Making Sense of Kitchen Speak

Cooking comes with its own language, and sometimes recipe writers have a terrible habit of assuming everyone already knows it. Deglaze the pan. Fold the mixture. Temper the eggs. Make a compound butter. Lovely, but what does any of that actually mean if nobody has ever explained it to you?

I’ve picked up an enormous amount of cooking terminology over the years, both from recipes and cookbooks and simply from spending far too much of my life pottering around in the kitchen. Once you understand what these words mean, recipes become much easier to follow. More importantly, you start to understand why you’re being asked to do something rather than blindly following an instruction and hoping for the best.

This glossary brings together the cooking terms, techniques, ingredients and preparations you’re likely to stumble across in recipes. You’ll find everything from basic techniques such as deglazing, blanching and reducing, to those slightly more mysterious culinary terms that sound much more complicated than they actually are.

I’ve also included the names for preparations and ingredients you might recognise without necessarily knowing what they’re called. Things like compound butter, velveted chicken and other useful bits of kitchen knowledge that can make you a more confident cook.

Consider this your quick-reference guide for those moments when a recipe throws a strange word at you. No culinary degree required, no unnecessary jargon, just straightforward explanations of what things mean and why they matter.

Cooking Techniques

Deglazing

Deglazing is the process of adding liquid to a hot pan after cooking meat or vegetables to loosen all the browned bits stuck to the bottom. Those bits are packed with flavour, so wine, stock, water, vermouth or another suitable liquid is added and scraped through the pan to form the base of a sauce, gravy or braise.

Sautéing

Sautéing means cooking food relatively quickly in a small amount of fat over medium to high heat. The food is usually cut into smaller pieces so it cooks evenly, with enough movement in the pan to encourage browning without allowing anything to burn.

Searing

Searing means cooking the outside of meat, fish or vegetables over high heat until a deeply browned crust develops. It doesn’t seal juices inside, despite the old cooking myth, but it does create loads of extra flavour through browning.

Browning

Browning is cooking food until its surface develops a golden or deep brown colour. This creates new flavours and aromas through the Maillard reaction, which is why properly browned mince, mushrooms, meat and vegetables generally taste much richer than ingredients that have simply been cooked through.

Caramelising

Caramelising happens when sugars are heated and begin to brown, developing sweeter, deeper and more complex flavours. The term is commonly used for slowly cooked onions, although true caramelisation also happens when sugar itself is heated.

Sweating

Sweating means gently cooking vegetables such as onion, celery or leek in a little fat without allowing them to brown. The goal is to soften them and release their flavour and moisture, usually as the first stage of a soup, sauce, risotto or stew.

Blanching

Blanching involves briefly cooking an ingredient in boiling water before removing it, usually followed by cooling it quickly in iced or cold water. It’s often used to soften vegetables slightly, preserve colour, loosen skins or prepare ingredients for another cooking method.

Shocking

Shocking means transferring freshly cooked or blanched food straight into iced water to stop it cooking. It’s particularly useful for green vegetables because it helps prevent residual heat from continuing to soften them.

Confit

Confit is a slow cooking and preservation technique in which food is gently cooked while submerged in fat, oil or a concentrated sugar syrup. Duck legs are a classic example, slowly cooked in their own fat until tender, although garlic, tomatoes, fruit and other ingredients can also be prepared this way.

Parboiling

Parboiling means partially boiling an ingredient before finishing it using another cooking method. Potatoes are often parboiled before roasting, for example, so the centres become tender while the outside can later turn golden and crisp.

Poaching

Poaching is a gentle cooking method where food is cooked in liquid kept below a full boil. Eggs, fish, chicken and fruit can all be poached, with the lower temperature helping delicate ingredients cook without becoming tough or breaking apart.

Simmering

Simmering means cooking liquid just below boiling point, with small bubbles gently rising to the surface rather than vigorous bubbling. Soups, sauces, stews and stocks are usually simmered because the gentler heat gives ingredients time to cook and flavours time to develop.

Braising

Braising combines dry and wet cooking methods. An ingredient is usually browned first, then slowly cooked with a relatively small amount of liquid in a covered pot until tender. It’s particularly useful for tougher cuts of meat.

Stewing

Stewing involves slowly cooking smaller pieces of food completely or mostly submerged in liquid. Unlike braising, where larger pieces are generally only partially surrounded by liquid, stews usually contain bite-sized ingredients cooked directly in the sauce or broth.

Reducing

Reducing means simmering a liquid so some of its water evaporates, concentrating its flavour and often thickening its consistency. Sauces, stocks, wine and cooking juices can all be reduced.

Emulsifying

Emulsifying means combining two liquids that wouldn’t normally stay mixed, such as oil and water. Mayonnaise is a classic example, where egg yolk helps oil and other liquids form a smooth, stable mixture.

Tempering

Tempering is the gradual adjustment of temperature to prevent an ingredient from curdling, splitting or seizing. A little hot liquid might be slowly whisked into eggs or cream before they’re added to a hot mixture, allowing their temperature to rise more gently.

Rendering

Rendering means slowly heating fatty meat so the solid fat melts and becomes liquid. Bacon, pancetta, duck skin and other fatty ingredients are often rendered so the fat can crisp the meat while also providing flavourful cooking fat.

Basting

Basting means repeatedly spooning or brushing hot fat, cooking juices or another liquid over food while it cooks. Butter basting is particularly common with steaks, fish and other pan-fried foods.

Resting Meat

Resting meat means leaving it untouched for a short period after cooking before slicing or serving it. This allows the temperature and juices within the meat to redistribute, which can improve both texture and moisture.

Carryover Cooking

Carryover cooking is the cooking that continues after food has been removed from the heat. Residual heat can raise the internal temperature of meat and other foods by several degrees, which is why they’re sometimes removed from the heat shortly before reaching their final desired temperature.

Preparation Methods

Velveting Chicken

Velveting chicken is a Chinese cooking technique used to give chicken a particularly tender, silky texture. The meat is coated in a mixture of bicarbonate of soda before being briefly cooked or added to a stir fry.

Marinating

Marinating means leaving food in a seasoned liquid or mixture before cooking so flavour can penetrate the surface. Marinades may contain oil, herbs, spices, acids, yoghurt, sauces or other ingredients depending on the recipe.

Brining

Brining involves soaking food, usually meat, in a salt and water solution before cooking. The salt seasons the food and can help meat retain moisture during cooking, particularly with lean cuts and poultry.

Dry Brining

Dry brining involves seasoning meat with salt in advance and leaving it uncovered or loosely covered in the fridge. The salt initially draws moisture from the surface before being reabsorbed, seasoning the meat while also helping the exterior dry for better browning.

Butterflying

Butterflying means cutting an ingredient almost completely through and opening it out like a book. Chicken breasts, prawns and larger cuts of meat are often butterflied to create a thinner, more even thickness for faster cooking.

Spatchcocking

Spatchcocking is a way of preparing a whole chicken or other bird by removing the backbone and flattening it before cooking. The flatter shape helps the meat cook more evenly and usually considerably faster than roasting the bird whole.

Scoring

Scoring means making shallow cuts across the surface of an ingredient before cooking. This can help fat render, allow seasoning to penetrate, stop food curling or simply create a particular appearance.

Julienne

Julienne refers to ingredients cut into long, very thin matchstick-shaped strips. Carrots, courgettes, peppers and other firm vegetables are commonly cut this way for salads, garnishes and stir fries.

Chiffonade

Chiffonade is a method of slicing leafy herbs or vegetables into very fine ribbons. The leaves are stacked, rolled tightly and sliced across, making it particularly useful for basil and other broad leaves.

Mincing

Mincing means chopping an ingredient into extremely small pieces. Garlic is one of the most commonly minced ingredients, although herbs, meat and vegetables can also be minced depending on the recipe.

Macerating

Macerating means leaving fruit or another ingredient in sugar, liquid or seasoning so it softens and releases its juices. Strawberries tossed with sugar are a simple example, quickly creating their own syrup as they sit.

Sauces, Butters and Flavour Bases

Compound Butter

Compound butter is softened butter mixed with additional flavourings before being chilled again. Garlic, herbs, spices, citrus zest, cheese and other ingredients can all be added, creating a flavoured butter that can be sliced over steaks, vegetables, bread, fish or potatoes.

Beurre Manié

Beurre manié is a mixture of softened butter and flour kneaded together and used to thicken sauces, soups and stews. Small amounts can be whisked into hot liquid towards the end of cooking, making it particularly handy when a sauce needs a little extra body.

Roux

A roux is a cooked mixture of fat and flour used to thicken sauces, soups and gravies. Butter is commonly used, although other fats work too, and the roux can be cooked for different lengths of time depending on the colour and flavour required.

Slurry

A slurry is a mixture of starch and cold liquid used to thicken sauces, soups and gravies. Cornflour mixed with cold water is one of the most familiar examples, and it’s added to hot liquid shortly before serving.

Pan Sauce

A pan sauce is a quick sauce made directly in the pan used to cook meat or another ingredient. The browned bits are usually deglazed with liquid before stock, butter, cream, herbs or other flavourings are added.

Beurre Blanc

Beurre blanc is a French butter sauce made by reducing wine or vinegar with shallots before gradually whisking in cold butter. The finished sauce is rich, smooth and particularly well suited to fish and seafood.

Chimichurri

Chimichurri is a fresh herb sauce associated with Argentina and Uruguay. It’s typically made with parsley, garlic, vinegar, oil and chilli, creating a sharp, herby sauce commonly served with grilled meats.

Gremolata

Gremolata is an Italian mixture traditionally made with finely chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest. It’s usually sprinkled over rich dishes just before serving to add freshness and a burst of sharp, aromatic flavour.

Persillade

Persillade is a simple mixture of chopped parsley and garlic used in French cooking. It can be added towards the end of cooking or used as a finishing mixture for meat, potatoes, vegetables and seafood.

Sofrito

Sofrito is an aromatic base made by slowly cooking finely chopped vegetables in fat before adding the other ingredients to a dish. Its exact ingredients vary between cuisines, but onion, garlic, peppers and tomato are common.

Mirepoix

Mirepoix is a French flavour base traditionally made from diced onion, carrot and celery cooked gently before other ingredients are added. It’s commonly used as the starting point for soups, stocks, sauces, braises and stews.

Soffritto

Soffritto is an Italian aromatic base usually made by gently cooking finely chopped onion, carrot and celery in olive oil or butter. It’s used as the foundation for everything from ragù and soups to risotto and braised dishes.

Utility Recipe

A utility recipe is a flexible, practical recipe designed to make the most of basic ingredients and adapt to what is available. It usually provides a reliable method or framework rather than requiring exact ingredients, making it useful for everyday cooking and leftovers.

Texture, Baking and Kitchen Terms

Al Dente

Al dente describes pasta, rice or vegetables cooked until tender but still retaining a slight firmness when bitten. The Italian phrase literally means “to the tooth”, referring to that small amount of resistance in the finished texture.

Mise en Place

Mise en place is the practice of preparing and organising ingredients before cooking begins. This can include chopping vegetables, measuring spices, grating cheese and arranging everything needed so the actual cooking process runs more smoothly.

Docking

Docking means pricking pastry or dough with a fork or specialised tool before baking. The small holes allow steam to escape and help prevent the pastry from puffing up unevenly.

Blind Baking

Blind baking means baking a pastry case before adding its final filling. The pastry is often lined with baking paper and filled with baking weights during the first stage to help it keep its shape.

Kneading

Kneading is the process of repeatedly stretching, folding and working dough to develop its gluten structure. This helps bread and other yeast doughs become stronger and able to trap the gases produced during fermentation.

Proofing

Proofing is the period when yeast dough is left to rise before baking. During this time the yeast produces gas, causing the dough to expand and helping create the structure and texture of the finished bread.

Folding

Folding is a gentle mixing technique used when ingredients need to be combined without knocking out too much air. A spatula or large spoon is usually used to lift the mixture from underneath and fold it back over itself.

Creaming

Creaming means beating butter and sugar together until the mixture becomes lighter and fluffier. The process incorporates tiny pockets of air into the butter, helping give cakes and biscuits a lighter texture.

Blooming Spices

Blooming spices means briefly cooking dried spices in hot oil or another fat to release and intensify their aromas and flavours. It’s particularly common when cooking curries, stews and spice-heavy sauces.

Blooming Gelatine

Blooming gelatine means soaking powdered or sheet gelatine in cold liquid before it’s dissolved into a warm mixture. This allows the gelatine to absorb moisture evenly and helps prevent lumps in the finished dish.

Toasting

Toasting means applying dry heat to an ingredient until it becomes lightly browned and more aromatic. Nuts, seeds, spices, breadcrumbs and grains can all be toasted to deepen their flavour before they’re added to a dish.

Infusing

Infusing involves allowing one ingredient to flavour another liquid or fat over time. Herbs, spices, citrus peel, garlic and other aromatics can be infused into cream, milk, oil, butter, stock or syrup before being strained out or left in the finished dish.