Glossary of French Culinary Terms F to O
French Cooking Terms in Menus and Recipes can be Confusing
Aug 17, 2008
On menus, it sometimes seems that French terms are used to make a dish seem fancier or more exotic than it is. Thus a modest dish of fried chicken livers becomes Foie de Volalaille Sautée. You would pay more for that, wouldn't you?
In recipes, these terms become a kind of shorthand for the recipe writer, describing a preparation in many fewer words. Instead of asparagus soaked in a dressing of oil, vinegar and herbs, the recipe may simply describe it as “asparagus vinaigrette.” The goal of this glossary is to help decipher those pesky French terms.
See also the Glossaries A to B, C to E, or P to Z.
Glossary of French Cuisine F to O
TERM- DEFINITION
Faison- pheasant
Filet- to make boneless -or- a boneless cut of meat, fish or poultry
Filet Mignon- 1-1/2 to 2-inch-thick slices from the thick end of a beef fillet
Flambé- flamed, generally by warming brandy (or other strong spirit) and lighting it just before pouring over the food
Flétan- halibut
Foie- liver
Fois gras- enlarged livers of force-fed geese until their livers often make up ¼ of their body weight (a practice that is banned in the US)
Fondant- a sugar icing
Fondue- literally melted, a heated liquid into which small bits of food are dipped, e.g. cheese fondue for dipping bread or fruit cubes, chocolate fondue for dipping fruit, or a fondue of either hot oil or broth for cooking bits of meat.
Fraîche- fresh
Fraises- strawberries
Framboises- raspberries
Frappé- sweetened fruit juice, frozen to a mushy consistency
Fricasse- to cook meat by stewing in gravy
Frites- fried –or-- sometimes short for pommes frites
Froid- cold
Fruit de mer- seafood
Gateau- cake or cookie
Génoise- sponge cake
Glacé- to coat with a thin sugar syrup that has been cooked to a crack stage
Gremolata- a mixture of minced parsley, garlic and lemon zest, used to season sauces and gravies
Hachis- meatloaf
Haricots verts- thin green string beans
Herbes de Provence- a mixture of aromatic herbs native to the Provence region, usually thyme, marjoram, oregano and summer savory
Hollandaise- a rich egg-thickened butter sauce, often flavored with lemon, dry Sherry or tarragon vinegar and served hot with steamed vegetables or fish or, famously, on eggs benedict
Homard- lobster
Hors d'oeuvres- highly flavored foods served as appetizers
Huîtres- oysters
Jambon- ham
Julienne- food cut into matchstick-like strips
Lait- milk
Lapin- rabbit
Limon- lime
Lyonnaise- from or in the style of the city of Lyons --or--a brown sauce with sautéed onion, parsley and white wine or vinegar, served over potatoes or leftover meats
Macedoine- a mixture of vegetables or fruits
Macerate- to bathe fruit in a liquid to soften and flavor it
Maltaise sauce- hollandaise with juice and zest of an orange
Marinade- a highly seasoned liquid used to soak food to flavor and sometimes tenderize it
Marinate- to soak a food in a marinade
Meringue- a mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites, flavorings and sugar e.g. lemon meringue pie or meringue cookies
Mirepoix- a mixture of diced carrot, onion, celery with bay leaf and thyme
Morilles- morels
Mousse- literally foam or froth, a mixture of whipped cream or egg whites, sugar and flavoring, frozen without stirring –or-- any prepration that has a foamy or frothy appearance
Mousseline sauce- hollandaise with whipped cream added, served on fish or vegetables
Moutard- mustard
Moutton- mutton
Niçoise- in the style of the city of Nice in Provence, often including olives, capers, tomatoes and anchovies, generally using olive oil instead of butter
Noir- black
Nouilles- noodles
Oeufs- eggs
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