Friday, June 22, 2007

French cooking terms

AU-BLEU.-Fish dressed in such a manner as to have a bluish appearance.

BOUILLI._ Beef or other meat boiled; but, generally speaking, boiled beef is understood by the term.

CROQUETTE.-Ball of fried rice or potatoes.

DESOSSER.-To bone, or take out the bones from poultry, game, or fish. This is an operation requiring considerable experience.

FONCER.-To put in the bottom of a saucepan slices of ham, veal, or thin broad slices of bacon.

GALETTE.-A broad thin cake.

MAIGRE.-Broth, soup, or gravy, made without meat.

RISSOLES.-Pastry, made of light puff-paste, and cut into various forms, and fried. They made be filled with fish, meat, or sweets.

SAUCE PIQUANTE.-A sharp sauce, in which somewhat of a vinegar flavour predominates.

I found all of these most interesting terms in the book "Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management." It was written in the Victorian era, and has information on everything from the dairy-maid and her duties, to remedies for thin hair.
Now, I'm curious, how many of these terms has my dear Jeanette heard of before?