Preparing Food: English Vocabulary List

to dissolve and loosen cooked food particles from the bottom of a pan by adding liquid, often wine, broth, or stock, during cooking

"Deglaze the pan with wine."

"After searing the meat deglaze the pan with red wine to loosen the browned bits."

to expose something to fresh air, often to refresh, dry, or ventilate it

"Aerate the soil before planting seeds."

"You should aerate your lawn once a year to help the grass roots grow deeper."

to coat or cover food, typically with flour or breadcrumbs, before cooking

"Dredge the chicken pieces in flour."

"Dredge the chicken pieces in flour before frying them to get a crispy golden crust."

to form and press dough or wet clay with the hands

"Knead the dough for ten minutes."

"You need to knead the bread dough for at least ten minutes to develop the gluten."

to cook food, especially meat or fish, at a very high temperature

"We chargrill the vegetables for extra flavor."

"The restaurant is famous for its chargrilled burgers cooked over an open flame."

to partly boil food, especially vegetables

"Parboil the potatoes before frying them."

"Parboil the potatoes for five minutes before roasting them to ensure a fluffy interior."

to quickly fry food in a small amount of hot oil

"Saute the onions until they are translucent."

"Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until they become soft and fragrant."

to cook food, especially meat or fish, under or over direct heat

"Broil the fish for five minutes."

"Broil the fish for five minutes on each side until the skin becomes crispy and brown."

to prepare or cut a piece of meat or fish into boneless, flat pieces, typically removing bones in the process

"Filet the fish carefully with a sharp knife."

"The fisherman taught me how to filet a whole salmon using a sharp flexible knife."

to cook food at a low temperature with a small amount of liquid in a closed container

"Braise the beef in red wine."

"Braise the beef slowly for three hours until it becomes tender enough to fall apart."

to grill or barbecue food over direct high heat

"We charboiled the steaks for dinner."

"The chef decided to charboil the steak over an open flame to give it a smoky flavor and a crispy dark crust on the outside."

to split and flatten a poultry or game bird for cooking

"He spatchcocked the chicken for faster roasting."

"The chef showed us how to spatchcock a chicken for faster and more even cooking."

to pour fat, juices, or other liquid over the surface of food, such as meat or vegetables, while it is cooking

"Baste the turkey with its juices."

"You should baste the turkey every half hour to keep the meat moist and juicy."

a cooking method that involves exposing food to heat, often over a fire or under a grill

"Broiling chicken for dinner."

"The chef recommended the broiling method for achieving a perfectly crispy exterior on the fish."

to briefly immerse food in boiling water, often followed by rapid cooling, to preserve color, remove skin, or prepare for freezing

"Blanch the vegetables in boiling water."

"Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for thirty seconds then remove the skins easily."

to heat a liquid, especially milk or water until it boils or gets close to that degree

"Scald the milk before adding it."

"The recipe instructs to scald the milk gently before adding it to the dough mixture."

to allow a food ingredient, such as gelatin or yeast, to absorb liquid and soften or expand

"Gelatin will bloom."

"You must allow the gelatin to bloom in cold water before adding it to the hot mixture."

to heat or cook food rapidly using a microwave oven

"He nuked his leftovers in the microwave."

"You can nuke the frozen vegetables in the microwave for two minutes if you are in a hurry and do not have time to cook them properly on the stove."

to cook food in hot oil or fat until it bursts open or becomes crispy, such as popcorn

"Corn will pop."

"The kernels began to pop energetically as they heated up in the specialized popping machine."

to heat or cook food quickly using a microwave oven

"Zap the food in the microwave."

"You can zap the leftover soup in the microwave for about two minutes before eating it."

a method of slow-cooking meat in fat at a low temperature to achieve tender, flavorful results

"The duck confit was very tender."

"Confit is a traditional French preservation method where meat is salted and slowly cooked in its own rendered fat"