Dacor Wall Ovens manual Glossary of Culinary Terms

Glossary of Culinary Terms

Knead- the technique of pressing, fold- ing and turning a yeast dough in order to develop its glutens, causing the dough to rise. It is essential for any yeast dough. A well-kneaded dough will be smooth and elastic.

Macaroons- a cookie made of eggs (usually whites) and almond paste or coconut.

Mince- to cut food into very small pieces.

Mousse- a soft or creamy dessert that is made light by the addition of whipped cream, egg whites, or both.

Parchment paper- oil and moisture- resistant paper used to line baking sheets and pans to prevent baked items from sticking.

Pavlova- a crisp meringue dessert topped whipped cream and fruit or fruit sauce.

Peel- a flat wooden shovel used to place hearth breads in an oven and to remove them.

Phyllo- a paper- thin dough or pastry used to make strudels or various Greek or Mediterranean desserts.

Pissaladiere- a flaky, pizza-like tart topped with onions, black olives and tomatoes. It is a specialty of Nice, France.

Popovers- a puffy, muffin-sized bread with crisp brown crust and a somewhat hollow, moist interior. The batter consists of milk, flour, butter and eggs and expands as it bakes.

Profiterole- a small puff of éclair paste. Often filled with ice cream and served with chocolate sauce.

Proof- the process of fermenting yeast dough. This starts with dissolving yeast in a warm liquid, then allowing it to swell and become bubbly. This “proves” that the yeast is alive and is capable of producing a leavened bread.

Prosciutto- dry-cured, spiced Italian ham. Available in gourmet markets.

Puff pastry- a very light, flaky pastry made from a rolled-in dough and leav- ened by steam, Puff Pastry is a rolled-in dough—meaning that it has many layers of fat (butter) sandwiched between layers of dough. When the butter melts, it releases steam, causing the dough to puff up. Great care needs to be taken to have the correct dough ingredient amounts and the butter needs to be refrigerated before baking to get the maximum rise.

Puree- a food made into a smooth pulp, usually by being ground or forced through a sieve.

Reduce- to thicken and intensify the flavor of a sauce by boiling it down through evaporation.

Sauté- to cook food quickly in a small amount of oil.

Scones- a type of biscuit or a biscuit-like bread.

Sear- to brown meat quickly. The object of searing is to seal in the meat’s juices.

Shock- to submerge briefly in ice- water to stop the cooking process.

Shortbread- a crisp cookie made of butter, sugar, and flour.

Simmer- to cook food gently in liquid at a temperature low enough to just form tiny bubbles around the edge of the pan.

Soufflé- a baked dish containing whipped egg whites, which cause the dish to rise during baking.

Sponge- a batter or dough of yeast, flour and water that is allowed to ferment and is then mixed with flour and other ingre- dients to make a bread dough.

Sponge cake- a type of cake made by whipping eggs and sugar to a foam, then folding in flour.

Springform Pan- a round pan with high, straight sides that expand with the aid or a spring or clamp. The pan also has a removable bottom when the clamp on the side is released. This allows cakes to be removed easily by removing the pan’s sides.

Stock- a liquid resulting from boiling vegetables, meats and their bones in water.

Stollen- a type of sweet yeast bread with fruit.

Streusel- a crumbly topping for baked goods, consisting of fat, sugar, and flour rubbed together.

Superfine sugar- more finely granulated sugar. To make this, you can grind granulated sugar in a food processor. This type of sugar is better for baking, or topping/ broiling crème brulee.

Tart pan- a shallow, round baking dish made of aluminum with a removable bottom. The 1-inch sides of the pan are fluted.

Tempering- the process of melting and cooling chocolate to specific tempera- tures in order to prepare it for dipping, coating or molding.

Wash- a liquid brushed onto the surface of a product, usually before baking.

Water Bath or Bain Marie- a technique used to cook delicate dishes, such as custards and sauces. It consists of placing a container of food in a large, shallow pan of water. The food can be cooked in this manner on the cooktop or in the oven. The purpose of this technique is to surround the food with gentle, consistent heat.

Whip- to beat ingredients to incorporate air into them, thereby increasing their volume, until they are light and fluffy. This technique is commonly used for egg whites and cream.

Zest- the colored outer portion of a citrus fruit’s peel.

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