French cuisine is considered among the finest in the world.
The top chefs are trained in France and command respect from in the culinary realm. French
cuisine is an elegant style of cooking.
French cooking starts with a foundation in both preparation and underlying recipes that
form more complex dishes.
Our glossary of French cooking terms is not just
a list of ingredient definitions, but a checklist of items to know thoroughly by quality,
freshness, region of production, and technique for perfect preparation.
Some of the basic techniques of French cooking:
Saute:
The method of cooking food using a small amount of butter or oil in a shallow pan over relatively
high heat. Sauter means "to jump," in French, and the food being sautéed
is kept moving, either rapidly stirred or shaken over heat.
Cutting:
· Brunoise refers to cutting food into small dice where 1/8-inch square is the standard.
· Dicing refers to cutting food into small dice where 1/8-inch square is the standard.
· Chopping refers to cutting food into small dice where 1/8-inch square is the standard.
Stock
Stocks form the basis of many dishes. Stock is prepared by simmering various ingredients
in water, or the broth left over cooking meats, fish, bones, or vegetables.
Sauce
Sauces add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to other dishes and play a vital role in
French cuisine. There are many sauces in classic French cooking including Béchamel,
Espagnole, Hollandaise, Mayonnaise, Tomato sauce, and Velouté. All are used as the
base for other sauces.
French cuisine is very diverse. The different regions that make up France and french cooking
offer a variety of ingredients and styles.
French wine and French cheese are an integral part of French cuisine, both as ingredients
and accompaniments.
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