Al dente An Italian phrase meaning ‘to the tooth’, to describe pasta that is cooked until soft, but not over-cooked.
Asian rice paper An edible, translucent paper made from a dough of water and the inner stem of the rice paper tree.
Bake Cooking in the oven by means of dry heat. This method is used for cakes, biscuits, pastries and many other dishes.
Bake blind Baking a pastry case before filling it. The uncooked pastry is lined with baking paper and filled with dry beans or uncooked rice to stop it rising.
Baking powder Raising agent comprising two parts cream of tartar to one part bicarbonate of soda.
Baste Spooning the pan juices over meat or poultry during roasting, preventing it from drying out.
Batter An uncooked mixture of flour, liquid and a raising agent such as baking powder.
Bicarbonate of soda A component of baking powder. It acts as a raising agent when combined with cream of tartar.
Blanche Immersing fruit or vegetables in boiling water for a short period, and then in iced water.
Blend Mixing two or more ingredients together with a spoon or food mixer until combined.
Blini Small pancakes that are traditionally served with sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon.
Boil Cooking food in a boiling liquid.
Bread flour Also known as strong flour.
Broth A liquid resulting from cooking vegetables, meat or fish in water.
Brown Meat that is to be pot-roasted, stewed or casseroled should first be browned in hot oil or a dry, heavy-based pan. This seals the meat and prevents the loss of juices.
Butter The most commonly used fat for cake-making as it creams well and has the best flavour.
Cake flour Also known as plain flour.
Casserole A heatproof, deep baking dish with a tightly fitting lid used for cooking meat, poultry or vegetables.
Chop Cutting food into small pieces. Ingredients are chopped on a chopping board with a sharp knife in a quick upand-down action. Food processors may also be used for this purpose.
Coat This term refers to covering food with an outer ‘coating’.
Cornflour Fine white powder made from maize or wheat.
Cream of tartar The acid ingredient in baking powder.
Cream together Beating butter or sugar until light and creamy. Electric beaters or a rotary beater can be used.
Croutons Small cubes of fried or toasted bread that are usually served as an accompaniment or garnish to soup or salad.
Dough A thick, viscous mixture of flour and liquid.
Dry-fry The process of cooking food in a heavy-based saucepan or frying pan without using fat or cooking oil.
Dust Covering lightly with icing sugar or cocoa powder that is sifted over the top of a cake or tart prior to serving.
Filleted Removing bones from a piece of meat or fish, resulting in a fillet.
Fold Using a gentle motion to incorporate air into the mixture.
Fry The process of cooking food in a heavy-based saucepan or frying pan using fat or cooking oil.
Garnish An edible decoration such as parsley or lemon slices arranged around or on top of a savoury dish to improve its appearance and flavour.
Gelatine A colourless and tasteless setting agent. Six leaves are equivalent to 3 teaspoons of powdered gelatine.
Glaze A thin, glossy coating for both hot and cold foods.
Granadilla Also known as passionfruit.
Grate Shred by rubbing against a rough or sharply perforated surface.
Grill Cooking food by direct heat under a grill or over hot coals.
Hard-crack stage A test for sugar syrup; the point at which a drop of boiling syrup immersed in cold water separates into hard, brittle threads. Boil the sugar to 150–160 °C if using a sugar thermometer.
Hull Removing the leafy portion at the top of strawberries.
Julienne Cutting food into thin strips.
Knead Work dough by hand on a flat, floured surface. The dough is punched to develop the gluten in the flour.
Marinade A mixture of oil and vinegar, lemon juice or wine in which food is left to soak over a given time.
Pastry Dough made from a combination of flour, butter and liquid.
Poach Cooking food gently in liquid just below the boiling point.
Potjiekos Food that is slowly simmered in a cast-iron pot over an open charcoal fire.
Prove Last rising before the baking process and the shaping of the dough, and leaving it to rise on a baking sheet until doubled in size before baking.
Punch down Yeast dough is punched down after the first rising, shaped and left to rise for a second time.
Purée Food that has been liquidised in a food processor (fitted with a metal blade) until smooth.
Red velvet The combination of cocoa, baking powder and red food colouring in the presence of heat, resulting in the distinctive red colour.
Rind Outer layer of all citrus fruit.
Roast The process of cooking meat or poultry, uncovered, in the oven on the rack of a roasting pan without any additional fat or cooking oil.
Rub in Combining flour and butter or margarine with the fingertips until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
Sauté Cooking food rapidly in a small amount of oil or other fat over direct heat.
Searing Rapidly browning meat in a little fat before grilling or roasting.
Season Flavouring foods in order to improve their taste.
Self-raising flour Cake flour sifted with baking powder in the proportion of 250 ml flour to 10 ml baking powder.
Sift Aerating a dry ingredient through a sieve to remove lumps.
Simmer Combining ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan with a lid and, once boiling, reducing the heat.
Sterilise Filling empty jars with boiling water for 10 minutes and draining.
Sugar, caramel brown Soft, fine granulated sugar containing molasses to give it its characteristic colour.
Sugar, castor Fine, granulated table sugar.
Sugar, golden brown Coarse, granulated yellow sugar.
Sugar, icing Confectioner’s sugar.
Sugar, white Coarse, granulated table sugar.
Syrup, golden Thick sticky syrup with a deep golden colour.
Thickening Adding flour or cornflour to thicken soups, sauces or gravies.
Tian A shallow earthenware casserole containing layers of sliced vegetables. It is baked until tender.
Truss Securing poultry with string, pins or skewers to maintain a compact shape during cooking.
Vanilla essence Distilled from the seeds of the vanilla pod.
Vanilla pod Fruit of an orchid plant found in Madagascar, off the coast of Africa. The pod has a rich, sweet flavour.
Verjuice An acidic, slightly sour liquid made from unripe fruit – primarily grapes and sometimes apples.
Whip Beating ingredients such as egg whites or cream until light and fluffy.
Whisk Beating with a light, rapid movement using a whisk.
Yeast, instant dry Raising agent, which is packaged, and added to liquid or mixed directly into the dry ingredients.