> Amalgamating

Amalgamating involves stirring together dairy cream and egg yolk as a binder for soups and sauces.

> Barbecuing

Barbecuing is a method of cooking meat, fish or vegetables on an outdoor charcoal barbecue or on an electric barbecue. This method produces wonderfully crispy results with the typical barbecue flavour.

> Blanching

Blanching is the process of cooking foods for only a few minutes and it is ideal for the preparation of vegetables. The vegetables are added to water, meat juice or stock that has been brought to the boil in a pan, cooked for up to five minutes and then plunged into cold water. The advantage of blanching is that the vegetables stay firm and their natural colour is preserved. They taste absolutely fantastic if you toss them in hot melted butter with herbs before serving.

> Braising

Braising is a mixture of frying and cooking. The food - meat or vegetables - is initially fried in an open pan in hot fat. Then, adequate liquid is added, the pan is covered and the ingredients can continue to cook. Braising creates deliciously-flavoured dishes and optimises the food's aroma development.

> Breading

Breaded foods are covered in a coating of breadcrumbs. First of all, the food is generally coated in flour, then dipped in whipped and seasoned egg, and finally in breadcrumbs. Breaded foods are cooked in plenty of fat. It is best to use fats that can be heated to high temperatures, such as oil or resolidified butter. Breading has the advantage that the ingredients retain their juices. They also stay tender inside but are crispy on the outside.

> Carving

Carving is a professional method of cutting meat, fish or poultry into visually appealing slices. A special carving board and carving knife are generally used.

> Clarifying

Clarifying or filtering is the process of removing cloudiness from liquids. Fine soups are clarified by stirring in protein. The protein binds the solids in the soup, coagulates and can be skimmed off the surface.

> Coddling

Coddling is the process of heating up foods in water until they are solid. Coddled dishes usually have cream and eggs in them because the protein starts to become solid when they are heated up. Eggs Royale are a popular example of a coddled dish.

> Cooking

Cooking means preparing foods with heat. Vegetables shouldn't be cooked for too long because they can soon become overcooked and lose their vital nutrients. That's why steaming is recommended as the best method for preserving the nutrients in vegetables.

> Deep frying

Deep frying is a cooking method in which foods are cooked floating on the top of hot fat. Usually, a deep pan or a deep fat fryer is used. Ideally, fried foods should be crispy and dry, not soft and greasy, after cooking.

> Dipping and rinsing in cold water

When foods are dipped into cold or iced water, the cooking process is suddenly interrupted. The hot food is placed into a sieve and then briefly rinsed with cold water or sometimes even plunged into iced water. Why is dipping in cold water so important? There are lots of reasons. Boiled eggs are dipped in cold water so that the shells are easier to remove. Pasta is rinsed in cold water so that they don't continue to cook, which would make them too soft and sticky. And vegetables are rinsed in cold water so that they retain as many of their heat-sensitive nutrients and vitamins as possible and so that their natural colour doesn't fade.

> Filleting

Filleting is a special cutting technique that is mainly used for the preparation of fish and fruit. The flesh of the fish is separated from its spine and then from the rest of the bones as elegantly as possible. It's also important to ensure that the fish remains in one piece. Filleting citrus fruits such as oranges or grapefruits refers to the process of separating the fruit flesh from the ribs. Before filleting, the fruit has to be peeled and all the pith removed. Sometimes, 'filleting' is also used to describe the process of removing poultry and other meat from the bones.

> Folding in

Folding in is the process of carefully mixing a dense mass (e.g. cake mixture) with a foamy mass (e.g. whisked egg whites) to lighten the consistency. It is important not to stir the ingredients together, because this would destroy the foam. That's why it's always a good idea to use a spatula for folding in.

> Gelatinising

The term 'gelatinising' describes a process in which gelatine or another thickening agent, such as veal, chicken or fish stock, is added to a hot liquid which then solidifies as it cools.

> Glazing

Glazing is the process of coating or brushing foods with stock, jelly or aspic to give them a shiny surface. The glaze prevents dehydration and brings out the food's natural colour.

> Gratinating

Food is gratinated by adding a topping of parmesan, breadcrumbs, butter and cheese, and then applying high heat to create an appetising golden brown crust. An oven with top heat or a grill are generally used for gratinating.

> Marinating

When foods such as meat, fish or vegetables are marinated, they are placed in a marinade for several hours so that they take on a specific flavour. Marinades are generally made of seasonings such as soy sauce, vinegar or lemon juice combined with oils, various herbs and spices. Wine, yoghurt and butter milk can also be used for marinating.

> Poaching

Poaching is a very gentle method of cooking for very sensitive foods such as fish, poultry, offal, fruit and dumplings. The food is placed in plenty of liquid and gently cooked, without being brought to the boil, at temperatures of between 65 and 90 degrees.

> Pot roasting

Professional chefs use a method called pot roasting that is a mixture of simmering and frying to produce a lightly browned result. The lid is removed before the end of the cooking time so that the liquid can be reduced. This helps the flavours and aromas to develop. Pot roasting is used for pale meats such as veal or poultry.

> Preserving

Preserving helps to extend the length of time that foods can be kept before consumption. First of all the food is cooked, then it is placed into sterilised (boiled) jars with airtight seals. Vegetables such as gherkins can be preserved for a long time in vinegar. Sugar is added as a preservative when fruit is cooked to make jam.

> Pureeing

Pureed foods are processed into a fine pulp with the help of a blender or mixer. Soups and sauces can also be pureed.

> Reducing

When a liquid is reduced, it is left on the boil in an open pan until it has attained a thick and creamy consistency. Liquids that have been reduced are characterised by their intensive flavour.

> Sieving

Sieving is the process of pressing or simply pouring soups, sauces, stocks and other liquids with solid ingredients - such as pieces of vegetable or fruit - either through a fine sieve with the help of a ladle or through cloth.

> Simmering

Simmering is a very healthy way to cook vegetables because it preserves the nutrients. The vegetables are sautéed briefly in a little fat and then cooked in a closed pan in their own juice plus a little liquid such as wine or stock.

> Steaming

Steaming is a method of cooking involving water steam that helps to preserve the nutrients in the food during the cooking process. For steaming it's important to use a pan with a lid that closes tightly to keep the heat in. The pan also has a sieve insert, because the food has to be prevented from coming into contact with the liquid. Steaming is ideal for foods that contain a lot of water such as vegetables. Steam cooking makes delicious and nutritious broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini. Fish and poultry can also be steam cooked to produce wonderfully tender results.

> Thickening

Thickening is the process of creating sauces or soups by adding flour or starch to liquids. Pureed vegetables such as carrots, celery and especially onions can also be used to make great sauces and soups. Cubes of cold butter are perfect for thickening delicious gravies.

> Tournée cutting

Tournée cutting, like so many cooking terms, is derived from the French language and means 'to shape'. It involves cutting fruit or vegetables into a certain shape for garnishing dishes.

> Trussing

Pieces of poultry, fish or meat are secured with metal skewers or string to help them retain a certain shape while cooking.