GLOSSARY OF COOKING TERMS Note: Please scroll down to find BOUQUET GARNI A bouquet garni (pronounced boo-KAY-gahr-NEE) is a collection of herbs and seasonings that are placed in a cheesecloth "bundle" (a double-thickness of cheesecloth tied up into a bag with string) or enclosed in a large tea-infuser, or simply tied together - which are used to flavor a slow cooked liquid dish, such as a soup or stew. The bouquet garni is usually composed of celery (especially if needed to enclose a tied-together bundle), parsley, thyme, a bay leaf, and a few peppercorns, although it may include other aromatic seasonings appropriate to the dish as well, or instead of, those listed above.
A concasse is simply a fancy French term describing tomatoes that have been peeled, seeded and chopped into about a 1/4-inch dice. It comes from the French verb concasser which means to pound or coarsely chop - and the term may refer to parsley or another vegetable, but is most often used to refer to tomatoes. (pronounced koo LEE)
Among the simplest ways to finish a sautéed piece of poultry, fish or meat, is to use the de-fatted pan drippings (which are intensely infused with the flavor-essence of the food) to make what is called a "deglazing" sauce. The technique is simply to add some flavorings, often shallots and/or garlic to the drippings, cook for a minute or two, then "deglaze" the pan, by adding wine (usually) but any liquid will do: vinegar, broth, juice, even water. The added liquid cleans the pan (brown bits and stuck-on drippings are deliciously incorporated into the sauce), and the sauce may then be mellowed with the addition of a mild liquid such as broth or cream. A few minutes simmer to "marry" the flavors, the addition of a fresh herb or a swirl of emulsifying butter, if desired, and the sauce is ready to be poured over the sautéed item and presented for service. DUTCH OVEN A Dutch oven is simply a heavy, covered casserole or pot. It has a well-fitted lid, so that steam cannot readily escape, and it is made of a heavy material such as cast iron or enamel-coated iron, to hold in heat. Dutch ovens are used for braising - that is, cooking slowly in the presence of moisture (examples would be stews and pot roasts). EMULSION / EMULSIFIED SAUCE An emulsion is an integrated mixture of two liquids that wouldn't ordinarily mix together - such as oil and water. An Emulsified Sauce is a sauce that is made from these two types of otherwise un-blendable ingredients; so an emulsified sauce, by definition, is the result of the successful suspension of one such element into the other, to make a smooth product. FOLDING IN / TO FOLD IN When a recipe calls for "folding in" an ingredient - instead of stirring, mixing, or otherwise incorporating that ingredient - it means that the ingredient being added must be blended in in such a way that the air in the new ingredient will not be forced out by the way it is added. NON-REACTIVE A pot or pan is said to be "non-reactive" when it is made of a material that will not interact with any foods cooked in that vessel. Some materials, such as untreated (shiny) aluminum and cast iron, will react to acidic foods such as tomatoes, wine or citrus juices. The pot will discolor, and the food may acquire a metallic taste. Even stocks can react to certain metals. REDUCE / REDUCING / REDUCTION To "reduce" a liquid (usually a stock or wine or sauce - sometimes just cream) means to boil it until some of the water in the liquid evaporates, which intensifies its flavor. Because the evaporation also reduces the volume of the liquid, there is less liquid at the end, as well - and some thickening occurs. This thickening is not the same as if a thickener such as flour had been added, but a more syrup-y consistency may result from reducing. ZEST The "zest" is the colored part of citrus peel. It may be lemon, orange, tangerine or grapefruit peel, but the important consideration is that the COLORED part of the peel is the part used - the white "pith" under the colored skin is bitter - and the colored part contains the essential oils of the fruit, with their intensity of flavor. Citrus zest can be removed by an ordinary hand-held grater - using the side with the smallest holes for the smallest pieces of zest. This, however, can be a tedious procedure. A better plan is to buy a "zester," which is a hand-held kitchen tool with a small, stainless steel wedge above the handle, along the top of which is a row of tiny holes. When the zester is scraped down the skin of a citrus fruit, very small strips of the peel (colored part only) will strip off through the holes. It took me forever to discover that the sharpness of the zester had EVERYTHING to do with the efficiency of the chore. Buy a sharp zester (see below); if it is dull or difficult to use, return it and find another brand. The proper tool will make a world of difference. THE MEXICAN KITCHEN CHILES - DRIED RED There is a whole array of dried chiles used in the Mexican kitchen, each one with its own distinctive flavor. Some, like chipotle chiles are smoked, as well as dried (chipotles are smoked and dried jalapenos). Dried chiles are prepared for use in recipes by softening them (best accomplished by soaking in hot, not boiling, water for no more than 30 minutes; discard soaking water) and also, sometimes by toasting them gently before soaking. When dried red chiles are toasted, they develop a lot more flavor - but great care must be taken not to toast them too much, or they will taste acrid. (Better to skip the toasting step entirely, then to over-brown them.) Dried chiles may be toasted by turning them on a dry skillet or griddle over medium heat until fragrant and just slightly browned on the areas that touch the pan. They may also be cut into strips and heated that way to toast them. They may also be fried in oil - which adds an even richer toasty flavor. Stems and seeds are removed either before or after toasting, but always before using the chiles in recipes. CHILES - FRESH GREEN Fresh green chiles are found in many varieties in Southern Californian markets. A good rule of thumb is the smaller they are, the hotter they are; each variety has its own distinctive flavor. They are often best tasting when roasted before using. To accomplish this, you have a choice of techniques: ENCHILADAS Enchiladas are softened cornmeal tortillas, most commonly in this country wrapped around a filling of meat, cheese, poultry, fish or the like, although in Mexico, enchiladas are sometimes dipped in sauce and cooked, then folded without filling, and the filling is spooned on top. The usual way the tortilla "softening" step is accomplished, is to dip the tortilla into the enchilada sauce, then fry it in a bit of fat, turning to cook both sides, until it is soft (about 2 or 3 minutes). Then, the filling is spooned down the center, the enchilada is placed in a baking dish, seam-side down, and the remaining sauce is poured over when the dish has been filled with enchiladas. Then, the whole thing is baked (sometimes topped with cheese) until heated throughout. A lower-fat approach is to steam the tortillas to soften them, then roll them around the filling, pour over the sauce and bake as usual. MASA Masa is a dough made from field corn (not the kind of sweet corn that we enjoy as "corn on the cob"). Field corn is dry and starchy, and is treated by soaking it in pickling lime (calcium hydroxide) to dissolve the outer hull of the corn kernels. Then the damp kernels are rinsed and stone ground into a paste to make masa "dough" for tortillas or tamales. Dehydrated masa is a powdered meal that is sold in markets as "masa harina" and can be mixed with water to make the same kind of dough for tortillas or tamales. TACO A taco is sometimes a crisp, deep-fried tortilla, shaped by folding it, to contain cheese, lettuce, meats, tomatoes, and so on, or a taco (deep fried and crisp ) may be served flat and topped with various ingredients (a "tostada") or shaped into a bowl-like structure to contain a "taco salad". The word "taco" may also refer to a "soft taco" which is a soft (not fried) tortilla wrapped around a filling. TOMATILLO Often called "Mexican Green Tomatoes" they do look like small green tomatoes, but (while they are in the same nightshade family as red tomatoes) they do not taste like unripened red tomatoes. Tomatillos (pronounced: tome-ah-TEE-oh) have a papery, parchment-like lantern-shaped husk that is easy to remove, and a sharp, citrusy flavor. Tomatillos are sold canned (those have been gently cooked) but are also very easily found fresh in our markets. They are firm, and will keep for several weeks (loose, not in a bag) in the refrigerator vegetable drawer. The smaller tomatillos seem to have a sweeter flavor, and the sign that the one you select is fully mature is that it has grown to fill the papery husk. Under the husk, tomatillos are slightly sticky; rinse them off, and use raw, roasted (on a baking sheet; they stick to grills) or boiled (2-4 minutes). Their skin is very thin, and is not removed. An 11 ounce can will yield the same amount of cooked tomatillo as about 1 pound of fresh fruit. TORTILLA Tortillas are the bread of Mexico and other Latin countries. They may be eaten alone (like bread) or used to make a variety of dishes from enchiladas to tacos to chilaquiles to quesadillas. They are not leavened, and are round and flat, like thin pancakes. Tortillas may be made of corn flour (masa) or wheat flour, and they are baked on a griddle. [In Spain, the name "tortilla" refers to an egg dish, something like a flat omelette. It is not at all similar to the Mexican version.] |
