To round off the end of the month let’s dive into the flavourful world of cooking verbs. Whether you’re a budding chef or simply someone who enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, understanding these essential verbs will enhance your culinary skills and vocabulary. So grab your apron, and let’s get cooking!
Cooking Verbs: From A to Z
A
Add: To put ingredients together; to incorporate one ingredient into another.
Al dente: Cooked until firm to the bite, typically used to describe pasta.
Arrange: To place ingredients or food items in a particular order or position.
B
Bake: To cook food by dry heat without direct exposure to a flame, typically in an oven.
Baste: To moisten food while cooking by spooning or brushing liquid over it.
Beat: To stir rapidly to make a mixture smooth, often incorporating air into it.
Blanch: To briefly boil food and then plunge it into ice water to stop the cooking process.
Blend: To mix ingredients until they are thoroughly combined and smooth.
Boil: To cook food in water or other liquid that is bubbling vigorously.
Bone: To remove bones from meat or fish.
Braise: To cook food slowly in a small amount of liquid in a closed container.
Broil (US term): To cook food directly under or over a high heat source. See Grill for UK use.
Brown: To cook food quickly at a high temperature so that the surface turns brown.
C
Caramelise: To heat sugar until it liquefies and turns golden brown.
Chill: To cool food thoroughly in the refrigerator.
Chop: To cut food into small, irregular pieces.
Clarify: To make a liquid clear by removing solids.
Combine: To mix two or more ingredients together.
Core: To remove the central part of a fruit or vegetable.
Cream: To beat ingredients, usually butter and sugar, until smooth and fluffy.
Cure: To preserve food, usually meat or fish, by smoking, drying, or salting.
Cut: To divide food into pieces with a knife or scissors.
D
Deglaze: To dissolve the browned bits of food from a pan by adding liquid and stirring.
Dice: To cut food into small, uniform cubes.
Dilute: To make a liquid thinner or less strong by adding water or another liquid.
Dissolve: To mix a solid ingredient into a liquid until it is fully incorporated.
Drain: To remove liquid from a food product.
Drizzle: To pour a liquid slowly in a thin stream over food.
E
Emulsify: To combine two liquids that normally do not mix easily, such as oil and water.
Enrich: To add ingredients to a dish to improve its nutritional value or flavour.
F
Ferment: To cause an organic substance to break down into simpler substances, often used in bread and alcohol making.
Fillet: To remove the bones from meat or fish.
Flambé: To ignite food with a small amount of alcohol to create a burst of flames.
Fold: To gently combine a light, airy ingredient with a heavier one, usually done with a spatula.
Fry: To cook food in hot fat or oil.
G
Garnish: To decorate food with a small amount of another food.
Glaze: To coat food with a thin, glossy layer of liquid.
Grate: To reduce food to small shreds by rubbing it on a grater.
Grill: To cook food on a grill over direct heat.
H
Hull: To remove the outer covering of a fruit or vegetable such as peas or beans. The hull is the pod or husk.
I
Infuse: To steep an ingredient in a liquid to extract its flavour.
J
Julienne: To cut food into thin, matchstick-sized strips.
K
Knead: To work dough by pressing and folding it to develop the gluten.
L
Ladle: To serve food with a large spoon.
Layer: To arrange ingredients in layers.
M
Marinate: To soak food in a flavoured liquid to tenderize and add flavour.
Melt: To change a solid food into a liquid by heating.
Mince: To cut food into very small pieces.
Mix: To combine ingredients until evenly distributed.
N
Nip: To remove a small part, typically the tips of leaves or small stems.
O
Open: To remove the covering or lid from a container.
P
Parboil: To partially cook food by boiling it briefly.
Pare: To remove the outer layer or skin of a fruit or vegetable.
Peel: To remove the skin or rind from a fruit or vegetable.
Pickle: To preserve food in a brine or vinegar solution.
Pinch: To take a small amount of an ingredient, typically between the thumb and finger.
Poach: To cook food gently in liquid just below boiling point.
Pound: To flatten or tenderise meat by beating.
Preheat: To heat an oven or appliance to a specific temperature before cooking.
Prepare: To make food ready for cooking or eating.
Proof: To allow dough to rise before baking.
Puree: To blend food into a smooth, thick paste or liquid.
R
Reduce: To cook a liquid until its volume decreases and its flavour becomes concentrated.
Render: To melt fat away from meat or bones.
Roast: To cook food by dry heat in an oven.
Roll: To flatten dough or pastry with a rolling pin.
S
Saute: To cook food quickly in a small amount of oil or fat in a pan.
Scald: To heat liquid to just below boiling point.
Scallop: To bake food, typically in layers, with sauce and often breadcrumbs.
Score: To make shallow cuts in the surface of food.
Sear: To brown the surface of food quickly with intense heat.
Season: To add herbs, spices, or other ingredients to enhance flavour.
Separate: To divide food into parts.
Shred: To cut or tear food into long, thin pieces.
Sift: To pass dry ingredients through a sieve to remove lumps and incorporate air.
Simmer: To cook food gently in liquid at a temperature just below boiling.
Skewer: To spear small pieces of food onto a thin rod or stick.
Slice: To cut food into thin, flat pieces.
Smoke: To cook food using smoke from burning wood or other materials.
Soak: To immerse food in liquid for a period of time.
Sprinkle: To scatter small particles of an ingredient over food.
Steam: To cook food with the steam from boiling water.
Steep: To soak food or tea in liquid to extract flavours or soften.
Stew: To cook food slowly in liquid for a long time.
Stir: To mix ingredients in a circular motion.
Stir-fry: To cook small pieces of food quickly in a small amount of oil, stirring constantly.
T
Temper: To gradually raise the temperature of a cold or room-temperature ingredient by adding a hot ingredient slowly.
Tenderise: To make meat softer and easier to chew by pounding or marinating.
Thicken: To make a liquid more dense by adding a thickening agent like flour or cornstarch.
Toast: To brown food by exposure to direct heat.
Toss: To mix ingredients lightly by lifting and dropping them.
V
Vent: To allow steam or air to escape.
W
Whip: To beat ingredients quickly to incorporate air and increase volume.
Whisk: To beat or stir with a whisk.
Z
Zest: To scrape off the outer coloured part of the peel of citrus fruits.
Remember, mastering these verbs will not only improve your cooking but also enhance your English language skills. Practice using them in context, and soon you’ll be creating delicious meals while expanding your vocabulary. Happy cooking! 🍳🔪🍲
You can now listen to this article as a podcast just click here
If you find this practice useful please consider supporting the author from just £1 per month here
I am taking a break for June as I am travelling back to the UK and have a few other projects I want to focus on. See you again in July!
コメント