Do you ever read a recipe that leaves you kind of stumped because you don’t know the definition of a certain word or process? There are so many different cooking terms that it can definitely be confusing. Here’s a list of some of the more commonly-used but lesser understood cooking terms.

1. Blanch - To partially cook vegetables in boiling water. This may serve to soften the skins of vegetables for easier removal, or to prepare vegetables for canning or preserving.
2. Braise - To cook slowly in a covered pan, with a small amount of liquid — can be used for meat or vegetables.
3. Clarify - The process of removing impurities from a liquid such as melted butter, meat stock, or vegetable stock. This is usually accomplished by skimming the surface of the liquid as it is heated.
4. Deglaze - To swirl a liquid into a pan to dissolve particles of food on the bottom of the saute’ or roast pans for flavor.
5. Dredge - To cover all over food with a dry ingredient like sugar,bread crumbs etc.
6. Fold - To mix, using a motion beginning vertically down through the mixture, continuing across the bottom of the bowl and ending with an upward and over movement.
7. Poach - To cook eggs, fish, chicken, fruit and other delicate foods in hot liquid (below the boiling point), being very careful that food holds its shape.
8. Reduce - To rapidly boil down the volume of a liquid to concentrate flavor.
9. Render - To cook a food item with a high fat content in order to melt the fat. The fat can then be used in other preparations.
10. Sear - To brown meat quickly over high heat in hot fat.
11. Simmer - To cook in liquid just below the boiling point. Surface should be barely moving.
12. Truss - To bind or fasten with string or skewers such as preparing poultry for roasting.
13. Whip - To beat rapidly with a wire whisk, beater or electric mixer to incorporate air, lighten and increase volume.

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