Demi Glace

French word for "half-glaze"; a mixure of half brown stock an half brown sauce reduced by half.

Bouillon

In French cuisine, is simply a broth. It is usually made by the simmering of Mirepoix and aromatic herbs (usually a bouquet garni) with either beef, veal, or poultry bones in boiling water.

Bouquet Garni

Is a bundle of herbs tied together with string, tied in cheesecloth, or wrapped in a leek green. Mainly used in preparing soup, stock, and various stews to add flavor. Contains parsley stems, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf.

Stock

Is a flavoured liquid. It forms the basis of many dishes, particularly soups and sauces. Stock is prepared by simmering various ingredients in water.

Broth

Is a liquid in which bones, meat, fish, cereal grains, or vegetables have been simmered and strained out. Used as a basis for other edible liquids such as soup, gravy, or sauce.

Allumette/Julienne

Is a matchstick-sized cut, (1/8 in. x 1/8 in. x 2in.) long, used for vegetables.

Chinois

Is an extremely fine meshed conical sieve used for straining soups and sauces to produce a very smooth texture.

Bâtonnet

Items cut into pieces somewhat larger than allumette or julienne; 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch x 2 to 2 1/2 inches is the standard. Translated to English as `stick` or `small stick.`

Small Sauces

Made by adding one or more ingredients to a leading sauce; they are grouped together in families based on their leading sauces.

Sachet d'épices

Most commonly consists of aromatic ingredients that are encased in cheesecloth. It is used to flavor stocks and other liquids. Classically contains parsley stems, cracked peppercorns, dried thyme, and a bay leaf.

White Mirepoix

Onions, Leeks, Celery, Mushrooms or Mushroom Scraps (optional). Used in fish stocks or other liquids where a white final product is desired.

Clarification

Process by which a stock is made more flavorful and perfectly clear. Requires: 1. Ground lean protein 2. Egg whites (3/liter or 90 grams/liter) 3. Aromatic vegetables Albumen in egg whites + other ingredients creates a raft which floats to the top of heated stock (carrying impurities).

Brunoise

Produced by cutting Julienne into cubes. Cut into 1/8 in. x1/8 in. x1/8 in.

Clarified Butter

Purified butterfat; the butter is melted and the water and milk solids are removed.

Rondelle

Round cuts made with tubular vegetables. Straight or angled cut.

Velouté

Roux + White Stock (fish, veal, or chicken)

Roux classifications

Roux Blanc (White), Roux Blond and Roux Brun (Brown).

Spider

Similar in purpose to a sieve, like a shallow wire basket on a long handle. This kitchen utensil is most often used to retrieve foods that are being cooked in pots or pans of hot liquid.

Purées

Soups made of liquid and fresh or dried vegetables cooked together, then thickened by adding the vegetables back after removing and blending.

Fume

The French name for a fish stock.

Fond

The concentrations of juices, drippings and bits of food left in pans after foods are roasted or sautteed; it is used to flavor sauces made directly in the pans in which foods were cooked.

Nappe

The consistency of a liquid, usually a sauce, that will coat the back of of the spoon.

Carryover cooking

The cooking that occurs after a food is removed from the heat source; it is accomplished by the residual heat remaining in the food.

Emulsification

The process by which generally unmixable liquids, such as oil and water , are forced into in a uniform distribution.

Caramelization

The process of cooking sugars; the browning of sugar enhances the flavor and appearance of foods.

Slurry

Thickening agent. Cold liquid mixed into starch, then added to item to be thickened.

Sauce Suprême

This is also called Veloute Blanc + Cream (White Roux + White Stock + Cream)

Slice

This technique is described when the knife points at 45 degree angle and you press down and forward to make a clean cut.

Concassé

This term is most specifically applied to tomatoes. The tomato that has been peeled, seeded (seeds and membranes removed), and chopped to specified dimensions.

Monter au Beurre

To finish a sauce by swirling or whisking in butter (raw or compound) until it is melted; used to give sauces shine, flavor and richness.

Suprême (citrus)

To peel and cut a fruit that has segments, and then cut out each individual segment. The resulting segments (without membrane).

Deglaze

To swirl or stir in a liquid (usually wine or stock) in a pan to disolve cooked food particles remaining on the bottom; mixture becomes the base for the sauce.

Ragout

Traditioanally, a well-seasoned, rich stew containing meat, vegetables and wine.

Ice water bath

Used to immediately arrests the cooking process. Item is directly immersed in a bowl of ice and cold water, or a second container holding the cooked item is placed in the ice water bath. Method using ice water bath to stop cooking is called shocking.

Court Bouillon

Water simmered with vegetables, seasonings and an acidic product such as vinegar or wine; used for simmering or poaching fish, shellfish or vegetables.