French cooking terms (D-L)

Dariole

A small cylindrical mold used for the creation of baked desserts.

Déglacer

To deglaze, or loosen the browned juices and fats from the bottom of a frying pan or saucepan by adding liquid, then bringing to a boil and stirring. The liquid is usually water, wine or stock.

Dégorger

To extract juices from meat, fish or vegetables, usually by salting them, then soaking or washing. It is usually done to remove a strong taste.

Demi-glace

The process of reducing a stock down to a very concentrated form.

Dépouiller

To skim off the skin that accumulates at the top of a stock or sauce.

Duxelles

Finely chopped raw mushrooms, used as a stuffing. Sometimes combined with chopped ham or scallops.

En croute

Wrapped in pastry and then baked in an oven.

Entrecôte

Sirloin steak.

Entrée

The term used to refer to something served before the main course but is used now to refer to the actual main course.

Entremet

A dessert or sweet – but does not include pastries.

Escalope

A thin, boneless slice of meat.

Farce

Stuffing.

Flamber or Flambé

One of the most vivid French cooking terms, to flambe is to set an alcohol — usually brandy — on fire.

Fond

The french word for a stock.

Frappé

Something that is iced, or set on or in a bed of ice.

Fricassé

A stew made from poultry, meat or rabbit that has a white sauce.

Glace de Viande

Reduced brown stock used to add color and flavour to sauces.

Gratiner or Au Gratin

To sprinkle the surface of a cooked food with breadcrumbs and butter, and sometimes cheese and left brown under heat. The finished food is referred to as au gratin as in au gratin potatoes.

Hors d’Oeuvre

The first course or appetiser.

Jardiniere

Vegetables cut into batons — similar to julienne but thicker.

Julienne

A standard Julienne cut is 4mm x 4mm x 5cm, or ⅛ x ⅛ x 2 inches. ⅛th of an inch is approx. 3mm, but these sizes do vary. Many of the names we give to cutting and preparing foods are French cooking terms.

Jus or Jus de Viande

A French word loosely translated into “juice”, but has a more specific meaning than the translation. In French cookery it is primarily a sauce made by diluting the pan juices of a roast with liquid then boiling it in the roasting pan until all of the sediment has absorbed into the stock. Also used to describe thickened or clear brown stock, especially veal. The juices squeezed from raw vegetables or fruits are also referred to as “jus.”

Jus Lié

Thickened gravy.

Liaison

Ingredients used for thickening sauces, soups or other liquids.

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