French Cuisine Terms

french cuisine

just the words I find I need -- do let me know if I've made a mistake, I won't mind and would love to correct it!

·      abricot   apricot

·      acras  maybe deep-fried appetizers

·      agneau lamb

·      agrumes citrus fruit

·      aigre sour

·      aiguillette  breast eg of chicken

·      ail garlic

·      ailes de raie  ray fish

·      airelles  cranberries

·      algues  seaweed

·      aligot  white wine

·      allumette cheese straw

·      aloyau  sirloin

·      amande almond

·      amer/amère bitter

·      ananas pineapple

·      anchois   anchovies

·      aneth dill

·      anis anise

·      antillaises  West Indian flavored

·      arachide peanut

·      araignee crab

·      Ariane a type of apple

·      Arlequin  Harlequin

·      asperges   asparagus

·      assaisonnements seasonings

·      assiette plate

·      aumônière pouch, purse (like when you stuff something)

·      autocuiseur pressure cooker

·      avoine  oats

·      babeurre   buttermilk

·      badiane star anise

·      baies berries

·      ballon  ball

·      banane   banana

·      basilic basil

·      batavia a type of soft lettuce

·      bâtonnets sticks

·      bavarois a layered cold dessert w sponge cake, fruit mousse, cream, custard

·      bavette d'aloyau  a cut of sirloin

·      beignet fritter

·      betterave beet

·      beurre d'arachides peanut butter

·      bière beer

·      bifteck (bleu/saignant/ à point/bien cuit)  steak (nearly raw/very rare/medium rare/well cooked)

·      blanquette white meat in a white sauce

·      blé wheat

·      blé d'inde corn

·      blé dur hard wheat

·      blette  swiss chard

·      bleuet blueberry

·      blezoto  a type of risotto

·      bocal jar

·      boisson drink

·      boîte (de conserve) tin, can

·      bol bowl

·      botte bunch

·      bouchée mouthful

·      boudin roll, sausage

·      bouillir to boil

·      boum get-together

·      brasser to stir

·      brebis ewe

·      brin strand

·      briser to break

·      brochette kabob

·      brosser to brush

·      brousse fraîche a cheese used the same day it is made

·      cabillaud cod

·      c a s abbrev = tablespoon

·      cacahuète peanut

·      caille quail

·      cake fruit cake

·      cancoillotte   a brie-ish cheese

·      canelle same as cannelle, cinnamon; also seems to be a type of sweet roll

·      canette little bottle

·      canette de barbarie a duck dish

·      canneberge cranberry

·      cannelle cinnamon

·      capres capers

·      cardons  cardoons ie similar to artichoke

·      carré square

·      casse-croûte snack

·      casserole (sauce)pan

·      cassis blackcurrant

·      cassonade raw sugar

·      céleri-ravi/rave celeriac = celery root

·      cèpes a type of dark mushroom with a rich flavor

·      cerfeuil chervil

·      cerise   cherry

·      cerneaux walnut halves

·      cervelle  brains

·      ceviche a Spanish seafood dish that varies but can be raw fish with lime

·      chair flesh, meat

·      châtaigne chestnut

·      champignon mushroom

·      chapelure bread crumbs

·      charcuterie  cold meats

·      chataigne chestnut

·      chaud(e) warm, hot

·      chauffer to heat

·      chausson turnover

·      chou, choux cabbage

·      choucroute  sauerkraut with sausage and other prepared meats

·      chou-fleur cauliflower

·      ciboulette chives

·      cigarette russe those rolled-up thin cookies

·      citron lemon

·      civet stew

·      clafoutis a fruit flan eg with cherries

·      coing  quince

·      courge  marrow, a squash

·      crème fleurette heavy/whipping cream

·      crevette shrimp

·      cuisson cooking

·      cylindrical sweet wafer

·      citron lemon

·      citron vert   lime

·      cl abbrev = teaspoon

·      clafoutis flan

·      clous de girofle cloves (like allspice flavor type)

·      cocotte casserole dish

·      coing quince

·      colin hake fish

·      collation snack

·      colza, huile de canola oil

·      Comté a type of Gruyere cheese

·      concassé crushed

·      concombre cucumber

·      confiture jam

·      congelé(e) frozen

·      Congolais coconut meringues

·      coque shell

·      corbeille  basket

·      cordon  string, cord, course

·      cornet cone

·      corsé  strong, spicy

·      côte  pork/lamb chop

·      couper to cut

·      courge squash

·      couteau knife

·      crabe  crab

·      cranachan 

·      Crème renversee  similar to crème caramel but cooked differently and without caramel

·      cresson watercress

·      crevette [rose] prawn

·      croquer to be crunchy

·      crottin  goat's cheese round

·      croustillant  crispy, crunchy

·      croute crust

·      cru(e) raw

·      cuillère spoon

·      cuillère á soupe  tablespoon

·      cuillère á table  tablespoon

·      cuillère de café teaspoon

·      cuillère à thé teaspoon

·      cuire to cook

·      curcuma turmeric

·      danois  Danish

·      darne  steak

·      dénoyauter to pit

·      dés 

·      dinde   turkey

·      diplomate à la confiture  one of those concoctions of lady fingers in a mould with pudding inside

·      dorée golden

·      doux soft, mild

·      échalote shallot

·      échauffer to warm up

·      eclats explosions

·      écorce peel

·      ecreme skimmed (as in skimmed milk lait ecreme)

·      ecrevisse crawfish

·      écumoire strainer

·      édulcorant sweetening agent

·      égoutter to drain

·      émittier to crumble

·      encornet squid

·      en croûte  in pastry

·      enlever to remove

·      entrecôte  rib steak

·      entremet  dessert

·      épaisse thick

·      epepinez  to seed

·      épicé(e) spicy

·      épinards   spinach

·      éplucher to peel

·      faire blondir to brown lightly

·      farandole a traditional dance, used of certain dishes

·      Far breton  a prune flan with vanilla custardy filling

·      farci[e] stuffed

·      farfalle  bow-tie pasta

·      farine flour

·      faux-filet sirloin steak

·      fécule starch

·      fenouil fennel

·      Feuilles de Brick phyllo dough precut into circles etc

·      feuille de laurier bayleaf

·      feulleté plate

·      fèves broad beans

·      fines herbes a mixture – traditional is chervil, parsley, tarragon, chives; now people might also add eg thyme

·      flétan halibut

·      fleurette whipping as in cream

·      Floc de Gascogne  apple brandy

·      foie liver

·      fond bottom of, heart

·      fondant aux poires melt-in-your-mouth cookies apparently flavored with pear

·      fouetter  to whip

·      fougasse  a flat loaf of bread

·      Fourme d'Ambert a blue cheese

·      forestière wild mushrooms

·      fouette to whisk

·      four oven

·      fourchette fork

·      frais/fraîche fresh; cool, chilled

·      fraise strawberry

·      framboise raspberry

·      frangipane  almond-flavored paste

·      friand stuffed puff

·      frire to fry

·      frisee  curly

·      frites  chips/french fries

·      froid(e) cold

·      fromage blanc   cream cheese

·      fruits de mer seafood(s)

·      galette  round flat cake/pancake

·      gambas large prawns

·      gaufre waffle

·      genisse fleur d'aubrac  a calf

·      gesier gizzard

·      Gewurztraminer  a type of grape

·      gigot d'agneau  leg of lamb

·      gingembre ginger

·      girofle cloves

·      girolle  chantarelle mushrooms

·      givrage icing/freezing

·      glaçe  ice cream

·      glacé frozen

·      gousse clove, pod

·      gouter afternoon snack

·      graine seed

·      graisse fat

·      granite  grained

·      grappe bunch, flower

·      grignotine crunchy snacks

·      groseilles  red currants

·      grumeau lump

·      guimauve marshmallow

·      hacher to mince, grind

·      hachis Parmentier shepherd's pie

·      hareng  herring

·      haricot bean

·      haricots verts  green beans

·      herbes des salades mixture eg parsley, chives, red and regular onions, garlic, black pepper, and dill – OR other mixtures eg one of basil, chervil, chives, parsley, thyme, and shallot OR another one said to be Provencale of parsley, basil, tarragon, chives

·      homard  lobster

·      huile oil

·      huitres  oysters

·      jarret knuckle!

·      laitage a dairy product

·      lait ribot  buttermilk

·      laitue   lettuce

·      lamelle thin slice

·      laniere strip

·      lapin   rabbit

·      lardon  chopped bacon, normally in a salad

·      leger light

·      légume vegetable

·      levure baking powder

·      liegeois  iced coffee or cocoa topped w whipped cream

·      lier to bind

·      liliacee

·      lingot  ingot

·      lotte monk fish

·      macedoine a salad of diced vegetables

·      madère madeira, often re a sauce made with it plus mushrooms plus some minced vegetables

·      magret de canard fillet of duck breast

·      maïs   corn

·      Maïzena corn starch

·      mangue mango

·      manioc root AKA cassava

·      Marcillac a type of wine

·      marjolaine marjoram

·      marmite cooking pot

·      marron chestnut

·      Medoc a type of wine

·      Mortalle an Italian sausage

·      meler to mix

·      mendiant beggar; a mixture of dried fruit and nuts

·      merlan whiting such as the whites of green onions

·      met food, dish

·      mie soft

·      miel honey

·      mijoter to simmer

·      millas tiède  a cornmeal sweet cake

·      mimolette  a type of cheddar? cheese

·      mirabelle a type of plum

·      moelleux  thick, soft

·      Mogettes de Vendée white beans

·      moitié half

·      morille   morel mushroom

·      Morteau a type of long sausage

·      morue cod

·      mouelleux, -euse soft, moist

·      moule  mussel, mould, pan

·      moulin mill, grinder

·      moulu ground

·      moutard  mustard

·      mouton  mutton

·      mûre blackberry

·      muscade nutmeg

·      myrtille   blueberry

·      nage  cooked in court bouillon

·      napper cover, layer

·      navet turnip

·      nem Vietnamese spring roll

·      nouilles pasta, noodles

·      noisette hazelnut

·      noix de cajour cashew

·      noix de coco coconut

·      noix walnut

·      noix de beurre (NOT a nut but) a knob of butter

·      noix de cajou cashew

·      noix de Grenoble  a type of walnut

·      noix du Périgord a much respected walnut

·      nouilles noodles

·      nourriture food

·      œuf egg

·      oie goose

·      oignon onion

·      onglet  a prime cut of beef

·      orgeat, sirop d'  barley syrup

·      os bone

·      oseille sorrel

·      oter to take off

·      pain perdu French toast

·      palets  puck-shaped

·      palourde  clam

·      pamplemousse grapefruit

·      pané breaded

·      palais palate (as well as palace)

·      papillote  parcel

·      parmentier  shepherd's pie

·      parsemer to sprinkle

·      pastèque   watermelon

·      patates douces softish potatoes good for mashing; or sweet potatoes

·      pâte feuilletée puff pastry

·      pâte   pasta, pastry, dough, batter

·      patisson  squash

·      paupiette meat rolled around a filling

·      pavé piece/slice like of cake or meat

·      pêche peach

·      pelure peel

·      pepin pip of a fruit

·      sauce perigueux  some type of eggy? sauce

·      persil parsley

·      petite cuillére teaspoon

·      petite cuillère teaspoon

·      petits suisses individual cheeses or rich yogurty

·      petoncles small scallops

·      pignons de pin pinenuts

·      piment chili

·      pintade guinea fowl

·      piquant spicy-hot

·      Pissaladiere  k

·      plat dish

·      pleurote  pleurotus! ie a type of grilled mushrooms

·      poêle frying pan

·      poêler stove

·      poids weight

·      poire pear

·      poireau leek

·      pois pea

·      poisson fish

·      poitrine fumée smoked ham

·      poivre pepper (spice)

·      poivrez to add pepper to

·      poivron pepper (vegetable)

·      pomme-canelle sweetsop fruit like custard apple

·      pommes d'amour a little sweet tomato

·      pommes du Limousin-Golden d'altitude DEF

·      porte port

·      potage  soup

·      pouce  thumb (like finger food I think)

·      poulet chicken

·      pousses shoots, buds

·      praire  clam

·      préchauffez preheat

·      pressée mashed eg w/ potatoes

·      presure rennet

·      prune   plum

·      quartier piece, segment (note not necesly ¼)

·      quatre-epices  pepper, cloves, nutmeg, ginger

·      Quatre-quarts pound cake

·      queue tail

·      râble saddle such as of a rabbit (like breast I guess)

·      racine root

·      radis   radish

·      raffiné refined

·      raie  parting/line

·      raisin   grape

·      raisin sec raisin

·      rajouter to add

·      ramolli softened

·      raper to grate

·      Ratte du Touquet a gourmet potato

·      ravigotte a highly seasoned sauce with herbs and shallots

·      reblochon a soft cow's cheese from the Alps

·      refroidir to cool

·      reglisse  licorice

·      reines-claudes  plums 

·      releve spicy

·      remoulade mayonnaise-like dressing

·      remplacez replace

·      repas meal

·      ricoré Bru!

·      rillettes  potted meat

·      rissolé browned

·      riz rice

·      Rocamadour a fresh goat's cheese

·      rochers à la noix de coco nut-covered chocolates

·      romarin rosemary

·      rosbif   roast beef

·      rose de Lautrec  garlic

·      rosette de Lyon  a type of pork sausage

·      rôtir to roast

·      rouleau roll

·      rumsteck  rump steak

·      sablé shortbread

·      salée salty

·      salsifi sort of like parsnips

·      sandre  perch fish

·      sarrasin buckwheat

·      sarriette summer savory (herb)

·      sauce vierge a vinaigrette with tomato and basil

·      saucisse sausage

·      sauge  sage

·      saupoudrer to sprinkle

·      sautesse frying pan

·      Savarin rum baba

·      savoyarde  a certain regional style eg w mustard and tarragon and cheese

·      Sbrinz a Swiss cheese a lot like Parmesan

·      sec dry

·      sel salt

·      semoule semolina

·      skrei  fish

·      soja soy

·      soucoupe saucer

·      souper supper

·      St Marcellin a soft cow's cheese

·      surgelé frozen

·      surimi faux seafood eg crab from fish

·      Sveltesse 

·      tailler to cut out, sharpen

·      tarama  taramasalata ie a pinkish paste made from the roe of certain fish, mixed with olive oil and seasoning

·      tarte   pie, tart

·      tartinade spread

·      tartine bread and jam

·      tasse cup

·      tatin open pie/pastry

·      tiède lukewarm

·      tige stem

·      tilleul lime/linden blossom

·      tôt-fait looks like a type of custardy pie eg w apples but not sure

·      tournesol sunflower (as in oil)

·      traité treated eg waxed fruit

·      tranche slice

·      trempête dipping sauce

·      trognon core

·      truite trout

·      vaisselle dishes

·      Valencay a goat cheese in a pyramid and with charcoal over it

·      veau   veal

·      ventreche  bacon

·      verre glass, tumbler

·      verrine  layered dish made in a glass

·      verser to pour

·      viande meat

·      vider to empty

·      vigne farcies  stuffed grape leaves

·      volaille poultry

·      yaourt   yogurt

I was inspired to put this together when I had a digital subscription to this French magazine: