Classic Cooking Techniques Flashcards

Which of the following best describes the 'en papillote' cooking method?

Answer: Baking food sealed in a parchment or foil packet using steam from the food itself

En papillote seals food in parchment paper; as it heats, moisture from the food creates steam that cooks it gently.

What is the function of a 'sachet d'épices' in stock or braise production?

Answer: A cheesecloth bag of aromatics tied together for easy removal after cooking

A sachet d'épices (spice bag) holds aromatics like peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf, and parsley stems, allowing easy removal before serving.

In sauce espagnole (classical Spanish sauce/brown sauce), what is the primary thickening agent?

Answer: Dark roux

Espagnole is thickened with a dark (chocolate) roux combined with brown stock, mirepoix, and tomato paste.

What distinguishes 'pan-steaming' (also called 'covered sautéing' or 'étouffée') from traditional sautéing?

Answer: A lid is added mid-cook to trap steam and finish the food through moist heat

In étouffée-style cooking, a lid traps steam from added liquid, combining initial sautéing with a finishing moist-heat step.

Which acid is traditionally used to acidulate water when poaching eggs to help the whites coagulate quickly?

Answer: White vinegar

White vinegar lowers the pH of the poaching water, causing the egg white proteins to coagulate faster and wrap tightly around the yolk.

What is the term for the light egg-and-cream mixture used to finish and enrich cream soups and sauces?

Answer: Liaison

A liaison of egg yolks and heavy cream is whisked in off-heat to add richness and a slight thickening to velouté-based soups.

Which classical sauce is produced by reducing white wine and shallots, then finishing with whole butter (monter au beurre)?

Answer: Beurre blanc

Beurre blanc is built on a white wine–shallot reduction into which cold butter is whisked to form a warm emulsified sauce.