| Panade |
Paste of flour and butter and a little liquid, or of soaked crumbs, used as foundation for croquettes or soufflés. |
| Par-boiling |
Boiling food for part of its cooking time before completing it by another method. |
| Parfait |
Frozen dessert comprising whipped cream and fruit purÈe. |
| Paring |
Thinly peeling or trimming vegetables or fruit. |
| Pasteurising |
Treating milk by heating to 72'C (161'F) for 15 seconds to kill bacteria. |
| Pasty |
An individual savoury pastry pie made without a dish on a baking sheet. |
| Paunching |
Removing the stomach and intestines of a rabbit or hare. |
| Paupiette |
A fillet of raw fish, or a thin slice of meat, spread with farce, rolled up, tied, and cooked. |
| Pectin |
Substance found in most fruit and some vegetables which is required for setting jams and jellies. |
| Pickling |
Preserving fresh raw, or lightly cooked food in vinegar. |
| Piping |
Forcing cream, icing, mashed potato, cake mixtures and meringue through a nozzle fitted into the end of a nylon or greaseproof paper piping bag to create fancy patterns. |
| Pith |
In citrus fruit, the white cellular lining to the rind coating the flesh. |
| Plucking |
Removing feathers from poultry and game. |
| Poaching |
Cooking food in an open pan covered with simmering, seasoned liquid. |
| Pope's eye |
The small circle of fat in the centre of a leg of lamb or pork. In Scotland, it is the name for prime rump steak. |
| Pot roasting |
A method of cooking meat in a pan with fat and a small amount of liquid. |
| Poussin |
Baby chicken. |
| Praline |
Nuts and sugar baked hard and crushed. |
| Pre-boiling |
A term applied to pulses when they are boiled rapidly for 15 minutes to destroy any toxins before further cooking. |
| Preserving |
Keeping food in edible condition by refrigerating, freezing, cooking, pickling, crystallising, bottling, drying or smoking. |
| Pressure cooking |
Cooking food quickly in steam under pressure. |
| Proving |
The term used for standing bread dough to rise after shaping. |
| Pulping |
Crushing or cooking food to a soft consistency. Pulp is also the fleshy area of fruit and vegetables. |
| Pulses |
Generic name given to the dried seeds of pod bearing plants. These peas, beans and lentils are used for their high protein and fibre content. |
| Purée |
To sieve, finely mash or grind food to a smooth, thick consistency. |
Top of page
Previous page