Catering Food and Terms Glossary

Food terms glossary

Food terms glossary - download PDF -acrobat version

Arbequine olive
Prized Spanish small olive

Balsamic essence
Reduced aged balsamic to syrup consistency

Bavarois
Set cream custard base

Boulangere potatoes
Thinly sliced potato, onion & stock, baked till soft, traditionally served with lamb

Callebaut
Belgium chocolate, regarded as one of the best around

Caponata
Braised eggplant with onions, oregano & garlic

Carpaccio
Thinly sliced raw meat / fish

Cassoulet
Casserole slowly cooked with meat, cured products & beans

Celeriac
Root vegetable belonging to the celery family, pureed, roasted or raw

Chantilly cream
Sweetened thickened cream, flavoured with vanilla

Chorizo
Portuguese mild to hot pork smoked paprika sausage

Confit
Preserving, braising or poaching food, literally meaning cooking in it’s own liquid

Escabeche
Traditional pickling liquid – shallots, carrots & leek, white wine vinegar, saffron & parsley

Fondant
Sponge base self saucing pudding

Harissa
Roasted red pepper, chilli, garlic & paprika paste

Mousseline potato
Potatoes cooked in milk & garlic, pureed with olive oil, cream & seasoning

Panzanella
Italian salad – stale sourdough bread, tomatoes, basil, olive oil & lemon juice

Peppernata
Braised peppers with onions, basil, oregano & garlic

Persian fetta
Marinated Yarra Valley sheep’s fetta

Porcini mushrooms
Very strong earthy wild mushrooms, mostly found in France

Preserved lemon
Lemon’s stored in sea salt, herbs & bayleaf to cure over long periods of time

Ratatouille
Tomato, peppers, zucchini, onion & eggplant cooked to a sauce

Reggiano parmesan
Aged Italian parmesan from 18 – 36 months

Salsa verde
Classic green herb sauce – parsley, mint, basil, garlic, olive oil & lemon juice

Sashimi
Raw cured product ie. fish / meat etc

Trompette mushrooms
Horn shaped earthy flavoured wild mushrooms

Veloute
White sauce made with white wine, onions, bayleaf & stock

Vitello tonatto
Classic meat / fish combination – poached veal served with tuna mayonnaise

Wakame
Spicy Japanese seaweed