The recipe glossary

The recipe glossary

Recipe terms decoded so you never have to hesitate again

The essentials

• Sweat: cook a vegetable gently in fat, covered, without browning, to soften it and release its moisture.
• Add liquid: add a liquid, such as water, broth, or wine, to a preparation to start or continue cooking.
• Deglaze: pour a liquid into a hot pan to loosen the caramelized juices stuck to the bottom.
• Season: adjust the salt, pepper, and spices of a dish while maintaining the balance of flavors.
• Adjust seasoning: taste at the end of cooking and correct the seasoning if needed (salt, acidity, or heat).
• Set aside: put a preparation or ingredient aside to use later in the recipe.

For sauces

• Mount: whisk cold butter into a sauce off the heat to smooth and thicken it.
• Thicken: thicken a liquid with an ingredient like flour, heavy cream, or an egg yolk.
• Dust with flour: sprinkle a preparation with flour during cooking to start a thickening process.
• Coat: pour a sauce over a dish to cover it evenly, or test its consistency by coating the back of a spoon.
• Emulsify: combine two liquids that do not naturally mix, like oil and vinegar, into a homogeneous whole.
• Clarify: separate the impurities or whey from butter or stock to obtain a clear liquid.

For doughs and pastry

• Equal parts: a mixture of two ingredients in equal weight, most often almond flour and powdered sugar.
• Whip: incorporate air into a preparation by whisking it to make it light and voluminous.
• Détrempe: the base mixture for puff pastry, consisting of flour, water, and salt, before incorporating the butter.
• Proof: let a yeast dough rest for its first fermentation before degassing it.
• Roll out: flatten a dough with a rolling pin to the desired thickness.
• Score the edges: lightly notch the edge of puff pastry with a knife so that it rises beautifully during baking.

Common mistakes

• Confusing sweating and sautéing: sweating is done covered and without browning; sautéing browns the food and is done uncovered.
• Confusing adding liquid and drowning: adding liquid uses just the right amount; drowning adds too much and dilutes all the flavor.
• Forgetting to adjust seasoning: a dish tasted cold or right after cooking may seem bland when it actually isn't once served.
• Coating randomly: without testing on the back of a spoon, you might serve a sauce that is too thin or too thick.