French Meaning in English
Abats Offal - kidneys, hearts, liver, heads, etc.Aboyeur The person who announces the food orders to the kitchen staff for preparation
Abricot Apricot- a small peach like fruit.
Agneau Lamb
Aiguillettes Thin strips of duck breast or other poultry
Aiguiser To sharpen- specially knives
Ail Garlic- a pungent flavouring agent
A la broche Cooked on a spit
A l’Anglaise In English style- specially indicating plain cooking
A la crème Creamed or with addition of cream
A la gelée Jellied
A la Poèle Poached- cooked in simmering water
Ailment Food
Alimentation Service of food stuffs
Allonger To stretch as in the making of pastry
Allumettes Matchsticks- potatoes cut in very fine strips and deep fried.
Aloyau Sirloin of beef
Amande Almond- a nut
Amer Bitter taste
Amidon Carbohydrate- e.g. sugar, starch , etc.
Ananas Pineapple
Anchois Anchovy- a small fish, very salty, used as garnish
Angelique Angelica- sweetened plant used for cake decoration- green in colour
Anguille Eel- a long snake like fish
Anis Aniseed- a pungent spice
Anneau Napkin ring- a metal or wooden ring for holding napkins
Announcer To announce – Kitchen Orders
Apprêt To prepare
Après After
Arachides Peanuts
Aromates Spices, herbs and roots
Arôme Aroma- fragrance or appetizing smell of a dish
Arroser To baste – cover roast meat with its juices
Asperges Asparagus- green of white stick like delicate vegetable
Aspic Aspic- a savoury jelly
Assaisonnement Seasonings- salt, pepper, etc.
Assez Enough
Assiette Plate
Assiette rusée Deep plate
Assiette a entremets Dessert plate
Assiette a pain Bread or side plate
Assiette plat Flat plate
Assiette a potage Soup plate
Assimilation Digestion
Aubergine Egg plant- brinjal
Aujourd’hui Today
Automne Autumn- the season before winter
Avant Before
Avec with
Baba Yeast sponge cake or bun soaked in syrup
Bain Marie Hot water bath for keeping food at a constant warm temperature
Banane Banana
Barder To wrap meat with fat
Baron de Bœuf Whole sirloin of beef
Barquette Boat shaped small tartlet shaped pastry
Basilic Basil – a herb
Bécasse Woodcock- a small game bird
Béchamel Basic white sauce
Beignet Fritter- a deep fried pastry
Betterave Rouge Beetroot
Beurre Butter
Beurre Noisette Golden brown butter heated to taste of nuts
Bien Cuit Well done (cooked)
Bière Beer
Bifteck Beef steak
Bisque Shellfish soup
Blanchir To blanch; a method of taking the outer skin of vegetables by putting them in hot water and then soaking them in cold water, thus allowing a shrinkage of the topmost skin
Blanquette A stew of white meat, usually veal
Blette Overripe fruits
Bleue Blue – very rare done steak
Bœuf Beef
Bœuf bouillon Beef broth
Boire To drink
Bol Bowl or dish
Bol a confiture Jam dish
Bombe Ice cream, sweet dish – half moon shaped
Bonbons Sweets or sugar candies
Bordelaise Rich red wine sauce
Bordure Edge
Bouchée Small pastry case
Boucher Butcher
Bouchon Cork
Bouillon Stocks for making soups or sauces
Boulette Meat ball
Bouillir To boil
Bouquet Garni Seasoning – parsley stalks, bay leaf and thyme, used together.
Bouteille Bottle
Bouteille a huile Oil cruet
Bouteille a vinaigre Vinegar cruet
Braiser To braise- a method of cooking meat
Brioche Yeast roll, used for breakfast
Brunir Brown
Brunoise Tiny dice of meat or vegetables, used as garnish
Buffet froid Cold Buffet
Cafetière Coffee Pot
Caisse enregistreuse Cash register
Caissier Cashier
Canard Duck
Cannelle Cinnamon – a pungent flavoured spice
Câpres Capers – pickled nasturtium seeds
Caramel Burnt sugar
Caraméliser To coat with caramel
Carre Best end- usually of lamb
Carte de vins Wine list
Casse noix Nut cracker
Casserole Earthenware – a covered saucepan used for baking items in the oven and serve the food
in them
Caviar –roe or eggs of sturgeon fish, usually found in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea and hence it is an appetizer from Russia & Iran.
Cayenne Hot red pepper – a spice
Celestine Strips of savoury pancake, used as garnish
Cendrier Ashtray
Céréale Cereal
Cerf Deer- a wild game animal giving the meat “venison”
Cerfeuil Chervil – a herb
Cerise Cherries
Cervelle Brains
Chaleur Heat
Champignons Mushroom
Chandelier Candlestick
Chapelure Fresh Bread crumbs (grated)
Chapon Capon – a castrated chicken bred for eating
Château Briand Double fillet steak
Chaud-froid Sauce with aspic used for cold buffet work
Chef de Cuisine Head Chef, literally – King oh the Kitchen
Chemisier To line a mould
Chiffonnade Salad, shredded and lightly cooked
Choucroute Sauerkraut – pickled cabbage
Chou-fleur Cauliflower
Choux Cabbage
Ciboulette Chives – a herb of onion family
Ciseaux a raisin Grape scissors
Ciseler To carve or chop
Citron Lemon
Citron presse Lemon press
Clair Clear
Clarification To clarify – to make clear as in consommé
Cloche Bell or cover
Cloche de Fromage Cheese cover – made of clear glass for easy display
Cocotte Small earthenware pot
Comfiture Jam
Commande Order
Concasse Roughly chopped tomato
Concombre Cucumber
Consommé Clear soup
Coquetier Egg cup
Corbeille a Fruites Fruit Basket
Corbeille a Pains Bread Basket
Coriandre Coriander – a spice
Cote de Veau Veal rib
Côtelette Cutlet
Coupe a Champagne Champagne saucer
Coupe a fruite Fruit cup
Coupe a Glace Ice cream cup
Couper To cut
Courge Pumpkin
Courgettes Baby marrows
Court Bouillon Stock
Couteau Knife
Couvert A “cover” on the table or “place setting”
Crabe Crab
Crème Cream
Crêpe Pancake
Cresson Water cress – a salad vegetable grown near water and used extensively as garnish
Crevette Shrimp
Croquette Minced meat or vegetables, rolled in the shape of a cork, coated with egg and breadcrumb and then deep fried.
Croustades Scalloped tartlet shells
Croûtons Cubes of fried bread used often as garnish for cream soups.
Crudités Raw fine cut vegetables served as hors d’oeuvres
Crustacés Collective name for all types of shellfish
Cuillère Spoon
Cuire To cook
Cuisine Kitchen
Cuisseau de Bœuf Veal leg
Cuivre Copper
Cure-dont Tooth pick
Dariole Small beaker shaped mould
Darne Thick slice of fish with central bone left in
Datte Date- a sticky fruit form date plant
Daube Method of stewing
De brasseur To clear
De brasseur la table Clear the table
De jour Of the day e.g. menu of the day: carte de jour.
Déboucher To open or uncorka bottle
Décanter To pour liquid form one container to another leaving the sediment behind.
Décorer To decorate
Déjeuner Breakfast
Délayer Dilute
Demain Tomorrow
Demi glace Thin stock flavoured and coloured, used as adjunct to brown sauce.
Dessert Fruit course
Dessous de bouteille Coaster
Détrompe To soak
Diable Grills prepared with hot spices. (literally - Devil.)
Dinde Hen turkey
Dindon Cock turkey
Diner Dinner
Dissoudre Dissolve
Dorer To brush with egg wash before baking to give glaze or shineto the food.
Duxelles Fine minced stuffing of onions, mushrooms, etc.
Eau Water
ébullition Boiling
Écailler To scale a fish
Écaler To shell (like to shell peas)
Échalote Shallot
Écorcer To strip or peel
Écumer To skim- soup or stew
embouteiller To bottle – to bottle a wine
embrocher To cook on a spit
Émincer To cut in thin slices.
Ensuite Afterwards
Entier Whole, entire.
Entrecôte Fillet form the sirloin of beef.
Entrée Meat dish with sauce. Modern usage – denotes all meat courses.
Entremets Sweet course
Enveloppe Envelope or wrapping
Envoyer To send
Épépiner To de-seed fruit
Epices Spices
Éplucher To peel
Escargot Edible snails- a delicacy
Été Summer
Etuver To steam
Fade Tasteless
Faisan Pheasant
Faisander To hang meat after killing to make it tender
Farce Stuffing
Farcir To stuff
Faience Earthenware
Farine Flour
Fécule Starch- thickening for soups and sauces.
Fenouil Fennel- a pungent vegetable
Fève Broad bean
Filet de bœuf Fillet of beef
Filet mignon Fillet form saddle of lamb
Filtrecafé Filter coffee
Flageolet White beans
Flambé Flamed with spirit of liqueur
Flute á Champagne Champagne Flute – a glass in which champagne is served.
Foie Liver
Foie gras Liver of fattened goose
Fond Bottom
Fond d’artichaut Artichoke bottom
Fond Blanc Basic white stock
Fond Brun Basic brown stock
Fond de veau Back of veal
Four Oven
Fais / Fraîche Fresh
Fraise Strawberry
Framboise Raspberry
Frapper To ice of mix with ice.
Fricassée White stew of veal or poultry
Fourchette Fork
Frite Fries
Fromage Cheese
Fumet Essence of fish or poultry with herbs
Fruit de met Assorted shell fish (literally fruits of the sea)
Fumer Smoked meat or fish
Flourens Crescents or shapes of puff pastry
Fines Herbes Mixed herbs- parsley, thyme, etc.
Garçon Waiter
Garnir To garnish, decorate or to accompany.
Gastronome Writer or one knowledgeable about food
Gâteau Sponge cake, iced and decorated.
Gélatine Gelatin – a dried substance which when placed in hot water melts and when added to any mixture and refrigerated it helps the mixture to set.
Gelée Jelly
Glace Ice , usually used to mean ice-cream
Gnocchi Farinaceous dish – an a par with spaghetti, but flat shaped.
Gourmet One knowledgeable about food. Also means an exorbitant dinner.
Goûter To taste
Graisser To grease
Grande Couteau Large knife
Grande Cuiller Large cooking spoon
Grande Fourchette Large fork
Gratin (Au) Dish topped with cheese and browned under the grill.
Grenouille Frog – the leg of which is considered as a delicacy in certain parts of Europe
Grillade Frilled meat
Griller To grill
Guéridon Service in the restaurant from side board or trolley from where the food is given the finishing in front of the guest to make it edible and/or presentable
Hacher To mince
Hachis Minced meat
Hareng Herring- a fish
Hareng fumé Smoked herring
Haricots Beans
Haricots Vert Green Beans
Heure Hour
Hier Yesterday
Hiver Winter
Homard Lobster
Hors d’œuvre Hors d’oeuvres – appetizers or small tit-bits served as starters,
Hôtelier Hotel manager or owner
Huile Oil
Huiler Oil cruet
Huître Oyster – a shell fish
Indigeste Indigestible
Ingrédient Ingredient
Insipide Insipid or tasteless
Jambon Ham
Jardin Garden
Jardinière Mixed vegetables – used when mentioning a particular garnish
Jaune d’œuf Egg yolk
Jour Day
Journal Newspaper
Jus Juice
Julienne Fine strips of vegetables
Lait Milk
Laitue Lettuce
Langouste Cray fish, Spiny lobster
Langouste Cray fish
Lapin Rabbit – a game animal
Lard Bacon
Larder Insert strips of fat into meat or poultry
Laurier Bay leaf – used for seasoning
Laver les vaisselles Wash the dishes
Légume Vegetables
Légumier Vegetable dish
Lentille Lentil
Levure Yeast
Lièvre Hare – a game animal
Limonade Lemonade
Linge Linen
Liqueur Liqueur – a flavoured and sweetened spirit
Lis Lily
Louche Ladle
Macédoine Diced vegetables or fruits
Macérer Marinate or soak in liqueur
Maigre Thin
Mais Maize corn
Maitre d’ hôtel Head waiter
Mandarine Mandarin – an orange like fruit
Manger To eat
Maquereau Mackerel – a fish
Mariner Marinate or soak meat in wine or other flavourings
Marjolaine Marjoram- a herb
Marmelade Marmalade – orange jam
Marmite Stockpot or casserole
Marron Chestnut
Médaillon Round slice of lobster or meat
Mélanger To mix
Melon Melon
Menthe Mint
Menu Menu – a list of dishes prepared by an establishment with price
Meunière Fried in butter
Miel Honey
Miette Crumb of bread – a morsel.
Mijoter Simmer slowly
Mirepoix A mixture of vegetables – carrots, onions, etc, with herbs like thyme, with bacon, tomatoes etc. used together to get an extract for flavouring like in veloute sauce.
Moelle Marrow from bones
Moileton Green flannel for table tops (the baize cloth)
Morilles Edible fungi of mushroom family
Moudre To grind
Moule Mussel – a shellfish
Moulin à poivre Pepper grinder
Mousse Light sweet or savoury cold pudding made with beaten egg whites to which gelatin is added to set
Mousseline Puree with cream
Moutarde Mustard
Moutardier Mustard pot
Mouton Mutton
Muscade Nutmeg – a spice
Museau de bœuf Beef cheek
Nappe Tablecloth
Napper To coat with sauce or aspic
Napperon Place mat
Nature Plain- raw or boiled
Nouilles Noodles
Noisette Small nuts like hazel
Noyau Stone - of fruit
Noix Large nut like walnut
Nom Name
Œuf Egg
Œuf à la coque Boiled egg in shell
Œuf à cocotte
Œuf Brouillés Scrambled Egg
Œuf Dur Hard-boiled egg
Œuf Frit Fired Egg
Œuf Poche Poached egg
Oie Goose
Oignon Onion
Olive Olive – small oil rich fruit used frequently as garnish and appetizers
Omelette Omelet
Orange Orange
Orangeat Candied orange peel
Orge perle Pearl barley
Ortolan A game bird
Os Bone
Oseille Sorrel or a spinach type of vegetable
Oui Yes
Ours Bear
Oursin Sea urchin – a spiny shellfish
Pain Bread
Panade Dough made from flour and milk or eggs.
Panais Parsnip
Pané Covered or fried in bread crumbs
Paner To coat with breadcrumbs before cooking
Paner To cover with breadcrumbs
Panera Breadcrumbs
Panier Basket
Papillote Grease proof paper
Parer To peel or trim
Pasta Dried pastes – spaghetti, lasagna
Patate Sweet potato
Passoire à thé Tea strainer
Pastèque Water melon
Pâte Paste or pastries
Paupiettes Slices of meat or fish, rolled and stuffed
Pavot Poppy
Patisserie Pastries
Paysanne( à la) Literally means farmer; a type of garnish with uniformly cut fresh vegetables
Pêche Peach
Pécher To fish
Pelle a gâteaux Pastry slice
Pelure Rind or skin
Perdreau Young partridge – a game bird
Perdrix Partridge
Persil Parsley
Petit pois (pois) Green peas
Pied Foot
Pilaf Rice cooked in the oven (pulao)
Plier To pound or crush
Pincer To colour slightly in the oven
Pince de forgeron Lobster tong
Pince de sucre Sugar tong
Pince de glace Ice tong
Pintade Guinea fowl – a game bird
Piquant Spicy or sharp tasting
Pipe Icing tube
Pistache Pistachio nut
Plat du jour Literally Plate of the Day; i.e., Speciality of the Day
Plat Maigre Vegetable dish
Plateau Tray
Pocher To poach
Poèle To casserole in butter
Poêle Frying pan
Poire Pear
Poireau Leek
Poisson Fish
Poivre Pepper
Pomme de terre Potato
Pomme Potato
Porc Pork
Porcelaine China crockery
Pot à eau Water jug
Porte cure dont Tooth pick holder
Potage Soup with vegetables
Pot bière Beer mug
Potiron Pumpkin
Poularde Fowl
Poule Hen
Poulet Chicken
Poulpe Octopus
Poussin Baby chicken
Prendre la commande Take command
Printemps Spring
Profiteroles Small balls of cooked choux paste
Prune Plum
Pruneau Prune
Queue Tail
Queue de bœuf Ox tail
Quenelles Poached dumplings of forcemeat
Radis Radish
Ragoût Brown meat stew
Raisin Grape
Raisin de Corinthe Current – a type of berry like fruit
Rassir To go stale
Rave – Grosse Rave Turnip
Petite Rave Radish
Recevoir To receive
Réchaud Hot plate
Réchauffer To reheat food
Réduire To reduce
Repas Meal
Rince Rinse
Rince doigts Finger bowl
Ris de veau Calves sweetbreads
Riz Rice
Rissoler Toss in hot fat or butter
Rognon Kidney
Romarin Rosemary
Rôti Roast
Roux A mixture of equal quantity of flour and butter
Rosbif Roast beef
Rosé Pink ( in relation to wine colour)
Safran Saffron
Saignant Rare done meat
Salade Salad
Saladier Salad bowl
Salaison Salting
Salamandre A gas over grill
Salière Salt cellar
Salle à manger Dinning hall
Salmis Stew of game birds
Salpicon Diced mixed food bound with sauce
Sang Blood
Sardine Sardine – a small fish
Saucer To pour sauce
Saucière Sauce boat
Saucisse Sausage
Sauge Sage – a herb
Saumon Salmon – fish
Saumon fumé Smoked salmon – a popular hors d’ oeuvre
Sauté Browned in butter, fat or oil; stir-fry
Sauteuse Sauté pan
Seau à Champagne Champagne bucket
Sec Dry in relation to taste of wine
Sel Salt
Selle Saddle of lamb or veal
Semoule Semolina
Service à Café Coffee service
Singer To sprinkle with flour
Sole Sole – a flat sea fish
Soubise Onion pulp or sauce
Soucoupe Saucer
Soupe Soup
Souper Supper
Sous Tasse Literally means under cup; i.e. saucer
Sucre Sugar
Sucre cristallise Granulated sugar
Sucre cube Cube sugar
Sucrier Sugar bowl
Suer Sweat – to cook in pan without browning
Supremes Fillet of chicken from breasts
Table Table
Table de service Service table
Table d’hote Menu of the day
Tabouret Stool
Tamiser To strain through a muslin
Tapis Cloth or cover
Tartelette Tartlet
Tartare A derivative of Mayonnaise sauce – served with fried fish
Tasse Cup
Tasse à café Coffee cup
Demi tasse Literally means half cup, so named because the cup having half the volume of breakfast cup. Means cup in which certain speciality coffee and after dinner coffee is served.
Temps Weather
Terrine Earthenware pot.
Also applies to pate of liver and pork
Tête de Veau Veal’s head
Thé Tea
Thon Tuna fish
Thym Thyme – a herb
Tiède Lukewarm or tepid
Tire bouchon Corkscrew
Tomate Tomato
Timbale A conical mould or dish named so when cooked in this mould
Torréfier To scorch
Torchon A cloth for cleaning
Tranche Slice
Trancheur Carver; usually a kitchen staff engaged in the service area for portioning joints of meat
Tournedos Round fillet steak
Tripes Tripe
Truite Trout – a fresh water fish
Truffe Truffle – a circular mushroom type fungi
Vache Cow
Vaisselles Dishes (plates)
Vanille Vanilla
Vase a fleur Flower vase
Veau Veal
Velouté A mother sauce prepared with brown roux and stock from chicken, fish, meat or beef. They are named in accordance to the stock from which they are made.
Verre Glass tumbler
Verre à glace Ice cream glass
Verre à pied Stemmed glass
Viande Meat
Vin Wine
Vinaigre Vinegar
Vinaigrette A dressing for salad where vinegar is used as the base
Vinaigrier Vinegar cruet
Vol au vent Round case of puff pastry- filled with savoury stuffing
Volaille Poultry – a large chicken over 1 kg in weight
Zeste Zest – the yellow film of the rind of orange or lemon.
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