Red Seal Cook key terms

French for 'everything in its place': the advance preparation and organized layout of ingredients, tools and equipment so that a dish can be assembled smoothly and consistently during service.

Checking and adjusting a thermometer against a known reference, such as an ice-water bath at 0 °C, so its readings can be trusted when making food safety decisions.

Canada's workplace hazardous materials information system; it uses supplier labels, safety data sheets and worker training to communicate the dangers of chemicals stored and used in the kitchen.

A written, seven-principle system that identifies biological, chemical and physical hazards in food production and sets controls at the points where those hazards can be prevented, eliminated or reduced to safe levels.

A step in a food-handling process where a measurable limit can be applied to prevent, eliminate or reduce a significant hazard; cooking, cooling and hot holding are common examples in kitchens.

The range between 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F and 140 °F) in which bacteria multiply fastest; foods must pass through this range quickly and be held outside it.

The transfer of harmful microorganisms or allergens from one food, surface or utensil to another, commonly through shared cutting boards, unwashed hands or dripping juices from raw product.

First in, first out: a stock rotation practice in which older product is used before newer deliveries so that nothing is held past its safe or quality limit.

A protein in food that triggers an immune reaction in sensitive people; priority allergens must be declared and must never enter a dish through shared tools, boards or fryer oil.

Treating a cleaned surface or utensil with heat or an approved chemical so that the number of disease-causing organisms is reduced to a level considered safe by public health standards.

A clear, savoury liquid made by simmering bones, meat or vegetables with aromatics in water, then straining; it forms the base of soups, sauces and many braised dishes.

A roughly chopped mixture of onion, carrot and celery, usually in a ratio of two parts onion to one part each of carrot and celery, used to build flavour in stocks, braises and sauces.

Equal weights of flour and fat cooked together to remove the raw flour taste; the cooking time and colour determine its thickening power and flavour, from white to dark brown.

A cold mixture of starch, such as cornstarch or flour, and water stirred into a hot liquid to thicken it; mixing it cold first prevents lumps from forming.

One of the five foundational sauces of classical French cooking - béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise and tomato - from which many secondary or 'daughter' sauces are built.

A stable mixture of two liquids that do not normally blend, such as oil and vinegar, held together by an emulsifier like egg yolk or mustard and by vigorous agitation.

Concentrating a liquid by simmering so water evaporates, which deepens flavour and thickens consistency; reductions must be watched closely because salt and acid concentrate too.

Adding liquid to a hot pan and stirring to dissolve the browned, concentrated juices left after searing, capturing that flavour for a pan sauce or the liquid of a braise.

Letting cooked meat stand off the heat before carving so juices redistribute through the muscle instead of running out onto the board, and so carryover cooking finishes the interior.

The fine flecks of fat distributed within a muscle, visible in a cut of meat; more marbling generally means a more tender, juicier result and influences grade and price.

The connective tissue protein that surrounds muscle fibres; it is tough in young animals but converts to soft gelatin during long, moist, slow cooking, which is why braises become tender.

Soaking meat or poultry in a salt solution, sometimes with sugar and spices, so it absorbs moisture and seasoning; the result is juicier, more forgiving meat during cooking.

The process in which starch granules absorb water and swell when heated, thickening a liquid; it explains why roux, slurries and cooked pastas change texture as they heat and cool.

Italian for 'to the tooth': pasta or a vegetable cooked just until tender but still offering slight resistance when bitten, so it keeps texture and does not turn mushy.

Slowly adding a hot liquid to beaten eggs while whisking, warming them gradually before combining, so the yolks do not curdle; the technique behind custards and crème anglaise.

The setting of proteins when heated, as when egg white turns from a clear liquid to an opaque solid; too much heat or acid tightens the network and squeezes out water.

An ingredient or process that causes dough or batter to rise by producing gas, usually carbon dioxide, through yeast, chemical powders, steam or air trapped during mixing.

The elastic network formed when wheat flour meets water and the proteins glutenin and gliadin bond; it gives bread structure and chew but toughens pastry if the dough is overworked.

Folding a block of fat into dough repeatedly to create many thin alternating layers; during baking, water in the fat turns to steam and pushes the layers apart into flakes.

The cold kitchen station responsible for salads, dressings, pâtés, terrines, canapés and cold platters; the term also refers to the cook who runs that station.

The branch of cold-kitchen work dealing with preserved meat products such as sausages, pâtés, terrines, rillettes, smoked items and cured meats, made under strict sanitation and temperature control.

Analyzing sales mix and contribution margin to sort items by popularity and profitability, then adjusting placement, price or recipe to improve the overall performance of the menu.

The selling price of a menu item minus its portion cost; it shows how much each sale contributes toward labour, overhead and profit and guides menu pricing decisions.

A documented formula listing exact ingredients, quantities, method, yield and portion size so a dish is consistent, costable and trainable regardless of who prepares it.

The usable weight of a food after trimming divided by its purchased weight; it converts as-purchased cost into edible-portion cost and supports accurate menu pricing.

The cost of one served portion, found by dividing the total ingredient cost of a recipe by the number of portions it yields and adjusting for trim, waste and shrinkage.

Briefly cooking food in boiling water or hot fat, then stopping the cooking in ice water; used to set colour, loosen skins, remove bitterness or prepare vegetables for later service.

A combination method in which food is first seared in fat, then cooked covered in a small amount of liquid at a gentle simmer until tender, with the liquid often becoming the sauce.

The browning that occurs when amino acids and sugars react at high heat, creating complex roasted flavours and colour; it needs a hot, relatively dry surface and differs from caramelization.

The continued rise in internal temperature of a large roast or steak after it leaves the heat, caused by stored heat moving inward; it must be allowed for when judging doneness.