Beat To stir rapidly to make a mixture smooth using a whisk, spoon, fork or electric mixer.
Blanch To cook vegetables or fruit briefly in boiling water to seal in their flavour and preserve their colour and texture (especially when preparing them for freezing and to make removing skins easier).
Blend To thoroughly combine two or more ingredients, either by hand or with a whisk, spoon or electric mixer.
Caramelise To heat sugar slowly until it liquefies and becomes a golden brown syrup.
Cream To beat together ingredients (usually fat, such as butter or margarine, and sugar) until smooth, combined, pale and fluffy.
Fold in To combine lighter ingredients, such as whisked egg whites, with heavier ones, such as sugar. The heavier ingredients are gently lifted over the lighter ones to cut through and incorporate them (usually using a large metal spoon or spatula), keeping as much air as possible in the mixture.
Marinate To coat raw meat, fish or poultry in a sauce or paste so that the food takes on its flavours and becomes more tender.
Parboil To partially cook by boiling – this is usually done before roasting to reduce the cooking time of that ingredient (such as potatoes) in the final dish.
Purée To mash or blend food until completely smooth, usually in a food-processor, blender or sieve.
Reduce To thicken a liquid and concentrate its flavour by rapidly boiling it in an uncovered pan.
Roast To cook a large piece of meat or poultry by dry heat in the oven.
Rub in To break down fat (such as butter) into smaller pieces and incorporate it into a dry ingredient (usually flour) so that the resulting mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Use your fingertips and lift them up and out of the mixture as you are rubbing the fat into the flour so you are not just squishing the ingredients together.
Sauté or pan-fry To cook food in a little oil or fat in a frying pan over a relatively high heat.
Simmer To cook a liquid just below boiling point; there will be lots of little bubbles visible.
Steam To cook food on a rack or in a steamer set over boiling or simmering water in a covered pan.
Stew To cook food (such as tougher cuts of meat) slowly in a sauce or liquid in a covered pan/casserole dish over a low heat or in a low oven.
Stir-fry To cook chopped, small, even-sized pieces of food quickly (usually in a little fat, such as oil) over a high heat while constantly stirring, typically in a wok.
Whisk To beat ingredients (such as cream, eggs or salad dressings) with a fork or whisk to mix, blend or incorporate air.
