French Cooking Terms

Herbs and cream, cheese and wine, ahhhhh ... French cuisine!

Here's a list of a few French cooking terms and ingredients. See the link at the end for lots more information.

Agneau: Lamb

Aspic : Savory jelly for cold dishes

Aubergine : Eggplant

Au gratin : Dishes prepared with sauce and crumbs and baked

Boeuf : Beef

Bouchees : Very thin patties or cakes, as name indicates – mouthfuls

Baba : A peculiar, sweet French yeast cake

Bechamel : A rich, white sauce made with stock

Bisque : A white soup made of shell fish

To Blanch : To place any article on the fire till it boils, then plunge it in cold water; to whiten poultry, vegetables, etc. To remove the skin by immersing in boiling water

Bouillon : A clear soup, stronger than broth, yet not so strong as consommé

Braise : Meat cooked in a closely covered stew-pan, so that it retains its own flavor and those of the vegetables and flavorings put with it

Brioche : A very rich, unsweetened, French cake made with yeast

Canard : Duck

Cannelon : Stuffed rolled-up meat

Carotte : Carrot

Champignon de Paris : Mushroom

Consomme : Clear soup or bouillon boiled down till very rich, i.e. consumed

Courgette : Zucchini

Croquettes : A savory mince of fish or fowl, made with sauce into shapes, and fried

Croustades : Fried forms of bread to serve minces, or other meats upon

Dinde : Turkey

Echalotte : Shallot

Entrée : A small dish, usually served between the courses at dinner

Escargot : Snails

Fondue : A light preparation of melted cheese

Fondant : Sugar boiled and beaten to a creamy paste

Haricot Verts : French green bean

Hollandaise Sauce : A rich sauce, something like hot mayonnaise

Matelote : A rich fish stew, with wine

Mayonnaise : A rich salad dressing

Meringue : Sugar and white of egg beaten to sauce

Marmade : A liquor of spices, vinegar, etc. in which fish or meats are steeped before cooking

Miroton : Cold meat warmed in various ways, and dished in circular form

Navet : Turnip

Oie : Goose

Pigeon : Squab

Piquante : A sauce of several flavors, acid predominating

Poireau: Leek

Pomme de Terre : Potato

Porc : Pork

Poulet : Chicken

Poulette sauce : A béchamel sauce, to which white wine and sometimes eggs are added

Purse : This name is given to very thick soups, the ingredients for thickening which have been rubbed through a sieve

Quenelles : Forcemeat with bread, yolk of eggs, highly seasoned, and formed with a spoon to an oval shape; then poached and used either as a dish by themselves, or to garnish

Ragout : A rich, brown stew, with mushrooms, vegetables, etc.

Remoulade : A salad dressing differing from mayonnaise, in that the eggs are hard boiled and rubbed in a mortar with mustard, herbs, etc.

Rissole : Rich mince of meat or fish, rolled in thin pastry and fried

Roux : A cooked mixture of butter and flour, for thickening soups and stews

Salmi : A rich stew of game, cut up and dressed, when half roasted

Sauter : To toss meat, etc. over the fire, in a little fat

Souffle : A very light, much whipped-up pudding or omelette

Timbale : A sort of pie in a mold

Truffe : Truffle

Veau : Veal

Vol au vents : Patties of very light puff paste, made without a dish or mold, and filled with meat or preserves, etc.

Here's a link to an excellent hubpage about the wonderful Julia Child. http://hubpages.com/hub/French-Cook-Book-French-Cooking-Methods

A most comprehensive history of French cooking:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cuisine