FOOD GLOSSARY - Bouillon to Brine

BOUILLON:  Clear, seasoned stock or broth usually made from browned beef. For many purposes, a quick substitute is 1 meat bouillon cube or ½ teaspoon concentrated meat extract dissolved in 1 cup hot water.

BOUILLON CUBE:  A small cube of concentrated chicken, meat, or vegetable stock used with boiling water to make a kind of broth.

BOUQUET GARNI:  See Herb and Spice Cookery.

BOURGEOISE (French):  Citizen style; served in simple family style. A la Bourgeoise: usually means a style of garnish consisting of vegetables such as carrots and onions.

BOURGUIGNONNE (French):  Bourgonne style; usually with Burgundy wine sauce containing shallots, mushrooms and butter. Escargot (snails) Bourguignonne is a popular dish in French restaurants.

BRAID:  A fancy bread in which the dough is cut into strips which are braided, either three or four strands being used. The braids are wider at the center than at the ends.

BRAISE:  To cook slowly in a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered utensil on top of range or in the oven. The food may or may not be browned (usually it is browned) in a small amount of fat before braising. It's a highly recommended method for the less tender cuts of meat or poultry.

BRAN:  See Cereals.

BREAD (The cookery term):  To coat with fine breadcrumbs alone, or to coat with bread crumbs, then with slightly diluted beaten egg or evaporated milk, and again with bread crumbs.        HINTS FOR COOKING BREADED FOODS

• Breaded foods have a tendency to stick to the pan and to lose their coating when they are fried in shallow fat. The best way to prevent this is to bread the foods ahead of time and let them stand on waxed paper at least 20 minutes, turning them over several times.

• When cooking these foods in shallow fat, turn them carefully with a spatula or pancake turner.

• If breaded meats are to be braised in gravy after frying, keep the temperature just at simmering. Boiling loosens the delicate coating more than simmering.

• In deep-fat frying the breading may have a tendency to break off if the surface of the foods is not completely covered with egg and crumbs or the foods are fried too soon after they are crumbed.

BREW:  To cook in hot liquid until flavor is extracted.

BRINE:  A solution of salt to which other preservatives may be added; used for preserving meats, vegetables, etc.