Glossary — Haute Cuisine

Why the French terms stay

A recipe that says "sweat the onions" and one that says "faites suer les oignons" are asking for exactly the same thing, done exactly the same way. The French word is kept on this site not for decoration, but because it names the technique precisely — and precision is the entire point of a technical vocabulary.

English borrows most of its own cooking terms from French already — sauté, purée, gratin, mousse — usually without the accent and often with the meaning slightly worn down. This glossary restores the sharper original sense. Suer, "to sweat", means something specific: cook gently, covered or nearly so, in fat, without colour, until soft and translucent. "Cook the onions" covers a hundred different results; suer covers exactly one. That is the case, term by term, for everything below.

Use this page as you would a dictionary, not a novel. Every technique and recipe page in this school links a French term the first time it uses it; when you meet one you don't know, come here, look it up, and go back to what you were reading. After a few months you will stop needing to.

No equipment needed to learn a language

Nothing here assumes a machine, a course, or an app. Say the words out loud while you cook — the sound and the action fuse together faster than reading ever will, and within a season the French terms will simply be the names of things you do.

Pronunciation basics for English speakers

French pronunciation looks harder than it is, because English spelling rules do not apply and the instinct is to guess from the letters. Five habits fix most of it.

Most final consonants are silent

Bouillon ends in a silent "n" sound turned into a nasal vowel, not a hard "n"; chaud loses its "d" entirely. As a rule, a final consonant is silent unless it is c, r, f or l — the traditional mnemonic is the English word "careful", which happens to contain all four survivors.

CueIf a French word ends in a vowel followed by a single consonant, try dropping the consonant first and see if it sounds right.

Nasal vowels have no English equivalent

The combinations -on, -an/-en, and -in are pushed partly through the nose rather than pronounced as a vowel plus "n". Bain-marie — "bain" is not "bane", it is a nasalised "ba" with the sound trailing off through the nose. Approximate it in speech and no French speaker will mind; the meaning still lands.

The French "r" sits at the back of the throat

It is closer to a soft gargle than the rolled or hard "r" of English. Do not force it — an English "r" pronounced softly is a perfectly usable approximation and is what most non-native speakers actually say.

Stress falls near the end, evenly

Unlike English, which stresses one syllable hard and drops the others, French gives its syllables close to equal weight, with the very slightest lift on the last one. Say mirepoix as "meer-pwah", each syllable roughly level, rather than punching "MEER".

Say it wrong before you say nothing

A confidently mispronounced chiffonade in your own kitchen teaches your hands the technique just as well as a perfect accent would. This glossary gives a rough, usable respelling for every term — not a phonetic transcription — precisely so you will actually say the words instead of avoiding them.

How to read the pronunciation column

Respellings below are approximate English-reader phonetics, stressed syllable in capitals where it helps. nh marks a nasal vowel — say the vowel and let it trail off through the nose rather than closing on the "n". They are a memory aid, not a linguistics reference.

The twenty terms that matter most

If you learn only twenty words from this page, learn these. They cover more ground, more often, than the rest of the glossary combined.

Cutting

Mise en placemeez ahn PLAHSS

Everything measured, cut, and set out in its place before the pan goes on the heat. The single habit that separates a calm cook from a panicked one.

Cutting

Brunoisebroon-WAHZ

A dice of 3 mm cubes. The finest of the classical dice sizes and the standard unit of "small" in a French kitchen.

Heat

Sautersoh-TAY

To cook quickly in a small amount of hot fat, tossing or turning the food, in a pan wide enough that nothing steams.

Heat

Suersoo-AY

To cook gently in fat, without colour, until soft — the first step of most sauces, soups and braises.

Heat

Blanchirblahn-SHEER

To plunge briefly into boiling water, then usually into iced water, to fix colour, loosen skin, or partly cook.

Heat

Braiserbray-ZAY

To sear, then cook slowly, covered, in a small amount of liquid — the method behind almost every great French stew.

Sauce

Déglacerday-glah-SAY

To add liquid to a hot pan and scrape up the browned residue stuck to its base — the start of nearly every pan sauce.

Sauce

Réduireray-DWEER

To simmer a liquid down so it loses volume and gains concentration and body.

Sauce

Montermon-TAY

To finish a sauce by whisking in cold butter off the heat, which thickens it and gives it shine and body.

Sauce

Rouxroo

Equal weights of fat and flour cooked together, the classical thickener behind béchamel, velouté and much else.

Sauce

Liaisonlee-ay-ZON

Any thickening agent, or specifically the classical egg-yolk-and-cream mixture used to finish a sauce off the heat.

Stock

Fondfon

The base stock of French cooking — bones, aromatics and water, simmered gently and long. The foundation everything else stands on.

Stock

Mirepoixmeer-PWAH

Roughly diced onion, carrot and celery, the aromatic base cooked into nearly every stock, sauce and braise.

Stock

Bouquet garniboo-KAY gar-NEE

Herbs — usually thyme, bay and parsley stalks — tied or wrapped for easy removal, simmered in stock or a braise for flavour.

Fat

Confitkon-FEE

To cook slowly, fully submerged in fat, at a low temperature — originally a preservation method, now prized for its texture.

Fat

Beurre noisetteburr nwah-ZET

Butter cooked until its milk solids turn nut-brown and it smells of toasted hazelnuts. A flavour, not just a technique.

Eggs & sauce

Émulsionay-mul-see-ON

Two liquids that do not naturally mix, held together in tiny droplets — the principle behind mayonnaise, hollandaise, and vinaigrette.

Finishing

Nappernah-PAY

To coat the back of a spoon, or a piece of food, in a thin even layer of sauce — also the test for whether a sauce has thickened enough.

Seasoning

Assaisonnerah-say-zon-NAY

To season — not a single pinch of salt at the end, but a habit of tasting and adjusting throughout cooking.

Plating

Dresserdreh-SAY

To arrange food on the plate for service — see Plating & Service for the full method.

A–B

Term	Pronunciation	Meaning
Abaisser	ah-bess-AY	To roll pastry out to an even thickness with a rolling pin.
Aiguillette	ay-gwee-YET	A long, thin slice cut from a cooked poultry breast or fillet, on the diagonal.
À la nage	ah lah NAHZH	Shellfish or fish poached in, and served in, an aromatic broth — literally "swimming".
À l'anglaise	ah lahn-GLEZ	"English style" — usually the standard breading sequence of flour, beaten egg, breadcrumbs, or plain-boiled vegetables.
Appareil	ah-pah-RAY	A prepared mixture ready to be cooked, such as a soufflé base or a batter, before its final component is added.
Arroser	ah-roh-ZAY	To baste — spoon hot fat or cooking liquid repeatedly over food as it cooks, especially a roast.
Assaisonner	ah-say-zon-NAY	To season with salt, pepper and other seasoning, tasted and adjusted as cooking proceeds.
Bain-marie	banh mah-REE	A water bath: one vessel of gently hot or simmering water in which another vessel sits, for gentle, even, indirect heat.
Ballotine	bah-loh-TEEN	Boned meat or poultry, stuffed and rolled into a neat cylinder, then poached, braised or roasted.
Barder	bar-DAY	To bard — wrap lean meat in a thin sheet of pork fat or bacon before roasting, to baste it from the outside as it cooks.
Battre	BAH-truh	To beat, as with a whisk or fork, usually vigorously and with air incorporated.
Beurre blanc	burr BLAHNK	A warm emulsified sauce of reduced wine and vinegar whisked with cold butter — see Emulsions.
Beurre manié	burr mahn-YAY	Equal parts soft butter and flour, worked into a paste and whisked into a simmering liquid to thicken it at the last moment.
Beurre noisette	burr nwah-ZET	Butter cooked until the milk solids brown and smell of toasted hazelnut — "hazelnut butter".
Bisque	beesk	A smooth, rich soup traditionally made from the shells of crustaceans, pounded, simmered and strained.
Blanchir	blahn-SHEER	To blanch — plunge briefly into boiling water, usually followed by iced water, to fix colour, loosen skin, or par-cook.
Bouillon	BOO-yon	A basic, unclarified savoury broth or stock.
Bouquet garni	boo-KAY gar-NEE	A bundle of herbs, usually thyme, bay and parsley stalks, tied or wrapped for easy removal after cooking.
Braiser	bray-ZAY	To braise — sear, then cook slowly and covered in a small amount of liquid, usually in the oven.
Brider	bree-DAY	To truss — tie poultry or a roast with string into a compact shape so it cooks evenly.
Brunoise	broon-WAHZ	A very fine dice, roughly 3 mm cubes — see Knife Skills.

C–D

Term	Pronunciation	Meaning
Canapé	kah-nah-PAY	A small piece of bread or pastry topped with a savoury garnish, served before a meal.
Caraméliser	kah-rah-may-lee-ZAY	To caramelise — cook sugar, or a food's own natural sugars, until it browns and develops depth of flavour.
Cartouche	kar-TOOSH	A round of baking paper cut to fit inside a pan, laid directly on the surface of a liquid to slow evaporation.
Chapelure	shap-LUR	Dried breadcrumbs, used for coating and for topping gratins.
Chemiser	shuh-mee-ZAY	To line a mould with a thin layer of something — jelly, pastry, or a fine forcemeat — before filling it.
Chiffonade	shee-fon-AHD	Leaves stacked, rolled, and sliced across into fine ribbons — see Knife Skills.
Chinois	sheen-WAH	A fine, cone-shaped sieve used for straining stocks and sauces to a smooth, clear finish.
Ciseler	see-zuh-LAY	To finely dice or cut into thin strips, most often applied to shallots or leafy herbs.
Clarifier	klah-ree-fee-AY	To clarify — remove impurities from a liquid or fat, as in clarifying butter or a stock with egg white.
Cocotte	koh-KOT	A heavy lidded pot, usually cast iron or enamelled, used for braising and slow cooking.
Compote	kom-POHT	Fruit slowly cooked, usually with sugar, until soft, chunky and syrupy — not smooth like a purée.
Concasser	kon-kah-SAY	To chop roughly, most often used for tomatoes peeled, seeded and coarsely cut.
Confit	kon-FEE	Food, classically duck or goose, cooked slowly and fully submerged in fat at low temperature.
Coulis	koo-LEE	A smooth, pourable sauce made by puréeing and straining fruit or vegetables.
Court-bouillon	koor-boo-YON	A quick aromatic poaching liquid of water, wine or vinegar, vegetables and herbs, used chiefly for fish.
Crème anglaise	krem ahn-GLEZ	A pouring custard of egg yolks, sugar and milk or cream, cooked gently until it coats a spoon.
Crème pâtissière	krem pah-tee-see-AIR	Thick pastry cream, egg- and flour-thickened, used to fill tarts, éclairs and choux.
Croustade	kroo-STAHD	A crisp pastry or bread case, baked and hollowed, used to hold a savoury filling.
Cuisson	kwee-SON	The cooking liquid a food is cooked in, especially when it is kept and used again, such as mushroom cooking liquor.
Daube	dohb	A slow-braised stew, classically beef, marinated in wine before cooking — the Provençal cousin of bœuf bourguignon.
Déglacer	day-glah-SAY	To deglaze — add liquid to a hot pan and scrape up the browned, flavourful residue stuck to its base.
Dégraisser	day-gray-SAY	To skim or remove fat from the surface of a stock, sauce or cooking liquid.
Dépouiller	day-poo-YAY	To skim a simmering stock or sauce repeatedly over a long cooking time, removing scum and fat as they rise.
Dés	day	Diced — cut into small cubes; the general word behind brunoise, macédoine and the rest.
Détrempe	day-TRAHMP	The basic flour-and-water dough that forms the base of a laminated pastry before butter is folded in.
Dorer	doh-RAY	To brush pastry with beaten egg before baking, so it browns and shines — an egg wash.
Duxelles	duk-SEL	Finely chopped mushrooms cooked slowly with shallot and butter until dry and concentrated.

E–G

Term	Pronunciation	Meaning
Ébarber	ay-bar-BAY	To trim the fins, bones or ragged edges from a fish before cooking.
Écumer	ay-koo-MAY	To skim foam or scum from the surface of a simmering liquid.
Émincer	ay-man-SAY	To slice thinly, most often applied to onions, mushrooms or fennel.
Émulsion	ay-mul-see-ON	Two liquids that do not naturally combine, held together as tiny suspended droplets — see Emulsions.
Entremets	ahn-truh-MAY	Originally a course served between the main dishes; today, generally a composed dessert.
Escalope	es-kah-LOP	A thin slice of meat, usually cut on the diagonal and often flattened further with a mallet or the flat of a knife.
Étuver	ay-too-VAY	To cook gently in a covered pan with little or no added liquid, in the food's own moisture and a little fat.
Farce	fars	A stuffing or forcemeat, typically of finely ground or chopped meat, fat and seasoning.
Flambé	flahm-BAY	To ignite alcohol, usually spirits, added to a hot pan, to burn off harshness and add flavour.
Fond	fon	Stock — the base liquid of French cooking, made from bones, aromatics and water, simmered gently.
Fondue	fon-DOO	Literally "melted"; a dish of melted cheese, or vegetables cooked down to a soft, jam-like consistency.
Fraiser	fray-ZAY	To smear pastry dough away from you across the work surface with the heel of the hand, to finish blending the fat and flour.
Frémir	fray-MEER	The lowest simmer, just below a boil, with the surface only trembling — the correct heat for poaching and most stocks.
Fumet	foo-MAY	A concentrated stock, most commonly made from fish bones, simmered relatively briefly.
Galantine	gah-lahn-TEEN	Boned poultry or meat, stuffed, rolled and poached, then chilled and served cold, often glazed with aspic.
Garniture	gar-nee-TOOR	The garnish or accompaniment that completes a dish and often gives it its formal name.
Gastrique	gas-TREEK	Caramelised sugar deglazed with vinegar, used as a sweet-sour base for sauces, especially with fruit.
Glacer	glah-SAY	To glaze — coat food in a shiny reduction, or cook vegetables in butter, sugar and a little liquid until glossy.
Gratiner	grah-tee-NAY	To brown the top of a dish under intense heat, usually with cheese, breadcrumbs or butter, until crusted.
Grillade	gree-YAHD	Meat or fish cooked directly over or under fierce, radiant heat — grilling.

H–L

Term	Pronunciation	Meaning
Hacher	ah-SHAY	To chop, usually finely, most commonly herbs, onion or garlic.
Hollandaise	oh-lahn-DEZ	A warm emulsified sauce of egg yolk and clarified butter, sharpened with lemon or vinegar.
Hors d'œuvre	or-DUHVR	A small dish served before the main courses of a meal, literally "outside the work".
Infuser	an-foo-ZAY	To steep an aromatic — a herb, a spice, a vanilla pod — in a hot liquid to draw out its flavour.
Jardinière	zhar-dee-nee-AIR	Mixed vegetables cut into small, uniform batons and cooked separately, then combined as a garnish.
Julienne	zhoo-lee-EN	A fine matchstick cut, roughly 2 × 2 × 50 mm — see Knife Skills.
Jus	zhoo	The natural, unthickened juices released by roasted meat, often served alongside it as a light sauce.
Jus lié	zhoo lee-AY	Jus lightly thickened, usually with a little cornflour or arrowroot slurry, for more body and shine.
Larder	lar-DAY	To lard — thread strips of fat through very lean meat with a larding needle, to baste it internally as it cooks.
Lardons	lar-DON	Small strips or cubes of bacon or pork fat, rendered until crisp and used as a garnish or flavour base.
Levain	luh-VAN	A natural sourdough starter used to leaven bread without commercial yeast.
Liaison	lee-ay-ZON	Any thickening agent for a sauce, or specifically the classical mixture of egg yolk and cream stirred in off the heat.
Lier	lee-AY	To bind or thicken a sauce or liquid, with a roux, a liaison, or a beurre manié.
Lyonnaise, à la	ah lah lee-oh-NEZ	Cooked with onions — in the style of Lyon, a city famous for its onion cookery.

M–O

Term	Pronunciation	Meaning
Macédoine	mah-say-DWAHN	A dice of roughly 5 mm cubes, or a mix of small-diced vegetables or fruit served together.
Mariner	mah-ree-NAY	To marinate — steep raw food in a seasoned liquid to flavour it and, in some cases, tenderise it.
Marmite	mar-MEET	A tall, narrow stockpot, traditionally with two handles, used for long, gentle simmering.
Mignonette	meen-yoh-NET	Coarsely crushed peppercorns, or a small, dainty cut of meat, most often applied to pepper.
Mijoter	mee-zhoh-TAY	To simmer gently over a long period, the domestic term for a slow, patient stew.
Mirepoix	meer-PWAH	Roughly diced onion, carrot and celery, the classical aromatic base of stocks, sauces and braises.
Mise en place	meez ahn PLAHSS	Everything measured, prepared and set in position before cooking begins — "putting in place".
Monder	mon-DAY	To peel a food, usually a tomato or almond, after briefly blanching it, so the skin slips off.
Monter	mon-TAY	To finish a sauce by whisking in cold butter off the heat, enriching, thickening and glossing it.
Mouiller	moo-YAY	To add liquid to a preparation, most often stock or water, to begin or continue cooking.
Nage	nahzh	The aromatic broth in which shellfish is poached — see à la nage.
Napper	nah-PAY	To coat a food, or the back of a spoon, evenly in sauce — also the classical test for correct sauce thickness.
Nappe	nap	The consistency at which a sauce coats the back of a spoon and holds a line drawn through it with a finger.
Nature	nah-TOOR	Plain, unadorned — served or cooked with nothing added.
Noisette	nwah-ZET	Literally "hazelnut" — a small round cut of meat, or the toasted colour and smell of hazelnut in browned butter.
Œuf	uhf	Egg — the base word behind œufs mollets, œufs en cocotte and much of the classical egg repertoire.
Oignon piqué	on-yon pee-KAY	An onion studded with cloves and a bay leaf, simmered in milk or stock to infuse it, then removed.

P–R

Term	Pronunciation	Meaning
Panade	pah-NAHD	A thick paste of bread, milk or flour, used to bind a forcemeat and keep it moist.
Paner	pah-NAY	To coat food in breadcrumbs before cooking, usually after flour and beaten egg — see à l'anglaise.
Papillote	pah-pee-YOT	A paper or foil parcel in which food is sealed and cooked by its own steam, opened at the table.
Parer	pah-RAY	To trim away excess fat, sinew or ragged edges from meat, fish or vegetables before cooking.
Passer	pah-SAY	To pass a liquid through a sieve or fine strainer, for smoothness or clarity.
Pâton	pah-TON	A ball or block of prepared dough, ready to be rolled, laminated or shaped.
Paysanne	pay-ee-ZAHN	A rustic cut of thin flat squares or triangles, roughly 12 mm across — see Knife Skills.
Persillade	per-see-YAHD	A mixture of finely chopped parsley and garlic, added near the end of cooking for a fresh finish.
Piquer	pee-KAY	To insert small pieces of a flavouring, such as garlic slivers or clove, directly into a piece of meat.
Pocher	poh-SHAY	To poach — cook gently, fully or partly submerged, in liquid held just below a simmer.
Poêler	pwah-LAY	To pan-roast: cook covered in a pan with butter and aromatics, basting throughout, a method between sautéing and roasting.
Pointe	pwant	A very small quantity, literally "the point" of a knife — as in une pointe de cayenne.
Quadriller	kah-dree-YAY	To mark food, usually over a grill or ridged pan, with crossed diamond-pattern lines.
Quenelle	kuh-NEL	An oval dumpling shaped between two spoons, of a light forcemeat or purée, then poached.
Ragoût	rah-GOO	A general term for a stew of meat or vegetables in a thickened sauce.
Râper	rah-PAY	To grate, whether cheese, nutmeg, citrus zest or vegetables.
Réduire	ray-DWEER	To reduce — simmer a liquid to evaporate water and concentrate flavour and body.
Rémoulade	ray-moo-LAHD	A cold mayonnaise-based sauce, classically flavoured with mustard, capers and herbs.
Réserver	ray-zair-VAY	To set aside a component, keeping it ready to add back or use later.
Revenir	ruh-vuh-NEER	To colour food briefly in hot fat at the start of cooking, before adding liquid — the sealing stage of a braise.
Rissoler	ree-soh-LAY	To brown food, usually potatoes or small pieces of meat, in hot fat until crisp and golden all over.
Roulade	roo-LAHD	Food rolled into a cylinder, whether a filled sponge, a stuffed meat, or a rolled soufflé.
Roux	roo	Equal weights of fat and flour, cooked together, the classical thickening base for béchamel and velouté.

S–T

Term	Pronunciation	Meaning
Sabayon	sah-bah-YON	Egg yolks whisked with sugar and usually wine over gentle heat until thick, pale and voluminous.
Sablage	sah-BLAHZH	Rubbing fat into flour with the fingertips until it resembles coarse sand — the pastry method that keeps a crust short.
Saisir	say-ZEER	To sear — cook the surface of food very quickly over fierce heat to brown it.
Salamandre	sah-lah-MAHNDR	An overhead grill used for browning or gratinating a dish's surface with intense direct heat.
Saler	sah-LAY	To salt.
Sauter	soh-TAY	To cook quickly in a little hot fat, tossing or turning the food, in a pan wide enough that nothing steams.
Singer	san-ZHAY	To dust food with flour partway through cooking, usually in a braise, to thicken the eventual sauce.
Sonde	sond	A probe or skewer, used to test the doneness of meat or vegetables by feel or resistance.
Suer	soo-AY	To sweat — cook gently in fat, covered or nearly so, without colour, until soft and translucent.
Suprême	soo-PREM	A boneless poultry breast, often with the first wing joint left attached; also a rich, cream-finished velouté sauce.
Tamiser	tah-mee-ZAY	To sift, most often flour or icing sugar, to remove lumps and incorporate air.
Terrine	teh-REEN	A dish of coarsely or finely ground meat, fish or vegetables, cooked in a mould and served cold, sliced.
Tian	tee-AHN	A shallow baked dish of layered vegetables, named after the earthenware vessel it is traditionally cooked in.
Tomber	tom-BAY	To cook leafy vegetables gently in a little fat until they collapse and soften — literally "to fall".
Torchon	tor-SHON	A cloth, or a method of rolling food — classically foie gras — tightly in one to shape and firm it.
Tourner	toor-NAY	To turn a vegetable into a neat, seven-sided barrel shape with a paring knife — see Knife Skills.
Travailler	trah-vah-YAY	To work a mixture vigorously by hand or with a spoon, beating air or structure into it.
Tremper	trahm-PAY	To soak food in liquid, whether dried pulses in water or bread in milk.

U–Z

Term	Pronunciation	Meaning
Vanner	vah-NAY	To stir a sauce or custard gently and continuously as it cools, preventing a skin from forming on the surface.
Velouté	vuh-loo-TAY	A stock-based sauce thickened with a blond roux — one of the five mother sauces of classical French cooking.
Vider	vee-DAY	To gut or clean a fish or bird, removing its innards before cooking.
Vinaigrette	vee-nay-GRET	An emulsified dressing of oil and vinegar, classically in a ratio of roughly three to one, seasoned and often mustard-bound.
Vol-au-vent	vol-oh-VAHN	A hollow puff-pastry case, baked light and crisp, filled with a savoury ragoût or sauce — literally "flight of the wind".
Xérès	sheh-RESS	Sherry — as in vinaigre de Xérès, sherry vinegar, prized for a pan sauce's depth.
Zester	zess-TAY	To remove the coloured, aromatic outer skin of citrus fruit, leaving the bitter white pith behind.

Two pairs everyone confuses

Braiser and poêler are not the same thing, though both use covered, gentle heat: a braise sits in liquid, a poêlé sits in butter and its own juices with almost no added liquid. And réduire is not réserver — the first concentrates a sauce on the heat, the second simply sets an ingredient aside. Mixing them up in a recipe note has ruined more than one sauce.

"Sauté" used for anything fried

Sauter specifically means a hot pan, a little fat, food kept moving, and no crowding — not simply "cooked in a pan".

FixIf the pan is crowded or the food sits still, you are frying, not sautéing. Use a wider pan or cook in batches.

"Braise" and "stew" treated as identical

A stew is fully submerged in liquid throughout; a braise starts with a sear and sits in liquid that only partly covers the food, finishing under a lid.

FixFor a proper braise, add liquid to come roughly a third to halfway up the food, not over the top — see Braising & Stewing.

Calling any dice "brunoise"

Brunoise is a specific 3 mm cube. A rougher, larger dice is a macédoine or simply "diced" — using brunoise loosely undersells the precision the word exists to convey.

FixCheck the size against the register in Knife Skills before naming a cut.

"Deglaze" used without naming what it removes

The point of déglacer is the browned residue — the fond stuck to the pan — not simply adding liquid to a hot pan.

FixScrape the base of the pan with a wooden spoon as the liquid bubbles, until the residue has fully lifted and dissolved.

"Reduce" and "thicken" used interchangeably

A liquid can reduce without ever thickening much — thin stock stays thin however far it reduces — and a sauce can thicken without reducing at all, via a liaison or roux.

FixName what actually changed: volume lost is a reduction; viscosity gained by an added agent is a liaison.

Figure 1 · The cut sizes, keyed to their namesEvery term in this register describes a size and a shape, not a mood — worth learning by eye so a recipe's instructions become instantly precise.

Figure 2 · A plate, namedEvery part of a classical plate has a French name of its own — the full method for arranging one is at Plating & Service.

Figure 3 · The brigade de cuisineEscoffier's station system, still the shape of most professional kitchens: each cook owns one function completely, and the word for their station is usually the clearest description of the job there is.

Station	Pronunciation	Responsible for
Chef de cuisine	shef duh kwee-ZEEN	The head of the kitchen; sets the menu and answers for everything that leaves it.
Sous-chef	soo-shef	Second in command; runs the pass and stands in for the chef de cuisine.
Saucier	soh-see-AY	Sauces and sautéed dishes — traditionally the most senior and demanding station.
Poissonnier	pwah-son-YAY	Fish, from preparation through sauce and garnish.
Entremétier	ahn-truh-may-tee-AY	Vegetables, eggs, soups and starches.
Pâtissier	pah-tee-see-AY	Pastry, bread and desserts.

Learn the word and the technique arrives with it, already precise. That is the whole use of a lexicon.

End of Stage One, Lesson Three