Food Preparation Methods and Techniques

1. Food Preparation
Techniques

2. OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the students
should
be able to:
O Measure dry and liquid ingredients
O Practice different cutting, mixing,
coating,
and other food preparation techniques.

3. The Language of theRecipe
O Becomefamiliar
OTerms are important tools for
the cook.
O Eachhas its own meaning.
O Achieve bestresults.

4. A. Measuring Techniques
There are two ways of
measuring food;
O Dry Measuring
O Liquid Measuring

5. B. Cutting Techniques
O Cutting means dividing a large or whole
food into smaller parts, using a tool with a
sharp blade, usually a knife.
O Cutting board is the kitchen equipment that
provides appropriate spot to cut or slice
food.

6. 7
O Chiffonade
finely sliced or shredded
O Rondelles or rounds
Disk-shaped slices
O Paysanne
1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 1/8 inch
O Fine Julienne
1/16 inch x 1/16 inch x 2
inches
O Julienne
1/8 inch x 1/8 inch x 2 inches
O Batonnet
1/4 inch x 1/4 inch x 2 1/2 - 3
inches
O Fine Brunoise
1/16 inch x 1/16 inch x 1/16
inch
O Brunoise
1/8 inch x 1/8 inch x 1/8 inch
O Small dice
1/4 inch x 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch
O Medium dice
1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch
O Large dice
3/4 inch x 3/4 inch x 3/4 inch
Basic Cuts and Shapes

7. 1. Chop – means to cut food into small,
irregular
pieces.

8. 2. Mince – to chop finely into smallest
possible
pieces.

9. 3. Cube and dice – refers to cutting food
into
small, square pieces. Cubed pieces are
about
½ inch square. To dice, make them 1/8 to
¼
inch square.

10. 4. Pare – means to cut of a very thin
outer
layer or coating by the paring knife.

11. 5. Peel – means to pull or strip of the skin or
rind using one’s hands, like peeling an
orange.

12. 6. Slice – means to cut a food into large,
thin pieces with a slicing knife. Used as
sawing motion while pressing the knife
down gently.

13. 7. Sliver – means to cut a food into very
thin
strips.

14. 8. Crush – means to pulverize foods into
crumbs, powder or paste with knife,
rolling pin, mortar and pestle, blender,
food processor or garlic press.

15. 9, Flake – means to break or tear of small
layers of food, often cooked fish, with a
fork.

16. 11. Grate – means to reduce food into finer
strips by pressing and grabbing food
against a grater, such as cheese.

17. 10. Shred – means to reduce food into
larger strips by pressing and grabbing the
food against the rough surface of a
shedder.

18. 12. Grind – means to use a grinder to break
up a food into coarse, medium, or fine
particles. Meat and coffee beans are often
ground.

19. 13. Mash – means to crush food into a
smooth mixture with a masher of
beater.

20. 14. Puree – means to grind or mash cooked
foods or vegetables until they are smooth.
Tools for this task include food processor,
blender, immersion blender, food meal and a
sieve.

21. 15. Quarter – means to divide a food into
four
equal pieces.

22. 16. Snip – means to cut food into
small
pieces with kitchen shears.

23. C. Mixing Techniques
O Mix means combining two or more
ingredients thoroughly to blend. Useful
tools for these tasks range from spoon to a
food processor.

24. 1. Beat – means to mix thoroughly and add
air to foods. Use a fork, wire whisk or electric
mixer and do a vigorous over and over
motion.

25. 2. Cream– means to beat ingredients, such
as shortening and sugar, combining until
soft and creamy

27. 3. Fold – means to gently mix a light, fluffy
mixture to a heavier one. Foamy egg whites
are often folded into a cake batter.

29. 4. Stir – often applies to food that is
cooking. Mix with a wooden spoon or
turner into a circular motion. This
distributes heat and keeps foods from
sticking to a pan.

30. 5. Toss – means to mix ingredients, such
as salad greens and dressing, by tumbling
them with tongs or a large spoon and fork.

31. 6. Whip – means to beat quickly and
vigorously to incorporate air into a mixture,
making it light and fluffy.

32. D. Coating Technique
O Coatingadds flavor and texture. Coating
also helps food brown better and retain
moisture usually dry ingredients, such as
flour or cornmeal. Liquid coatings is used
by brushing the food item with a sauce or
dipped in a batter.

33. 1. Baste – means to pour liquid over a food
as it cooks, using a baster or spoon. Foods
are often basted in sauces or pan juices.

35. 2. Bread – means to coat a food with 3
different layers. The food is first coated with
flour. This provides a dry surface for the next
layer, which is liquid such as milk or beaten
egg. Finally, the food is usually coated with
seasoned crumbs or
cornmeal
.

36. 3. Brush – means to use a pastry brush to
coat a food with a liquid, such as melted
butter, egg – milk, egg wash, or a sauce.

37. 4. Dot – means to put small pieces of
food, such as butter or raisins, on the
surface of another food.

38. 5. Dredge – means to coat food heavily
with
flour, bread crumbs or corn meal.

39. 6. Dust – means to lightly sprinkle a food
with
flour or confectioner’s sugar,

40. 7. Flour – means to coat a food lightly such
as
chicken or fish, with flour.

41. 8. Glaze – means to coat food with a
liquid
that forms a glossy finish.

42. Other food preparation
techniques
1. Blanch – means to dip a food briefly in boiling
water and then in cold water to end the cooking
process.
Blanching is used to:
1. Soften food
2. Preserve its color
3. Facilitate removal
of skin
4. Eliminate bitter
flavors

43. 2. Candy – means to cook a food in
sugar
syrup.

44. 3. Caramelize – means to heat sugar until it
liquefies and darkens in color. Other foods
maybe caramelized to release their sugar
content.

45. 4. Clarify – means to make a liquid clear
by
removing solid particles.

46. 6. Deglaze – means to loosen the flavorful
food particles in a pan after food has been
browned. The food is removed from the
pan and excess fat poured off. A small
amount liquid (water, stocks, vinegar or
white wine) is added, stirred, and
simmered. The resulting sauce is served
with the cooked food.

48. 5. Core – means to remove the center of
a
fruit, such as an apple or pineapple.

49. 7. Drain – means to separate water from
solid food, such as vegetables or cooked
pasta, by putting the food in a colander or
strainer.

50. 8. Marinate – means to add flavor to a food
by soaking it in a cold, seasoned liquid for
a certain period.

51. 9. Mold – means to shape a food by hand
or
by placing it in a decorative.

52. 10. Reduce – means to boil a mixture in
order
to evaporate the liquid and intensify the
flavor.

53. 11. Scald – means to heat liquid to just
the
below the boiling point. Also, to blanch
food.

54. 12. Season – means to add such
flavorings
as herbs and spices to a food.

55. 13. Shell – means to remove the tough
outer
coating of a food, such as egg or nuts.

56. 14. Steep – means to soak dry
ingredients, such as tea or herbs, in hot
liquid to extract flavor or soften the
texture.

57. 15. Strain – means to separate solid
particles from a liquid, such as broth, by
pouring the mixture through a strainer of
sieve.

58. 16. Vent – means to leave an opening in
a container so steam cab escape
during cooking

59. Other
Food Preparation
Techniques

60. Flute
O To form a standing edge on a pastry, such as pie crust,
before baking. Press the dough with your fingers to
create this scalloped edge, or use a fork to “crimp” the
edge.

61. Sift
O To put dryingredients through a sifter or a fine
sieve to incorporate air.
O If you don’t have a sifter you can use a strainer
or a wire whisk.

62. Cut in
O To mix solid
shortening with flour
by cutting the
shortening into small
pieces and mixing
until it is completely
covered with the flour
mixture. Use a pastry
blender, two knives,
or a fork.

63. Julienne
To cut food into long, thin strips.

64. Score
To make thin, straight cuts through the
outer edge of fat on meat to prevent the
meat from curling during cooking.

65. Scrape
To rub a vegetable, such as a carrot, with the sharp
edge of a knife in order to remove only the outer layer
of skin.

66. Trim
To cut away most of the fat from the
edges of meat.

67. Bake
O To cook in an oven or oven-type
appliance in a covered or uncovered
pan.

68. Barbeque
O To cook meat or poultry slowly over coals
on a spit or in the oven, basting it often
with a highly seasoned sauce.

69. Boil
To cook in liquid,
usually water, in
which bubbles rise
constantly and
then break on the
surface.

70. Braise
To cook meat slowly, covered and in a
small amount of liquid or steam.

71. Broil
To cook under direct heat or over coals.

72. Brown
To make the surface of a food brown
in color by frying, broiling, baking in
the oven, or toasting.

73. Deep-fat fry
To cook in hot fat that completely
covers the food.

74. Fry
To cook in hot fat.

75. & Pan-fry
Pan-broil
To cook
uncovered in
an un-greased
or lightly
greased skillet,
pouring off
excess fat as it
accumulates.
To cook in an
uncovered
skillet with a
small amount
of fat.

76. Poach
To cook gently
in hot liquid
below the
boiling point.

77. Preheat
To set the oven to
in
cooking temperature
advance so
time to
desired temperature
that it has
reach the
by
the start of cooking.

78. Roast
To cook by dry heat, uncovered,
usually in the oven.

79. Saute
To cook uncovered in a small
amount of fat in a pan.

80. Sear
quickly at a high
To cook meat
temperature until it becomes brown.
Use a skillet with a small amount of fat, or
the oven at a high temperature.

81. Steam
To cook over steam rising from boiling
water.

82. Stew
To cook slowly and for a long time in
liquid

83. Stir-fry
To fry small pieces of food very quickly in a
small amount of very hot oil while stirring
constantly. Use a wok or skillet.

84. Toast
To brown by direct heat in a toaster or in
the oven.