A Dictionary of Food

boudin à la crème

blanc 2. United States A Creole sausage mixture made from pork liver, cooked pork and rice, spring onions and seasoning

boudin à la crème Belgium, France A simple boudin noir mix of 2 parts pigs blood to 1 part cream with egg, butter, chopped onion and seasoning

boudin à la Flamande Belgium A boudin noir mix with a large amount of onion, dried vine fruits and chopped parsley instead of spices

boudin Asturien France Morcilla

boudin blanc France A white cooked sausage made from finely ground white meat (chicken, rabbit, veal, pork), cream, egg, onions, starchy material, spices, herbs and seasoning. It is then boiled and may be eaten cold or cooked in the usual manner. Popular at French Christmas celebrations.

boudin blanc à l’ancienne France A boudin blanc made from raw fish, chicken breast, sweetbreads or carp roes pounded one by one with bread boiled in milk, butter, cooked cows’ udder, boiled rice, onion purée and egg yolks, seasoned and flavoured with nutmeg and mixed with cream before being filled into casings and simmered in milk

boudin blanc de Paris France A mixture of finely processed raw poultry breast meat, pork loin, flare and back fat, sweated chopped onions, softened breadcrumbs, eggs, cream, seasoning and quatre-épices, filled loosely into beef runners, linked and simmered in milk and water for 20 minutes, cooled and grilled or fried

boudin blanc d’Ourville France A panada made with milk, mixed with chopped pork fat, sweated chopped onions, butter, cream, egg yolks, seasoning and quatre-épices, packed into pieces of casing tied either end leaving room for expansion, simmered in water then grilled

boudin blanc rennais France A mixture of chopped poultry breast meat and fat pork with onions boiled in milk flavoured with cloves and chervil, fine breadcrumbs, eggs and seasoning, filled loosely into beef runners, linked and simmered for 45 minutes, cooled then fried

boudin Breton France A boudin noir mix using a mixture of pigs’ and calf’s blood

boudin creole United States A boudin noir mix of blood, milk-soaked bread, pork back fat, garlic, parsley, chives, seasoning, quatreépices and rum

boudin d’Auvergne France A boudin noir mix with added milk and hard pork back fat and flare fat

boudin de Brest France A boudin noir mix with higher proportions of blood and cream

and boiled onion instead of sweated chopped onion. Made into long 20-cm links. boudin de Lyon France A boudin noir mix flavoured with paprika, chives, thyme,

parsley and brandy

boudin du Languedoc France A boudin noir mix including lean neck and spare rib of pork, flavoured with caraway seeds or aniseed

boudin du Poitou aux épinards France A boudin noir mixture of blood, chopped spinach, pork flare fat and gin, flavoured with orange flower water, thyme, quatre-épices and salt. Cooked as boudin noir.

boudin noir France A black pudding made with pigs’ blood, pork, kidney fat, cream, onions, salt and spices. The chopped pork fat and onions are sweated in lard, mixed with the other ingredients, poured into casings, linked, and simmered at 90°C until the blood solidifies and the boudins rise in the water. There are many variations.

boudin noir à l’ail France A boudin noir mix with chopped garlic instead of spice

boudin noir à l’anglaise France A boudin noir mix with the addition of boiled rice or pearl barley

boudin noir à la normande France Sliced boudin noir and peeled and sliced dessert apples sautéed in butter until slightly browned. Served as is or with a reduction of cider and pan juices or flamed with calvados.

boudin noir alsacien France A boudin noir mix with chopped apple

boudins entre ciel et terre France A dish of mashed potatoes, enriched with egg yolks and butter, and apple purée placed in a serving dish, warmed, well-grilled boudins placed on top and all napped with melted butter

bouffi France A type of bloater, lightly salted and smoked, eaten cooked or raw. Also called craquelots, demi-doux

bouillabaisse France A Mediterranean soup made with firm white fish and shellfish, with tomatoes, garlic, saffron, herbs and olive oil boiled 10 minutes before adding soft fish. Served with slices of French bread.

bouilli 1. France Boiled; past participle of bouillir ‘to boil’ 2. United States A classic Cajun soup made with beef offal

bouillie France 1. A thick porridge from Brittany made with buckwheat flour and resembling polenta 2. Baby cereal 3. Gruel 4. Porridge 5. Pulp

bouillinade France A fish stew with onions, potatoes, garlic and sweet peppers from Roussillon

bouillir France To boil

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bouillir à petit feu France To simmer bouillon 1. France A stock specifically made

for soup, not especially clarified 2. England A pasty mixture of salt, MSG, vegetable and/or meat extracts and flavourings; sold commercially in large tubs for making convenience stocks

bouillon cube See stock cube

boula United States A green turtle soup with green peas, flavoured with sherry, garnished with grated cheese and sometimes with whipped cream

boulangère, à la France In the baker’s wife’s style, i.e. cooked in the oven with sliced onions, potatoes and stock

boule France The flat ball-shaped traditional bread loaf with a rough crust, weighing up to 12 kg. Sometimes made by the sourdough method. (NOTE: Boule is the origin of the French word boulangerie, meaning baker’s shop.)

boule de Bâle Switzerland A pork meat, beef and fat pork sausage, smoked over beech wood, scalded and cooled. Served hot.

boule de macreuse France A forequarter cut of beef extending down from the middle of the shoulder to the top of the leg and including parts of English chuck, leg of mutton cut and brisket. Used for braising and stewing.

boule de neige France A sponge or ice cream dessert topped with whipped cream

boulette 1. France Rissole, meatball or meat croquette 2. France A small shortcrust or puff pastry pasty with a cooked meat or poultry filling, panéed and deep-fried 3. Belgium A small strong-flavoured cheese made in a variety of shapes, often flavoured with herbs

boulette d’Avesnes France A soft, cooked and kneaded-curd cheese made from buttermilk in northern France. It is seasoned with salt, herbs and spices and ripened for 3 months.

boulettes creole West Africa Highly spiced minced meatballs from Gambia simmered with onions, green sweet peppers, tomatoes, ginger and chillies in oil and stock

bounceberry Cranberry bouquet France Common prawn

bouquet de Moines Belgium A soft cows’ milk cheese with a smooth even-textured delicately flavoured paste covered in a brown rind and made in 400 g cylinders

bouquet garni France Herbs tied in a bundle, or wrapped in muslin or a blanched leek leaf, usually consisting of thyme, parsley stalks, celery leaves, bayleaf and possibly peppercorns. Abbreviation BG

bourride

bouquetière, à la France In the florist’s style, i.e. a method of presentation of hot cooked food, usually steaks or chops or the like on a platter surrounded by alternating small piles of individual servings of vegetables. The number of each variety corresponding to the number of servings of meat, etc.

bouquette Belgium A pancake made with a buckwheat batter containing raisins

bouranee baunjaun Central Asia Aubergine slices salted and drained, browned on both sides in oil then layered in a pan with sweated onions, sliced raw green peppers and tomatoes with a little chilli powder, covered in water and simmered until tender. Served in a dish with the Afghanistan sauce (chakah) below and above the vegetables.

bourani esfenaj Iran A mixture of cooked spinach, yoghurt and chopped garlic, served as a starter

Bourbon biscuit Two rectangular chocolateflavoured biscuits, sandwiched together with a chocolate cream filling

bourdaine France A dessert from Anjou consisting of an apple dumpling with jam

bourdaloue France Poached fruit served in a vanilla syrup

bourekakia Greece 1. A small sweet cake made from nuts and honey surrounded by layers of filo pastry or puff pastry like a sausage roll, baked, cooled and soaked in sugar syrup (NOTE: Similar cakes are common throughout the Middle East.) 2. A savoury pasty made with filo pastry filled with cheese, poultry, vegetables or meat, fried or baked and eaten hot or cold

bourgeoise, à la France Domestic in nature and usually without a set recipe, often garnished with carrots, onions and bacon

bourgouri Middle East Powdered wheat. See also burghul

bourguignonne, à la France In the Burgundy style, i.e. with red Burgundy wine, shallots, mushrooms and bacon

bourguignonne, sauce England, France Red wine flavoured with chopped shallots or onions, mushrooms, parsley, thyme and bay leaf, reduced, strained and thickened with beurre manié. Served with grilled or roast beef. Also called Burgundy sauce

bouride France Strongly garlic-flavoured

bourride France A Provençal fish soup made with small pieces of sea fish sautéed with onions, celery, and garlic, boiled in white wine, water, herbs and seasoning and garnished with diced boiled potatoes. Served with mayonnaise and bread.

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boursin

boursin France A commercial fresh cream cheese flavoured with garlic and herbs or rolled in crushed peppercorns

boursotto France A rice, anchovy, vegetable and cheese pasty from Nice

boutefas Switzerland A large smoked sausage from the Vaudois made of 4 parts pork to 1 part beef

bovine somatotrophin A genetically engineered growth hormone given to cows to increase their milk production but leading to their discomfort and an increased incidence of udder troubles

bovine spongiform encephalopathy The socalled mad cow disease caused by an infective agent (prion) which causes scrapie in sheep and which has been passed on to cattle by feeding them with sheep offal. It has now been shown that the agent can be transmitted to other animals and there is a strong presumption that it can cause a new type of Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease in humans especially amongst those who consumed the cheaper types of manufactured beef products in the 1980s. There is considerable evidence that the incubation period depends on the amount of the agent ingested. It has led to a decrease in the consumption of beef and the banning of the sale of certain parts of the beef carcass. Also called BSE

Bovril United Kingdom A proprietary meat extract made from hydrolysed meat protein and extractives used for flavouring or as a drink when diluted with hot water

bowara East Africa Pumpkin leaves, eaten fresh or after drying and reconstituting. From Zimbabwe.

bowl A vessel of roughly hemispherical shape, sometimes with a flat base, used in the kitchen to mix, weigh and prepare the mise en place

Bowles’ mint The common mint type, Mentha x villosa ‘Alopecuroides’, with large roundish hairy leaves, mid-green in colour and with a mixed apple/spearmint aroma

box crab A small pink crab, Calappa granulata, with red claws which fit over its face and jaw parts so that it looks like an irregular ball. Found off Spanish coasts.

boxthorn A plant, Lycium chinense, of the tomato family with small deep-green, oval leaves used in Cantonese cooking to flavour soup

boxty Ireland Mashed cooked potatoes mixed with grated raw potatoes, flour, baking powder, fat and seasoning, formed into cakes, baked, split and eaten hot with butter boxty bread Ireland A potato bread from Northern Ireland made of equal parts of

mashed potatoes, grated raw potatoes and self-raising flour with a little extra baking powder, brought together into a stiff dough and baked at 200°C

boysenberry A hybrid of raspberry, strawberry, dewberry and blackberry, similar to a blackberry but dark red and with a rather acid taste

bra Italy A soft or hard cows’ milk cheese from Piedmont, cast in wheel shapes (6 to 8 kg). The cheese is moulded, pressed, salted and ripened 45 days for the soft version or 6 months for the hard version. The paste is pale cream changing to a dense yellow with minute holes as it ages.

braadkip Netherlands 1. Chicken 2. Broiler braai South Africa Barbecue

braaivleis South Africa Barbecue brabançonne, à la France In the Brabant

(Belgium) style, i.e. garnished with Brussels sprouts, hops or chicory

bracchiolini Italy A giant beef olive from Sicily made with a stuffing of hard-boiled eggs, pork fat, parsley, cheese and chopped onions. This is then fried in oil and brandy, stewed in a tomato sauce flavoured with cinnamon and herbs and cut in slices for serving.

brace of pheasants Two pheasants, one the brightly plumaged cock and the other the hen, the better eater

Brachsenmakrelle Germany Pomfret, the fish

bracie, alla Italy Charcoal-grilled braciola Italy Cutlet, chop braciola di maiale Italy Pork chop

braciolette ripiene Italy Veal olives (paupiettes)

bracioline Italy Small cutlets of lamb bräckkorv Sweden A sausage made from

finely minced beef, lean pork and fat bacon, mixed with mashed potatoes, milk, seasoning, sugar, saltpetre and allspice, diced bacon added, the whole filled into casings, linked, dry-salted for 1 day and possibly smoked

bradan Ireland Salmon

bradan rost Scotland Salmon roasted in a hot smoke kiln at around 105°C for a short period

Bradenham ham England A west country ham cured with dry salt or brined for a month, pickled in molasses, salt and saltpetre for a month and smoked over applewood and oak. This turns the skin black and the meat red and sweet. To cook, it is soaked in water to remove salt and then boiled.

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brændende kærlighed Denmark Mashed potato and bacon (NOTE: Literally ‘burning love’.)

bragance, à la France In the Braganza (Portugal) style, i.e. garnished with stuffed tomatoes and potato croquettes

Braganza cabbage Portuguese cabbage Brägenwurst Germany A lightly smoked thin

sausage made from pigs’ brains, oats and flour

braid cheese See string cheese

brains The brains of animals are classed as offal and are a delicacy in Italy, France and other countries. Their use is falling out of favour due to problems with the agent responsible for scrapie and BSE, which affects the brains of sheep and cows. If used they should be plump, fresh and covered with an easily removed membrane. They are soaked in salted water, the membrane and blood vessels removed and the brains poached in acidulated water.

brains sausage United States Casings filled with a mixture of chopped brains, pork and pork fat with grated onions and seasoning, linked, boiled for a few minutes and cooled. Served fried in butter.

braise, to To cook previously browned food in just enough liquid to cover it in a pan with a very tight fitting lid which reduces evaporation. The cooking is very slow and the meat is usually placed on a mirepoix of vegetables. Braising is often finished in the oven after the meat and liquid have been brought to the boil on top of the stove.

braisé(e) France Braised; past participle of braiser, ‘to braise’

braised rice Rice pilaff braiser France To braise bramble Blackberry

bramble jelly 1. United Kingdom Wild blackberry jelly 2. United States Crab apple and blackberry jelly (a clear jam without seeds)

bramborová polévka Czech Republic Beef stock, thickened with a brown roux and simmered with garlic, marjoram and seasoning, strained and garnished with diced carrots and celeriac and shredded cabbage previously sweated in butter plus diced boiled potatoes, mushrooms and fried salt pork

Bramley’s Seedling United Kingdom A large green sour cooking apple, ideal for purées, sauces, baking and most culinary uses. Available all year round.

bran The outer layer of cereal grains composed mainly of cellulose, which is left in wholemeal flour. When removed by sifting

Branzi

the flour, it is used as an animal feed or for high-fibre breakfast cereals.

branche, en France Served whole; especially of vegetables, e.g. celery, spinach

branco Portugal White

Brand Germany A hard cheese made from naturally soured milk mixed with beer

brandade de morue France Poached salt cod, skinned, boned and fried in oil with garlic, then pounded with oil, milk and seasonings to a fine paste, put in a baking dish and glazed

brandade de thon France A dish from Brittany of canned or cooked tuna chunks mixed with cooked haricot beans and dressed

branding griddle A cast-iron plate with raised parallel ribs used to give the desirable brown lines on grilled steaks or fish. It has a gutter round the edges to collect fat.

brandon puff United States A muffin made with a mixture of cornmeal and flour

brandy A high-alcohol spirit distilled from wine and matured. Used for flavouring and flambéing or flaming food. Similar spirits are grappa and marc. Also called cognac, armagnac

brandy butter A mixture of softened butter, caster sugar, brandy and possibly spice, served when cool with hot puddings or mince pies usually at Christmas. Also called hard sauce

brandy sauce United Kingdom A sweetened béchamel sauce, flavoured with brandy. Served with Christmas pudding or mince pies.

brandy snap A crisp biscuit made with a thin mixture of butter, icing sugar, egg whites, soft flour and flavouring dropped in spoonfuls onto a baking tray, cooked at 240°C until lacy and brown, immediately rolled into a tube and left to cool. Generally filled with whipped cream.

Brandza See Brynza

bran flour United States Wheat bran finely ground

brank Buckwheat

Brânzǎ de burduf A ewes’ milk cheese stronger than Brynza which is matured in a special leather bag (burduf). Sometimes flavoured by bringing into contact with fir tree bark.

Branzi Italy A semi-hard scalded-curd slicing cheese from Bergamo cast in wheel shapes (up to 15 kg). The moulded and pressed curd is salted in brine and ripened for 3 to 5 months. The paste has a soft supple texture with small evenly distributed holes. If kept, it

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branzino

will harden and may be used as a grating cheese.

branzino Italy Bass

brasa, a la Catalonia Cooked over open flames, e.g. barbecued or char-grilled

brasare Italy To braise

brasas, nas Portugal Charcoal-grilled brasato Italy Braised

braskartofler Denmark Fried potatoes brasserie 1. France A brewery 2. England,

France An informal eating house or pub which supplies à la carte cooked dishes at all hours. They tend to be rather more pretentious and expensive in the UK.

brassica The most important class of leafy vegetables, belonging to the genus Brassica and grown throughout the world in a variety of forms. Generally classified as western brassicas, such as kale, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, calabrese, broccoli raab, kohlrabi, swedes and turnips, or oriental brassicas, such as mizuna greens, komatsuna, Chinese cabbage, pak choy and Chinese broccoli. The oriental brassicas are mainly cultivated for the leaves and leafy stems. See individual items for details.

Brassica hirta Mustard (for sprouting and salads)

Brassica juncea Botanical name Brown mustard and oriental mustard

Brassica napus Botanical name Rape and salad rape

Brassica napus Napobrassica Group

Botanical name Swede

Brassica nigra Botanical name Black mustard

Brassica oleracea Acephala Group

Botanical name Kale

Brassica oleracea Botrytis Group Botanical name Cauliflower

Brassica oleracea Capitata Group Botanical name Cabbage

Brassica oleracea Gemmifera Group

Botanical name Brussels sprouts

Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group

Botanical name Kohlrabi

Brassica oleracea Italica group Botanical name Calabrese and sprouting broccoli

Brassica oleracea var. tronchuda Botanical name Portuguese cabbage

Brassica rapaa Utilis Group Botanical name

Broccoli raab

Brassica rapa Rapifera group Botanical name Turnip and turnip tops

Brassica rapa var. alboglabra Botanical name Chinese broccoli

Brassica rapa var. chinensis Botanical name Pak choy

Brassica rapa var. nipposinica Botanical name Mizuna greens

Brassica rapa var. parachinensis Botanical name Choy sum

Brassica rapa var. pekinensis Botanical name Chinese leaves

Brassica rapa var. perviridis Botanical name Komatsuna

Brassica rapa var. rosularis Botanical name

Chinese flat cabbage

Brat Switzerland A grilling cheese made from cows’ milk

Bratapfel Germany Baked apple braten Germany To roast

Braten Germany Roast meat

Bratenbrühe Germany Gravy

Bratenfett Germany Dripping Bratfisch Germany Fried fish

Brathendl Austria Roast chicken

Bratheringe Germany A type of escabeche made from filleted herrings, floured and fried then marinated in vinegar with onion, bay leaf, peppercorns and mustard seed. Served cold.

Brathuhn Germany Roast chicken

Bratkartoffeln Germany Fried potatoes

Bratrollmops Germany Rollmop herrings made up and fried before pickling

bratt pan A large versatile rectangular tilting pan used in commercial kitchens, heated by gas or electricity and mainly used for shallowor deep-frying, boiling, braising and stewing. A typical installation can process 200 portions per hour.

Bratwurst Germany A pale-coloured raw sausage, made from finely ground pork or veal, sweated chopped onion, seasoning and ground mace. Sometimes smoked and/or lightly scalded and grilled or fried before serving.

Braudost Iceland A cows’ milk cheese similar to Edam (NOTE: Literally ‘bread cheese’.)

braune Ecke Germany A crisp and crusty rye bread roll

braune Tunke Germany Brown sauce Braunschweiger Cervelat Germany A

cervelat mix containing sugar, packed into beef middles, air-dried for 3 weeks and coolsmoked over oak and beech with juniper berries

Braunschweiger Kohl Germany Common cabbage

Braunschweiger Kuchen Germany

Brunswick cake

Braunschweiger Mettwurst Germany A

Mettwurst speciality from Brunswick

Braunschweigerwurst Germany Speciality sausages from Brunswick known by their type, e.g. Braunschweiger Mettwurst or Schlackwurst, etc. See under type names

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brawn Meat from the head, generally of pigs but sometimes calves, sheep or cows, etc. stewed on the bone with the usual flavourings, deboned, defatted, put in a mould and covered with reduced, defatted and strained cooking liquor, demoulded when set and served thinly sliced. Also called head cheese

Brazilian cherry Acerola Brazilian guava Feijoa

brazil nut A large hard-shelled nut from the fruit of a tall tropical tree, Bertholletia excelsa. The nuts in their shells are shaped liked the segments of an orange and are grouped together inside the round fruit. Usually sold shelled, except at Christmas. Also called cream nut, para nut

brazo de gitano Spain Gypsy’s arm

breac geal Ireland 1. Salmon trout 2. Brown trout

bread A staple food made from a mixture of ground grains or seeds (flour), salt and water, baked, grilled or fried to a solid mass. Now usually refers to wheat or rye flours but other grains are used in small quantities and ground legumes in India. Bread is either unleavened, i.e. no raising agent is used, or leavened, i.e. raised by the action of a chemical raising agent or a yeast fermentation of part of the flour. Leavening introduces small bubbles of gas into the flour-water matrix, giving the bread a lighter texture.

bread, to United States To pané

bread and butter pudding United Kingdom A dessert made from slices of white crustless bread well soaked in an egg custard mixture, layered or arranged in an oven-proof dish with dried vine fruits and spices and baked in the oven until crisp and brown on top

bread and butter sausage England Finely chopped veal and pork, mixed with ground cloves, ginger, saltpetre, seasoning and small pieces of scalded lean bacon, packed into ox casings, smoked until red, boiled and cooled. Possibly eaten with bread and butter.

breadcrumbs Crustless bread reduced to a fine particle size generally less than 3 mm in diameter. Used either fresh, dried, fried or toasted in various dishes and coatings.

bread flour The type of flour made from hard wheat used in the West for making bread. It generally, though not necessarily, contains a high proportion of protein (greater than 12%), the gluten content of which aids, after kneading, the rising of the dough and the stabilization of the texture on baking.

breadfruit The large, heavy, 20 cm diameter fruit of Artocarpus communis, mostly starch

bream

with a thick yellow to green and brown rind. Introduced into the Caribbean from the Pacific islands by Captain Bligh of mutiny fame. Used as a staple food, baked, boiled or fried like yam.

bread herbs The principal herbs used in bread are aniseed, basil, caraway, chives, dill, fennel, lovage seed, poppy seed, rosemary, sunflower seed and thyme

bread knife A long non-tapering knife with a serrated edge used for cutting bread, cakes and other friable dryish foods. Also called serrated knife

breadnut A variety of breadfruit which contains large 2.5 cm long seeds which may be roasted or boiled and eaten as nuts

bread pudding United Kingdom A baked pudding made from white crustless bread mixed with milk, eggs, sugar, dried vine fruits, flour, butter, jam or marmalade and spices and baked in the oven. Eaten hot or cold.

bread sauce A thick sauce made from white crustless bread mixed with milk which has been simmered with an onion clouté, chopped sweated onions, butter, spices and seasoning. Served with roast poultry and game.

bread saw A knife with a serrated edge used to cut cleanly bread, cakes and other dry crumbly goods

bread sticks See grissini

breakfast The first meal of the day. See also

English breakfast, continental breakfast breakfast cereals Breakfast food other than

bread or cake made from cereal grains, principally, maize, rice, wheat, or oats. Some are cooked as needed, e.g. porridge, boiled rice and congé, others are commercially processed by precooking, pressing, drying and coating, e.g. cornflakes and rice crispies. Yet others use only a part of the cereal, e.g. bran flakes, and others are used raw such as rolled oats in muesli. Generally eaten with milk and sugar, possibly fruit and other flavourings.

breakfast cream United States Light cream breakfast sausage Equal parts of finely chopped beef and lean pork, mixed with breadcrumbs, 1 cm dice of pork back fat, ground mace, nutmeg and seasoning, packed into weasands, smoked, then boiled. May be eaten cold or heated using any

cooking method.

bream 1. A round, red-backed, deep-bodied seawater fish of the genera Pagellus and Spondyliosoma, with a silver underside and red fins weighing up to 1 kg and with a firm, mild-tasting, white flesh. Found in the North

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breast of lamb

East Atlantic. Also called red bream 2. A yellowish similarly shaped freshwater fish, Abramis brama, of the carp family of little importance

breast of lamb A cheap cut of lamb consisting of the rib cage and belly, composed of layers of fat, connective tissue and muscle. Usually boned, stuffed, rolled and braised or roasted but can be chopped on the bone and stewed or barbecued.

breast of veal The rib cage of the calf cooked like breast of lamb

brécol, brecoli Spain Broccoli

brêdes South Africa Boiled greens as served with rice in Madagascar

bredie South Africa A meat and vegetable stew

bree Scotland Soup (colloquial)

Breitling Germany Sprat breka Spain Pandora, the fish brème France Bream

brème de mer France Pomfret, the fish Bremer Klaben Germany A raisin and citron

cake

Bremer Kükenragout Germany Stewed chicken and vegetables in a cream sauce Brennsuppe Germany A brown soup in which the flour is browned by dry-roasting or frying.

Usually contains onions and wine.

Brenten Germany Almond pastry from Frankfurt, flavoured with rose water and rum Brent goose A small, dark, wild goose, Branta bernicla and other species of Branta, that breeds in the Arctic. Also called barnacle

goose

bresaola Italy Cured air-dried beef, matured for several months, cut in wafer thin slices, marinated and served as a hors d’oeuvre bresi Air-dried beef from the Haute Savoie on the French Italian border; similar to bresaola

from the contiguous Italian region

Bressan France A mild goats’ milk cheese from Bresse

bressane, à la France In the Bresse style (NOTE: Bresse is a town in eastern France.)

Bresse bleu France A type of blue cheese. See also Bleu de Bresse

Bresse chicken A famous free-range chicken from north of Lyon, France. It is considered to have the finest-flavoured flesh of any chicken and is correspondingly expensive. It is the only poultry with an Appellation d’Origine.

bretonne, à la France 1. In the Brittany style, i.e. with whole or puréed white beans 2. Coated in sauce bretonne. Used of eggs or fish.

bretonne, fish Fish meunière dressed with a few picked shrimps and sweated sliced mushrooms

bretonne, garnish Shrimps, capers and gherkins for fish and haricot beans for meat bretonne, sauce France 1. For cooked haricot beans: chopped onions fried in butter until light brown, white wine added and reduced by half, espagnole sauce, a little tomato sauce and chopped garlic added, simmered 8 minutes and finished with chopped parsley 2. For fish: fish velouté mixed with a fine julienne of leek, celery, onion and mushrooms sweated in butter, simmered and skimmed and finished with

cream and butter bretonneau France Turbot

Breton sauce Sauce bretonne brettone Spain Brussels sprouts bretzel France Pretzel

bréval, fish As for fish Bercy with the addition of sliced button mushrooms and tomato concassée to the cooking liquor. These are reserved after poaching and used as a garnish. Also called antin, fish d’

Brevibacterium linens A microorganism associated with the ripening of Brick cheeses

brewer’s yeast See yeast

breyani South Africa A Cape Malay dish of rice and lentils with lamb or chicken and flavoured with coriander

Brezel Germany Pretzel

briciola Italy Crumb, of bread, etc. briciolone Italy Small pieces, e.g. of dried

porcini (NOTE: Literally ‘broken bits’.)

Brick United States A brick-shaped, yellow, medium-soft, slicing cheese with a lot of small holes, created in Wisconsin. It has a lactic starter and is surface-ripened with

Brevibacterium linens. It is ripened for 15 days at high humidity and then under cooler conditions whilst the rind, which develops a red colour, is washed at intervals until the cheese is ready to be wrapped. The paste has a sweet and spicy nutty flavour, similar to Münster, Saint Paulin and Tilsit.

brider France To truss

bride’s bonn Scotland A flat cake made with self-raising flour, butter and caster sugar (5:2:1) by the rubbing in method, brought together with milk and flavoured with caraway seeds. Cooked on a hot griddle on the wedding day and traditionally broken over the bride’s head as she entered her new Shetland house.

bridge rolls Small finger rolls of soft white bread about 8 by 3 cm, the dough often enriched with egg, usually filled and served

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as open or closed sandwiches at buffets and functions

bridie Scotland, England A meat pasty from Scotland and Northumberland

Brie England, France A soft, smooth, full-fat cows’ milk cheese, formed into a large wheel shape with a surface fungus used to develop its flavour. It matures in about 6–8 weeks when the centre should be soft but not runny with a faint mushroom aroma and a mild piquant, aromatic and slightly acid taste. Usually sold in wedges, sometimes flavoured with herbs, etc. and now available in a blueveined version. Contains 46% water, 30% fat and 22% protein.

Brie de Coulommiers France A milder and smaller version of Brie. Also called

Coulommiers

Brie de Meaux France A Brie cheese with AOC status, produced from unpasteurized cows’ milk in the area surrounding Paris

Brie de Melun France The original Brie (13th century) made from unpasteurized cows’ milk with an orange-red rind and a strong flavour. It is sold on straw mats and has AOC status.

brigade A team of people working in a restaurant, generally divided into the kitchen brigade and the restaurant brigade

Brighton sandwich England Self-raising flour, butter, caster sugar and egg (4:2:2:1) brought together by the rubbing-in method, the dough then divided in two and one half rolled into a circle and covered with sieved apricot jam, the other half placed on top. The top is painted with apricot jam and covered with flaked almonds. Baked at 180°C for 15 minutes then at 160°C for a further 20 minutes.

brigidini Italy Aniseed-flavoured biscuits

brik North Africa A large deep-fried pasty made from filo pastry with a filling of raw egg, vegetables and tuna fish, served hot

brill A firm-fleshed flatfish, Schopthalmus rhombus or Rhombus laevis, from the shallow waters of the North Atlantic and Mediterranean. About 30–40 cm long with a freckled grey or brown upper surface. At best in autumn and winter, and cooked on the bone.

Brillat-Savarin 1. A 19th-century French epicure who had an important influence on classic French cooking 2. France A triplecream, cows’ milk cheese from Normandy similar to Brie 3. A garnish of small tartlets filled with foie gras, asparagus tips, truffles, etc.

brilliant black PN A synthetic black food colouring. See also E151

briser

brilliant blue FCF A synthetic blue food dye, licensed for use in the UK but not in the EU generally. Used in canned vegetables. See also E133

brin France A sprig, of a herb

Brin d’amour France A soft goats’ milk cheese from Corsica, flavoured with, and its grey surface coated with, herbs. Presented in small squares which have been matured for three months. Also called fleur de maquis

brine A solution of salt in water used to preserve food. Preservation occurs by diffusion of salt from the brine into the food and of water from the food into the brine. On a small scale this can make the brine too dilute. Brines should be between 80 and 100% saturation i.e. between 290 and 360g of salt per litre of water. Eggs and potatoes will float in such a brine. However 200g of salt per litre of water is sufficient to inhibit bacterial growth.

brine, pickling A solution of salt, saltpetre and herbs and spices in water used to preserve raw meats and sometimes vegetables by soaking

brine, to To soak a foodstuff in brine

bringa Sweden 1. Brisket (of beef) 2. Breast (of lamb)

bringebær Norway Raspberry

brinjal South Africa, South Asia A long thin aubergine extensively used in Indian cuisine brinjal kassaundi South Asia A hot spicy

pickle made from brinjal aubergines brinjela Portugal Aubergine

Brinza 1. Middle East A soft rindless ewes’ milk cheese with irregular holes made in Israel. Contains 60% water. 18% fat and 20% protein. 2. A cheese similar to Feta. See also Brynza

brioche France A yeast-raised bread enriched with eggs and butter, often eaten warm, and sometimes filled

brioche à tête France A small brioche made with a ball of the same dough on top

brioche loaf A large brioche which is sliced like bread

Briol Belgium A Limburger-type cheese brionne Choko

brioscia Italy Brioche

briouats North Africa A type of sweet triangular samosa from Morocco filled normally with date or almond paste, but other fillings are also used. Deep-fried until crisp.

brique à l’oeuf North Africa An egg deepfried in a filo pastry packet

Briquette Neufchâtel

briser France To break, of bones

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brisket

brisket United Kingdom, United States A coarse fatty cut of beef from the lower part of the shoulder. Usually boned and rolled for boiling, braising or pot-roasting. May be salted or pickled and sold cold.

brisler Denmark Sweetbreads

brisling Small sprats similar to sardines, usually canned in oil. Also called Swedish anchovies

brit United States 1. Young herring 2. Young mackerel

brittle See praline

briwat North Africa Small Moroccan pasties made in a triangular shape with flaky pastry and various fillings and deep-fried in oil

Brix scale A scale of density based on sugar syrups and measured in degrees. The degree Brix, °Brix, is the percentage by weight of sugar in a sugar water solution at 20°C. Thus 100°Brix is pure sugar, 50°Brix is equal weights of sugar and water i.e. 1 kg of sugar per litre of water. Some hydrometers are calibrated in °Brix.

broa 1. Portugal A very popular yeast-raised large flat bread from Minho made with various flours 2. Spain Cornmeal bread

broach A spit, for roasting meat, etc.

broad bean The seed of a legume, Vicia faba, eaten as the whole pod when very young (up to 8 cm) or as green unripe oval-shaped beans from more mature pods (up to 30 cm). Usually boiled but uncooked beans are eaten as a snack food in the eastern Mediterranean. The dried bean, which is creamy in colour, is used as a pulse or canned. It was one of the first legumes to be harvested in Europe. It is a direct descendant of the field bean or horse bean which has been cultivated in Europe since the Stone Age. Also called fava bean, flava bean, Windsor bean, shell bean, Scotch bean

broad bean sauce A thick brown sauce made from fermented ground broad beans and flavoured with garlic, chillies and spices. Used in Szechuan, China instead of soya bean sauces.

broad leaf sage See sage broad leaf sorrel See sorrel

broad leaf thyme A bushy shrub, Thymus pulegioides, growing to 40 cm. with large leaves and a stronger flavour than garden thyme.

Broccio France A ewes’ or goats’ milk unsalted curd cheese from Corsica, similar to the Italian Ricotta. Eaten as soon as made. Also called Brocciu cheese

Brocciu cheese See Broccio broccoletti Italy Broccoli raab

broccoli England, Italy A brassica related to cauliflower which exists in two forms, the heading or calabrese type and the sprouting type, Brassica oleraceae var. italica. The sprouting varieties are harvested in spring after overwintering and consist of small immature purple or green tight clusters of miniature flowers which branch from a thick 1 m tall main stem. They are cut repeatedly for use as a vegetable or salad item until they become too small to be of use. Eaten raw, boiled, steamed, cold or hot.

broccoli raab The leaves of a turnip-type plant, Brassica rapa (Utilis Group), used in the same way as turnip tops

broccoli rabe Italy Broccoli broccoli rape Rape broccolo Italy Broccoli brochain Scotland Broth

brochan Scotland Porridge or gruel

broche France A spit, for roasting of meats, etc.

broché(e) France Trussed (NOTE: past participle of brocher, ‘to truss’)

broche à la France Spit-roasted brochet France Pike

brocheta Mexico, Spain 1. Skewer 2.

Brochette

brochet de mer France Barracuda brochette France 1. A skewer, used for

kebabs 2. Pieces of meat, etc. on a skewer and cooked

brochette of lamb See shish kebab brochettes North Africa Kebabs of marinated

offal, lamb or mutton and fat

brochettes de Parme France Hors d’oeuvre on a skewer. See also attereaux au Parmesan

brocoli France Broccoli brócoli Spain Broccoli bróculi Spain Broccoli bröd Sweden Bread

brød Denmark, Norway Bread

brodetto Italy 1. A sauce made from broth with beaten eggs and lemon juice 2. A saffron-flavoured fish stew similar to bouillabaisse. It has many local variations. Also called boreta, broeta

brodetto alla romana Italy An Easter stew of beef and lamb finished with egg yolks, lemon juice and grated Parmesan

brodino, al Italy Finished with egg yolks and lemon juice, especially of lamb stews

brodo Italy Broth, stock

brodo di manzo Italy A clear beef broth, usually containing pastini

brodo ristretto Italy Consommé

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broeto Italy A saffron-flavoured fish stew. See also brodetto 2

broil, to To grill

broiler United States A young chicken weighing just over 1 kg

broit Ireland Brill, the fish brokkoli Norway Broccoli

Brombeere Germany Blackberry bromelain See bromelin

bromelin A protease used in beer production to remove protein haze and also to solubilize soya protein. Can be used to convert topside into a much softer meat resembling fillet steak. Also called bromelain

brönies Scotland A spiced beefburger from the Shetland isles made from equal quantities of sassermaet and plain minced beef plus some finely chopped onions and a few breadcrumbs brought together with egg, formed into rounds, floured and fried

bronze turkey A breed of turkey usually hung to improve its flavour. It has an excellent taste and a plump breast. It is more slow growing than the whiter breeds and the white meat is darker. Also called Cambridge bronze

bronzino Italy Sea bass

brood 1. Netherlands Bread 2. Belgium A cows’ milk cheese similar to Edam, shaped like a loaf and coated with a yellow wax

broodje Netherlands A longish bread roll used to make a sandwich

broodpap Netherlands Bread pudding broom corn Common millet Bröschen Germany Sweetbreads brose See athol brose

Brot Germany Bread

brotchan Ireland A broth made with leeks, potatoes and onions

Brötchen Germany Small bread roll

broth 1. The liquid in which meat or fish had been boiled together with herbs, vegetables and spices (NOTE: This is the original meaning.) 2. Stock, brunoise vegetables and either barley or rice simmered with a bouquet garni and seasoning and finished with chopped parsley

Brotkock Germany Bread pudding

Brotkrümmel Germany Breadcrumbs

Brotsuppe Germany Bread soup made with meat stock and bread and flavoured with nutmeg

Brotwurzel Germany Cassava

broufado France A Provençal beef stew with vinegar, anchovies and capers

brouillade France A stew using oil (NOTE: Literally ‘a fog’.)

brouillade périgourdine France Scrambled eggs flavoured with truffles

brown FK

brouillé(e) France Scrambled, as in oeufs brouillés, scrambled eggs

brousse du Rôve France A ewes’ milk curd cheese from Provence similar to Ricotta

brown Partially or wholly untreated e.g. brown rice, brown sugar

brown, to To bake grill or roast in the oven so that the outer surface of the food turns a golden brown due to caramelization or Maillard reactions

brown and serve United States Convenience food, usually bread, cooked to a state where it just needs to be browned before serving

brown bean sauce See yellow bean sauce brown beef stock Chopped beef bones,

roasted in the oven until brown and the fat poured off. The bones, deglazed pan juices, chopped aromatic vegetables browned in fat and a bouquet garni are added to water, simmered for 8 hours, skimmed continuously and strained (proportions: bones 4, vegetables 1, water 10). Also called fond brun, estouffade

brown betty United States A pudding made from layers of sugar, breadcrumbs, butter, sliced apples, spices and lemon zest baked until brown

brown braising The sealing of meat in oil by browning on all sides prior to braising on a bed of chopped root vegetables

brown bread A general term for bread made from a brown low-extraction flour such as wholemeal. Now also applied to artificially coloured white breads.

brown bread ice cream United Kingdom A vanilla-flavoured ice cream containing brown breadcrumbs

brown butter sauce See beurre noisette brown cap mushroom A derivative of the

cultivated white mushroom more like its wild counterpart with a lightly feathered effect above the rim. They have a lower water content than the white mushroom and keep their shape better when cooked. They do not need peeling.

brown chaud-froid sauce Demi-glace thickened with 75 g of gelatine per litre

brown chicken stock As for brown beef stock, but with chicken bones substituted for beef bones. Also called fond brun de volaille browned flour United States Flour which has been browned or dry-roasted to give it a nutty baked flavour. Used for thickening stews and

sauces.

brown FK A synthetic brown food dye, licensed for use in the UK but not in the EU generally. Used to dye kippers. See also

E154

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