Basic French Cooking Terms You May Know Already

Some familiarity with terms should make things clearer when cooking. Many times, a few simple word changes make a whole different recipe.

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Common Cooking Vocabulary

1.        Sous Vide: vacuum-sealed bags in a water bath at controlled temperatures to lock in flavors. I rarely use it.

2.        Roux: Equal parts of flour and fat (often butter), cooked together to thicken sauces and soups. Get rid of all of the lumps.

3.        Béchamel: A creamy sauce made with butter, flour, and milk. Basically, a roux with added milk or cream. Often used as a base for other sauces or in creamy dishes.

4.        Julienne: vegetables cut into matchsticks.

5.        Chiffonade: cutting super thin strips leafy vegetables or herbs, usually for garnish.

6.        Crème Fraîche: Cultured cream with a thick texture and a tangy taste. I will often substitute with yogurt, sour cream or fromage blanc.

7.        Mirepoix: diced carrots, celery, and onions as a base for stocks, soups, and stews. That’s it. It goes in every soup here.

8.        En Papillote: food enclosed in parchment paper or foil with herbs or liquids and baked. A favorite technique for fish.

9.        Coulis: Pureed and strained fruits or vegetables, used as a sauce or garnish.

10.  Bouquet Garni: A bundle of classic French herbs, typically thyme, parsley, and bay leaf, to flavor soups and stews. Bright green is best.

11.  Demi-glace: A very thick sauce of reduced veal stock used as a base or a glaze. Does magic with meats.

A few more frequently confused terms, just in case:

1. Braise vs. Broil:

   - Braise: Slow cooking in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot. Ideal for tough cuts of meat – usually over 2-3 hours

   - Broil: Fast cooking, usually in a broiler, browning the surface of food – under 10 minutes. If you broil a braising cut of meat, you probably won’t be able to chew it.

2. Bake vs. Roast:

   - Bake: Dry heat in an oven - cakes to casseroles.

   - Roast: Dry heat in oven, - meats and vegetables. That’s it.

3. Simmer vs. Boil:

   - Simmer: boiling with small bubbles

   - Boil: boiling with large bubbles

4. Chop vs. Dice:

·      Chop: rough cuts, less concerned with precision.

·      Dice: Cutting into uniform cubes. The French love nice uniform shapes and they cook at the same speed.

5. Marinate vs. Macerate:

·      Marinate: Soaking food, usually meat, in a liquid before cooking. A few minutes to a few hours, really.

·      Macerate: Softening or breaking down fruit (typically with sugar, syrup, or alcohol). This takes weeks. I don’t even know what a macerated steak would be like.

6. Zest vs. Juice:

·      Zest: The colored outer skin of citrus fruit, grated. Not the white pith beneath, which can get bitter.

·      Juice: liquid from fruits and vegetables. Meats don’t have “juice,” but we say that.

7. Sauté vs. Sear:

·      Sauté: Quickly cooking and browning food over high heat. Keep it moving.

·      Sear: Browning meats quickly over high heat. Don’t move it more than a few times.

8. Ferment vs. Pickle:

·      Ferment: chemical breakdown with bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms, used for foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and yogurt.

·      Pickle: Preserving food in acid, like vinegar, or saltwater brine. The brine will ferment with sugars from the vegetables to make an acid.

9. Proof vs. Ferment:

·      Proof: The final rise before baking for breads.

·      Ferment: A broader term - the process in which yeast converts sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide, used in making bread, beer, and other foods.

10. Fold vs. Stir:

·      Fold: Gently combining light and heavy heavier mixtures, turned as little as possible to mix

·      Stir: Mixing ingredients together for even consistency

There’s more if you want it: check out this comprehensive list.