Cooking Words Trivia Quiz

Answer: Chiffonade

Leafy vegetables such as spinach or Swiss chard are bunched and rolled into a bundle. The bundle is sliced with a knife across the bundle to produce the strips. A similar thing can be done with rolled omelets or thin pancakes. It is not suitable for small-leafed herbs such as coriander or rosemary. Chiffonade is derived from the French word 'chiffon', meaning cloth, rag or piece of rag.

Answer: Barding

A technique to help prevent lean meat from drying out when being cooked is to use bacon fat to keep the meat moist. Dishes such as beef filet mignon make use of bacon strips in this way. It is also done for roasting game birds. The bacon can either form part of the dish or be removed prior to serving. 'Barding' is also body armour with which warhorses were clad.

Answer: Julienne

Also known as French cut or allumette (meaning 'match'), potatoes, celery and cucumbers are good candidates for this knife cut. It is also the starting point for brunoise, a form of dicing. The 'matches' should 3 x 3 x 40-50 mm (0.12 x 0.12 x 1.57-1.97 in). The term has been around for at least three centuries.

Answer: Macerating

The basic process is to soak raw, dried or preserved fruit or vegetables in a liquid. The purpose may be to rehydrate the food, soften it or infuse the food with flavour from the liquid. It can work the other way as well - for example, tinctures and some alcoholic drinks are flavoured by macerating herbs or spices in alcohol. Heating is not normally involved.

Answer: Vandyke

Taking its name after the 17th century Flemish painter van Dyck, it is an artistic style of food presentation. Adorning the edges of dishes, the technique uses vegetables, fruits and possibly herbs to make an intricate decorative pattern. This showcases the chef's skill and attention to detail.

Answer: Liaison

Liaison is a way of thickening and enriching soups and sauces using a mixture of egg yolks and cream. It can give a silky-smooth texture if done correctly. It also enhances the flavour profile of the dish and adds body. It avoids the need for starches or flours where thickening is desired.

Answer: Brunoise

This is a French culinary technique. Starting with vegetables that have first been julienned, the 'matchsticks' are then cut across with a knife to make cubes. The size of the cubes varies however they typically would measure 3 mm (0.125 in) on a side or less. Briefly blanching and chilling the diced vegetables can help retain the colour. Such diced vegetables can be used to garnish dishes. The name is said to come from the Commune of Brunoy in the suburbs of Paris, France, where the method was popularised.

Answer: Dredging

Dredging is done with dry ingredients before the food, typically a protein or vegetable, is cooked. It improves the texture, seals in and enhances flavour and can even out the cooking. Examples of dishes using this technique include crispy fried chicken, breaded fish fillets and zesty onion rings.

Answer: Needling

When combined with marinades or brines, using a needle or skewer to pierce meat or vegetables allows the flavour to penetrate into the flesh. A tenderising marinade can be used to help make the ingredient more tender and succulent. If done correctly, needling can assist with achieving a more consistent texture throughout the ingredient. It can also speed up the marinading process.

Answer: Sweating

Sweating is a cooking method using gentle heat to soften ingredients, typically vegetables. It differs from sautéing which uses a high heat to brown ingredients rapidly. The benefits of sweating include enhanced flavour and, in some cases, maintaining the texture of the ingredient.