Glossary E - H

Eau de framboise
A raspberry brandy or spirit. As well as a drink, eau de framboise is often used in cooking to flavour sweet and savoury dishes.

Eggplant
Another name for aubergine

Eggwash
Beaten egg mixed with water and a little salt, used for glazing pastry or bread.

Empanada
Large rectangular pies of olive-oil pastry with meat or fish filling, served as tapas in Spain. The classic empanada comes from Galicia in north-west Spain and is made with chicken, onions and peppers.

Emulsify
To combine fats such as butter or oil with vinegar or citric juices into a smooth and even blend using an emulsifier such as an egg yolk which binds to each set of ingredients and prevents them from separating. Hollandaise is a classic emulsified sauce.

Entrecote
Boneless beefsteak cut from the sirloin, also known as sirloin steak.

Escabèche
A spicy cold marinade (of olive oil, vinegar and herbs) that originated in Spain and is used for preserving cooked foods. It is mostly used for small cooked fish which are de-headed, fried or lightly browned and then marinated for 24 hours.

Escalope
Thin slice of meat, often beaten thinner for quick cooking. The classic method of preparing veal escalopes is to coat them with breadcrumbs.

Espagnole (à la)
A l'espagnole is the name given to several ways of preparing food inspired by Spanish cuisine. The main ingredient are tomatoes, sweet peppers, onions and garlic, usually fried in olive oil.

Essence or extract
Concentrated aromatic extract, such as from the vanilla pods, almonds, anchovies or coffee beans, used to flavour and enhance foods, and also available in synthetic form.

Falafel
Middle Eastern street food of spiced chickpea fritters, often served in warm pitta bread.

Farfalle
Pasta shaped like bow-ties of butterflies.

Fennel
Its greenish-brown seeds and leaves both have a strong aniseed flavour that complements fish, especially oily varieties such as mackerel or herring.

Feta cheese
A creamy white Greek cheese traditionally made from ewe's milk but also made from cow's milk and kept in brine to give a salty flavour. It can be crumbled over the top of mixed salads, and can be cut into cubes and served as a snack with olives and crusty bread.

Fettuccine
Long flat pasta, similar to tagliatelle.

Fillet
A boneless, lean cut of meat, fish or poultry.

Filo pastry
Thin sheets of pastry commonly used in Greek, eastern European and Middle Eastern cuisines. As the sheets are very thin, working quickly to prevent drying out is essential and fillings, sweet or savoury, should be almost cooked before use as the pastry only requires a short cooking time.

Fish sauce
The staple flavouring of South East Asian cuisine, fish sauce is made from salted, fermented fish to give a delicately pungent salty taste.

Five-spice powder
A mixture of anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel and peppercorns, five-spice powder is slightly sweet yet pungently spicy.

Flan
Open pie containing sweet or savoury filling in a custard of eggs and cream

Florets
Florets are the small, individual flower stems that make up the heads of vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower.

Flour
Finely ground cereal, such as wheat, barley, oats, rice and miaze. Wheat flour contains gluten, a protein that forms an elastic network that helps contain the gases that make mixtures (such as doughs and batters) rise as they bake. Bread flour, or strong flour, has a high protein content and good gluten strength. Plain household flour is usually a soft flour and is best for cakes and pastries Self-raising flour has a standard amount of raising agent already added to it.

Focaccia
Italian olive-oil bread, large and flat, often flavoured with herbs, sometimes with a filling of ham or cheese.

Foie gras
Literally French for 'fat liver', but usually used to refer to the rich pate made from the liver of ducks and geese that have been force-fed and fattened until their livers become enlarged. It is a great French delicacy - and very expensive.

Fond
The French word for stock - the flavoured liquid base used for making a sauce, stew or braised dish.

Fondant
a. Soft- textured sweet made of flavoured icing. b. Fondant potatoes are sautéed potatoes, crisp on the outside and melting in the middle.

Fondue
A Swiss dish of melted cheese served at the table in a pan; each person dips pieces of bread into it and then eats them. Other varieties of fondue include fondue bourguignonne in which cubes of beef are dipped in hot oil at the table until cooked, and then eaten with dips and sauces; and chocolate fondue served with fruit and biscuits.

Fragrant rice
An aromatic long-grain rice flavoured in Thai and Vietnamese cooking.

Frangipane
A pastry cream used when preparing various desserts, sweets, cakes and pancakes. It is made with milk, sugar, flour, eggs and butter mixed with either crushed macaroons or with ground almonds.

French dressing
Also known as vinaigrette. A cold sauce used for dressing salads, made from a mixture of olive oil, wine vinegar, pepper and salt to which variuos flavourings can be added.

Fricassee
A white stew made from poultry and other white meat. The meat is just turned in fat but not browned before cooked in a white sauce. A fricassee is usually cooked with cream and garnished with small glazed onions and lightly cooked mushrooms.

Frittata
An Italian omelette with a variety of fillings, eg. potatoes, mushrooms, pumpkin, ham, cheese. Unlike a French omelette , the ingredients are mixed with the eggs rather than being folded inside them. It is then cut into wedges and eaten hot or cold. Similar to a Spanish omelette.

Fritter
Piece of raw or cooked meat, fish, fruit or vegetables coated in batter and deep-fried until crisp, golden and cooked through.

Fritto misto
An Italian dish (meaning literally 'fried mixture') of a variety of deep- fried meats and vegetables including lamb, rabbit, veal, sausage, liver, courgettes, carrots, aubergine, fennel and tomatoes. Fruit such as apples and peaches may be added too.

Fromage frais
A fresh, low-fat curd cheese made from pasteurised cow's milk which can be used in cooking or in desserts.

Fumet
A strong-flavoured cooking liquor used for flavouring sauces.

Fusilli
Spiral-shaped pasta.

Galangal
This looks rather like ginger, and you can use it the same way. Be careful, though - some cooks take it out of the dish before serving, because it can be a bit fiery for some tastes.

Garam masala
A mixture of ground spices used as a base for Indian dishes.

Garlic
Can be used whole, raw, chopped, cooked and pressed.

Gazpacho
In winter the soup could be eaten hot and in summer cold. The modern version of this Spanish soup is more like a cold tomato soup, almost like a salad, but still with the essential flavours of olive oil, garlic and vinegar.

Gelatine
An animal product derived from the bones of animals. Used as a setting agent for sweet or savoury jellies and pudding fillings. Gelatine comes in powder form or in leaves.

Ginger
Don't confuse dried, ground ginger with the real thing. Buy fresh ginger, and chop it into matchsticks, grind it up or nibble slivers with a dip.

Gluten
Made from wheat flour, turned into a dough and deep fried, gluten is staple for vegetarian dishes. Buy it in tins from oriental and Asian supermarkets.

Gnocchi
Small Italian dumplings made of flour, semolina, potato or choux pastry. They are usually poached and then cooked au gratin (with grated cheese) in the oven and served as a hot starter.

Gorgonzola
An Italian cow's milk cheese, pale in colour and streaked with blue. It has a distinct smell and can be mild, strong or sharp in flavour depending on its maturity.

Gram flour
A flour made from ground chickpeas. It is pale yellow and powdery and has an earthy flavour best suited to savoury dishes. It is widely used in Indian cooking and contains no gluten.

Granadilla
An exotic fruit belonging to the passion fruit family, granadillas are twice the size of passion fruit with a smooth, fragile orange skin and a mild sweet pulp inside.

Granita
An Italian sorbet made of a lightly sweetened syrup flavoured with coffee or liqueur. It is served between courses or as a refreshment.

Gratin
A gratin is any dish that is topped with cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with bits of butter, then heated in the oven or under the grill until golden brown and crispy.

Gravadlax
A Scandanavian speciality where the freshest raw salmon is cured in a mixture of sugar, salt, pepper and fresh dill. Often served with a dill and mustard dressing.

Gravy
A sauce made from meat juices, usually combined with a liquid such as chicken or beef stock, wine or milk and thickened with flour, cornflour or some other thickening agent. A gravy may also be thesimple juices left in the pan after meat, poultry or fish has been cooked.

Griddle
A flat cast-iron pan traditionally used for breads and scones. More recently griddles have a ridged surface and are used, lightly oiled, for cooking vegetables, meat and fish.

Groundnut
Also known as peanut. This edible nut is the seed of a member of the pea family, not a true nut. Groundnuts can be roasted, salted and eaten whole or used in cooked dishes. Peanut or groundnut oil is widely used in cooking and margarine manufacture.

Guacamole
A Mexican dish of mashed avocado mixed with lemon or lime juice and various seasonings (usually chilli powder and red pepper). Can be used as a dip, sauce, topping or side dish.

Guinea fowl
Traditionally a game bird but now domesticated and available all year round, the guinea fowl has a flavour between that of chicken and pheasant.

Gumbo
A thick, gelatinous, soupy stew from Louisiana thickened with okra. Made with chicken, fish, pork, turkey or seafood, it is typically spicy in flavour, as is all Cajun cooking.

Habanero chillies
Habanero chillies are hot, hot, hot!! try using them whole so that the flavour infuses dishes such as fish stews, chillies, jerk sauces and Caribbean curries. Also good for making chutneys and chilli sauces.

Haddock
White sea fish similar to cod, with flaky flesh, available fresh or frozen, whole or as steaks and fillets. Can be paoched, baked, smoked or grilled and served with or without sauce.

Haggis
Scottish dish of a sheep's stomach stuffed with offal, oatmeal, suet and seasonings. Traditionally served with mashed swede and potatoes.

Halibut
Flat sea fish available mostly in steaks, fillets and cutlets. Its form white flesh is greatly valued; probably best prepared with a sauce.

Halva
A Middle Eastern sweet based on ground roasted sesame seeds and honey.

Harissa
A paste made from chillies, oil, garlic and coriander, pounded with cumin or coriander and sometimes with dried mint leaves. The paste must be left 12 hours before using. Covered with olive oil, it keeps well in a sealed container. It is diluted with a little stock and added into recipes. Can be used as a table condiment.

Harissa
This north African hot paste, usually served with couscous, is a fiery mixture of chillies, garlic, cumin, coriander, mint and oil

Harissa
A paste made from chillies, oil, garlic and coriander, pounded with cumin or coriander and sometimes with dried mint leaves. The paste must be left 12 hours before using. Covered with olive oil, it keeps well in a sealed container. It is diluted with a little stock and added into recipes. Can be used as a table condiment.

Hazelnut
A hard-shelled nut with an oval or round kernel, high in dietary fibre, also known as cob nut. Used whole, grated or ground to flavour savoury and sweet dishes.

Heavy cream
Heavy cream is the American term for double cream. It is the most versatile cream as it withstands boiling, whips and freezes well.

Herbes de Provence
A mixture of heady herbs from the south of France made up of any combination of thyme, oregano, majoram, bay, basil, rosemary and hyssop. Essential to flavour meat, poultry

Herring
An oil-rich fish usually sold whole. Can be poached, fried or grilled as well as pickled, marinated, salted and smoked.

Hoisin sauce
A thick, reddish-brown sweet and spicy sauce, widely used in Chinese cooking. It's a mixture of soybeans, garlic, chilli peppers and various spices. Mainly used as a table condiment and as a flavouring for meat, poultry and shellfish dishes.

Hollandaise
Hollandaise sauce is an emulsion of egg yolks, a vinegar reduction and hot melted butter. It is the basic sauce from which other sauces, such as béarnaise and mousseline, are made. It is served with fish cooked in a court-buoillon, or with bolied or steamed vegetables.

Honey
Naturally sweet, viscous liquid produced by bees. Used as a sweetner to replace sugar in sweets, drinks and baking. Can be used as a glazefor roasts.

Horn of plenty
A common woodland mushroom in the shape of a long horn or funnel.

Horseradish
Horseradish is cultivated for its tough, twisted root. Once peeled, this is grated and mixed with cream and other ingredients to provide a hot-flavoured sauce to accompany roast beef or fish such as trout.

Hummus
A puree or dip of crushed cooked chickpeas flavoured with tahini (pounded sesame seeds), oil, garlic and lemon juice.

Hyssop
Its main use is in the distillation of liqueurs, such as Chartreuse. However the young leaves can be used in cooking to aid digestion of fatty or rich foods.