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If you’re unfamiliar with reading recipes, it can often be often quite confusing (and perhaps a bit alarming) when you’re not used to the jargon. We’ve selected a few cooking terms that might seem rather bestial and cause you to raise your eyebrows – so before you find yourself getting all flustered, take a look at what they actually mean!
1. Bruise
This is done to get the flavour aroma out of an ingredient by giving it a forceful bashing. A common ingredient you would bruise would be lemongrass.
TRY: Poached fish with lemongrass and ginger
2. Whip
Some might have images of a Fifty Shades of Grey scenario but no! This is a common verb that often refers to cream. The action involves beating it ferociously to incorporate air.
TRY: Zucchini cake with whipped cream
3. Sweat
To sweat something means to soften it gently without browning it. A gentle sauté, in other words. Commonly referred to chopped onions.
4. Coddle
And no, this isn’t the wrong spelling of ‘cuddle’. To coddle means to heat in water but below boiling point. A classic Caesar salad calls for a coddled egg in its dressing.
TRY: Chicken Caesar salad
5. Grunt
Probably the worst name for a dessert but it is what it is… a grunt refers to a pudding, not unlike a cobbler (batter or dumpling-topped stewed fruit), however instead of being baked, grunts are cooked on the stovetop.
6. Macerate
This is the process of soaking food in a liquid to either soften it and/or provide flavour.
TRY: Strawberry pistachio tart
7. Weep
Weeping generally refers to unattractive liquid oozing from cooked meringue.
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