FOOD GLOSSARY - Fricassee to Deep-Fat Frying

FRICASSEE:  When applied to the dish itself, fricassee usually refers to poultry, veal, or lamb, cut up, stewed, and served in a sauce of its own gravy. To fricassee is to prepare meat by this method. See Stew or Fricassee.

FRIED RICE:  A Chinese dish of rice sauteed in bacon fat or oil with eggs, onion, soy sauce, and bits of chicken, beef, pork, ham, or shellfish.

FRIJOLES:  Literally, beans in Spanish; specifically, a Mexican dish consisting of beans cooked with oil, tomatoes, and chili.

FRITTER:  A small cake of fried batter usually containing fruit, meat, vegetables, etc. It is usually cooked in deep fat and served as an entree, a luncheon dish, a vegetable, or a dessert, according to the material used.

FRITTO MISTO (Italian):  A fried or sometimes pan-broiled mixture of delicate meats and vegetables.

FRIZZLED BEEF:  Dried beef sauteed in butter or margarine.

FROMAGE (French):  Cheese

FROMAGE À LA CRÉME (French):  A famous French dessert, cheese cream served with fresh strawberries 'or other fresh berries or fruit.

FROSTING:  A mixture of sugar, water, or other liquid, flavoring, and sometimes whites of eggs etc., for covering a cake. The terms "icing" and "frosting" are used interchangeably.

FROZEN CUSTARD:  A form of ice cream with a custard base.

FROZEN PUDDING:  A frozen mixture containing fruits, nuts, and originally an alcoholic beverage.

FRY:  Fry means to cook in hot fat or oil in a pan over direct heat; however we must make a distinction among the several methods of frying.

Pan-Fry:  (Also called sauťe.) This means to brown food lightly in a little hot cooking fat or oil. It is often the first step in braising or stewing. It provides the brown basis you need for most gravies.

Shallow-Fat Frying:  This means to cook food in a medium amount of cooking fat or oil, about enough to half cover the food. Frying this way in semi-deep fat is sometimes used for foods like fritters, and or chicken when you want it a deep crisp brown but don't care about gravy.

Deep-Fat Frying:  This means to cook foods in a lot of hot cooking fat or oil, enough to more than cover them. Deep-fat frying is the method that is often referred to as French frying and is used for such foods as potatoes, doughnuts, and most batter-coated.