If, thanks to various culinary shows like “Top Chef”, viewers have been able to discover or rediscover certain words, others remain rather confidential, and their meaning is not obvious at first glance. Focus on these 10 words from the culinary lexicon to casually throw around at our next dinner.
Shell
We start soft, but peeling an egg means removing its shell once cooked, in the case of soft or hard-boiled eggs. In fact, you don’t peel an egg since it has no scales… It’s obvious but always good to remember!
Clarify
Instinctively, we tell ourselves that to “clarify” something is to make it clearer, like when you whiten eggs with sugar, well not at all! Clarifying an egg means separating the white from the yolk. Always good to know.
Shabloner
To the ear, the word “chablonner” is a sweet mix between “cat” (rather strange in cooking), “sand” (after all, we already have the shortbread dough) and “nose” (ok, we’re going too far ). In reality, chabloning means covering a biscuit with melted chocolate to waterproof it, and to prevent a mousse or cream placed on top from making it soggy. This is an action that should not be skipped when making a dessert.
Shirt
There, for once, the meaning is clear. Lining a mold means “dressing” its walls and base with dough, parchment paper, or vegetable strips for example. The idea is that the entire inside of the mold is covered.
Contiser
When you don’t know it, the meaning of this word is unsuspected (and no, it has nothing to do with courting someone). Contiser means making an incision in the skin to insert another ingredient. In the case of poultry, they are often cooked with butter, herbs, truffles, garlic, etc.
Milling
This word has nothing to do with the fruit, nor with the dentist’s instrument of torture (yes, we know, it’s for our good…) but refers to the work of a paste, directly on the plan of work, with the palm of the hand, to make it homogeneous and flexible.
Sip
This one is a gift, it’s easy. Siroper means to soak a leavened cake with a hot sugar syrup. It’s clear… when you know it!
Migaine
No, a migaine is not half a sheath, but rather the name of the device made from eggs and cream that is used in quiches and tarts. As for the origin of this word, it could only be Lorraine, obviously!
Singer
In the culinary lexicon, aping is not “imitating someone in a grotesque way”, as Larousse explains, and has no connection with the animal. Basically, this means dusting ingredients with flour after frying them and before adding liquid to them. This is an action that is carried out in the context of so-called “sauce” dishes so that the sauce is bound.
Cardinalize
This one is just excellent and we weigh our words. Cardinalizing seafood means cooking it until it turns red. This word therefore refers to the cardinal’s scarlet outfit, and it’s divinely appropriate!
