From bouillabaisse to ratatouille, French cooks have created some of the world’s most iconic dishes and culinary concepts. Grab your beret, because today we bring you seven essential terms to understand French cuisine.
Au Gratin
Food that has been sprinkled with grated bread or cheese (or both) and then browned to create a crust.
Bouillabaisse
This term has crept into common usage in English to denote a mixture of things, but it actually refers to a typical dish from Provence, in Southern France. In addition to fish, this stew also calls for shellfish, olive oil, onions, tomato, and a rich combination of spices that includes garlic, parsley, saffron, thyme, and even orange peel.
Entrée
In France, this term is used for the dish served between the hors d’oeuvres and the main dish, while in the United States has been adopted to refer to the main dish of a meal.
Flamber, flambé
“To blaze,” or “blazed” in French, this term refers to dishes that are served covered with flaming liquor. One of the most popular flambé dishes is crêpes Suzette.
Hors d’oeuvres
This term literally means “out of the works,” where the “works” being referred to are the main course. In fact, this is finger food served before (or “out of”) the actual meal.
Ratatouille
Like bouillabaisse (see above), this dish hails from Provence and it’s a vegetable stew that includes tomato, eggplant, green pepper, and spices.
Sauter, sauté
These words mean respectively “to jump” or “jumped” in French, and in a culinary context, it involves cooking or browning food in a small quantity of oil or fat. For example, at Chef Gourmet we often serve rice with sautéed vegetables.
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