Anyone interested in cooking or following cooking shows sometimes comes across terms without knowing exactly what they mean. Many of these terms entered Turkish from French and English and became part of everyday use in professional kitchens. Knowing them also makes recipes easier to follow in a home kitchen. Below are 12 of the kitchen terms you will encounter most often, with explanations of what they mean and how they are used. Some describe a specific technique, while others refer to tools or ingredients used in the kitchen.
Mise en Place and Torchon
Mise en place, a term that entered Turkish as “mizanplas” from the French phrase mise en place, means having everything in the kitchen organized and in its proper place; it includes measuring and preparing all the ingredients before cooking begins. It is a term often heard on cooking shows and a habit that makes work easier in a home kitchen, too. A torchon is a type of cloth, also borrowed from French, used in professional kitchens. Two clean, dry torchons attached to a chef’s apron are used to handle hot pans or plates; they are not used to clean the kitchen or countertops. Keeping a torchon dry is important because a damp one held against a hot vessel can create steam and cause a burn.
Searing and Basting
Usually applied to meat, searing means quickly browning both sides of the meat in a pan over high heat. The purpose is to keep the meat’s juices inside. Avoiding frequent turns during searing helps form the desired crust on the surface. Basting is the continuous spooning of melted butter over food as it cooks in a pan. This technique, usually used when cooking meat and fish, adds both flavor and moisture. Ingredients such as garlic and fresh thyme added to the butter provide extra aroma during basting.
Roux and Thickening
Roux, a term from French, is a thick sauce base made by cooking equal amounts of flour and butter together. Also known as “meyane” in Turkish cooking, this technique is used especially to thicken soups. Its color can range from pale yellow to dark brown, depending on how long it is cooked. Thickening is a general technique used to give soups, desserts, and sauces more body; many of the methods used to thicken soups are based on this technique. Thickening can also be done with different ingredients, such as flour, starch, or egg yolk.
Reduction and Sweating
Reduction means lowering the volume of a boiling liquid to make it thicker; the goal is to evaporate the liquid until it reaches the desired consistency. This technique is often used especially when preparing sauces and syrups. Sweating means slowly cooking vegetables in a covered pot over low heat in their own juices until tender. It is often used when preparing meat dishes served with vegetables, such as eggplant kebab. During sweating, avoid opening the pot’s lid often so the steam stays inside and continues cooking the food.
Blanching and Chopping
Blanching, also known as parboiling or shocking, means briefly placing vegetables in boiling water and then immediately transferring them to cold water without losing their color or nutritional value. Vegetables are lifted from the water with a colander and placed in cold water right away to stop the cooking; this rapid cooling helps preserve their bright color. To chop, from the English verb “chop,” means to cut an ingredient roughly and simply; it does not require a specialized technique such as mincing or julienne cutting. This method is preferred in recipes such as soups and stews, where the shape of the ingredient is not very important.
Ganache and Cloche
Ganache, a term from French, is a chocolate cream poured over desserts such as cakes and pastries; what distinguishes it from other chocolate sauces is its smooth, glossy texture. In pastry making, it is used both as a coating and as a filling; its consistency can be adjusted from firm to fluid depending on the proportion of cream used. Cloche, from the French word cloche, means a “plate cover”; it is a cover, made of steel, glass, or plastic, placed over a plated dish to keep it warm before it is served to a customer. Lifted at the moment of service in restaurants, a cloche is also a visual element that completes the presentation.