This Italian dessert can come in all flavours, shapes and sizes but it’s the semi-frozen quality that makes it a semifreddo. It’s almost a cross between an ice cream and a mousse and is made from a base of eggs, sugar and cream.
Salmon en croute, chicken en croute, blue cheese and spinach en croute: these dishes are on menus all over the place. But what are they? The French term 'en croute' translates as ‘in pastry’, and is usually used to describe meat, fish and vegetables that have been baked in a puff pastry parcel.
Much like en croute, en papillote is a method of cooking where the food is cooked in a folded parcel, usually made from parchment paper or aluminium foil. It's used to trap in steam and juices during cooking.
You might think that the word 'florentine' indicates the origin of a dish (like Milanese), but it’s actually something else that florentine dishes have in common – spinach. Dishes such as eggs florentine and quiche florentine are mistakenly assumed to be Italian when in fact they’re French, but named after one Italian in particular. It’s thought that Catherine de' Medici, of the famous Medici family, was so fond of spinach she brought it with her to Paris and asked for it to be added to all the dishes she ate.
An amuse-bouche is a small, bite-sized appetiser that is usually selected by the chef as a sample of his or her style of cooking. Quite literally, it is designed be a ‘mouth amuser’, and is usually served as a complimentary additional nibble before the starter.
A common term in Italian cooking, al dente literally translates as ‘to the tooth’ and describes pasta that’s perfectly cooked – still a bit firm to the bite. Al dente can also be used when talking about the firmness of vegetables; it’s not unusual for a recipe to call for carrots to be boiled to al dente.
Another word for canapés, hors d’oeuvres are usually served to accompany drinks before a meal. You're unlikely to be able to order them from a menu, but may find them served at events and formal dinners.
Directly translated, en brodo means “in broth”, which is how a dish with this name is likely to be served. You’ll most likely come across this term in the traditional northern Italian pasta dish, tortellini en brodo.
You’ve probably come across this common term countless times in Italian restaurant menus if you’ve ever eaten a lasagna. Al forno simply means oven-baked. As well as the popular lasagne al forno, other dishes that can be prepared this way include tortellini, ziti and various baked vegetables like artichokes.
This is among the most commonly misunderstood phrase on menus around the world. What does it mean? The literal translation of the French phrase is ‘according to the menu’, but à la carte is usually used to refer the restaurant's full menu, from which you can order individual dishes, rather than set two- or three-course options.
Used to describe the way beef is treated before cooking, this term is most commonly used when talking about steak. Dry-aging means that the meat has been stored (sometimes for up to 42 days) in a specially constructed storage room in carefully regulated conditions, including temperature, humidity, air circulation and bacteria levels. This makes the meat more tender and gives it a richer flavour.
Crudités are sliced raw vegetables, such as carrots and celery, that have been cut into sticks and are usually served with a dip.
Simply put, a reduction is a sauce that’s made by reducing liquid in order to intensify flavour. When the liquid, for example wine or stock, is brought to a rapid boil, the water in the liquid turns to steam and evaporates while all the other flavours become more intense. Among the most common reductions are red wine sauces, often served with steak and other red meats.
Blanching vegetables is extremely popular in restaurants as it prevents them from being over-cooked. The method involves plunging the vegetables into boiling water, removing them and then plunging them into iced water to halt the cooking process.
A jus is basically a type of gravy – although it is more likely to be clear rather than thickened with flour or cornflour. It is generally made from the natural juices released by meat as it cooks, often with added stock, wine and seasoning.
A julienne cut is simply the name used for fruit (especially citrus peels) and vegetables cut into long matchstick-shaped strips. You're likely to find them in salads and dishes rather than served as crudités due to their size.
You’ll find this term on many dessert menus, as compotes are common accompaniments to sweet dishes, although they can be savoury as well. They're usually made from fruit that's been cooked in water with sugar and spices, and can be served with everything from ice cream to porridge.
With the rising popularity of speciality coffee came the complicated insider language of coffee, including terms like 'microfoam.' It describes milk that’s been foamed using a steam wand on a coffee machine to top a latte and to make latte art. Still confused? Take a look at our guide to different types of coffee.
In many Chinese restaurants you’ll often find a whole page (if not more) dedicated to dim sum but what exactly is it? Traditionally, the term 'dim sum' refers to small bite-size portions of food, mostly buns and dumplings, enjoyed with tea at lunch. They’re usually served in bamboo baskets, if steamed, and on plates, if fried.
Confit foods have been cooked in fat very slowly, often for many hours. It was originally used as a method of preserving meat, but today you'll find dishes such as confit onions and garlic alongside classics like confit duck legs.
A term in Spanish cooking, traditionally a la plancha (pronounced ah-la-plahn-chah) means that the food is grilled on a metal plate. However, some restaurant menus will say a dish is cooked a la plancha even if it’s been grilled or cooked on a griddle.
Roux sauces are made from a mixture of fat and flour, which are cooked together before liquid (often milk or stock) is gradually added to create a thick sauce or used as a base for a soup.
Usually enjoyed at the beginning of a meal, meze is a group of tapas-style small plates served in many former Ottoman Empire countries including Turkey, Lebanon and Cyprus. Various dishes like hummus, falafel and labneh can be a part of a meze.
Imagine a pâté but with chunkier ingredients. You'll often find terrines served with toasted bread, salad and a form of chutney.
Simply put, an emulsion is a mixture of two liquids that wouldn’t normally mix, for example, an oil-based and a water-based liquid. Well-known examples of emulsified foods are mayonnaise, hollandaise and aioli, among others. An emulsion is made by adding one liquid to another, drop by drop, while vigorously beating it to ensure the two liquids are amalgamate.
Served as a sweet dessert, or as a savoury starter, a soufflé is a baked egg dish that rises in the oven and has a soft, fluffy texture.
The term 'unleavened' is used for breads, cakes and other baked goods that are made without any kind of raising agent at all. This includes flat-breads, tortillas, chapatis and more.
The dish you're most likely to see is steak tartare, made from finely minced raw beef, mixed with raw egg and seasoning – but the term is increasingly used for other recipes. You might find versions with chopped salmon or tuna, or even vegetarian versions with uncooked beetroot and avocado.
You’ve probably eaten a stuffed chicken breast before and a ballotine isn’t very different. It involves rolling meat it into a sausage-like shape (usually in a cling film) so it holds its shape after cooking.
Black and blue usually refers to a way of cooking steak, and it is just what it says: black on the outside and blue on the inside. Well, sort of. The steak is charred on the top so that it’s crisp and tasty, but still completely rare on the inside.
From cold-pressed juice to cold-pressed olive oil, this term is widely used – but what difference does it actually make? As the term ‘cold-pressed’ implies, the juice (or the oil) is extracted from the fibres without applying any heat, including that of fast-moving blades. Experts say that this results in a more nutritious product with a longer shelf life as less air is forced into the juice or the oil during the juicing process.
Sous vide cooking has taken off in a big way. It involves cooking vacuum-packed food in a water bath at low and a constant temperature, allowing for greater precision and improved texture.
To sauté something is to fry it, usually in butter or oil in a shallow pan. You're likely to see everything from sautéed vegetables to seafood.
An aperitif is a drink served before the start of a meal. Many cuisines are famous for particular cocktails, such as Campari and soda in Italy and kir (white wine and blackcurrant liqueur) in France.
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Gratins are rich, creamy and often cheesy dishes baked in the oven. Potato gratin, flavoured with garlic and cream, is perhaps the most classic.
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Deciphering a menu written in Italian is a lot less confusing once you understand what each course stands for. Antipasti are appetizers but shouldn’t be mistaken for starters; these are small plates of meats, olives and bread. Primi are starchy starters like gnocchi, pasta and risotto. Secondi dishes include meaty main courses like ragù. Contorni refers to vegetable side dishes, while dolci translates as desserts.
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