Four Kitchen Terms Every Budding Chef Should Know

January 22, 2015 | greystar

Becoming a more adventurous cook has it benefits, namely the delicious new food you can create and the sense of accomplishment in doing so. In order to try new things in the kitchen, however, it's necessary to understand some previously unfamiliar cooking terms. Here are four you should keep in mind when you're trying out a new recipe:

  1. Reduce. Savory sauces often call for part or all of them to be reduced. This means to thicken them by boiling them down so as to intensify flavor without adding any fat.
  2. Deglaze. If you’re preparing a meat or vegetable, you can deglaze it once it's browned by adding wine or stock to the pan over high heat. The deep coloring that is remaining in the pan is scraped and mixed with the wine or stock
  3. Marinate. To marinate means to let meat or veggies set for a few hours in either seasoned liquid or dry herbs and spices. During this time, the food absorbs flavors, and it will retain them during cooking.
  4. Dredge. Often before you cook or fry dishes like chicken fingers or eggplant, the recipe asks you to dredge them. This means coating them with either bread crumbs or flour.

The Basic Kitchen: Glossary of Cooking Terms [Le Petites Gourmettes]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [Better Homes and Gardens]
Cooking Terms [Recipe Goldmine]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [Cookery]
Culinary Terms: Food Dictionary and Glossary of Cooking Terms [Culinary Arts About.com]

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