blanc
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun 1. A white sauce: A culinary term for a basic white sauce made from a roux (a cooked mixture of fat, typically butter, and flour) and a light liquid, such as milk, broth, or vegetable stock. It is a foundational sauce in French cuisine. 2. A preparation for braising: Specifically, a cooking preparation where meat is browned and then simmered in a small amount of this white sauce or a seasoned white broth with vegetables.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Sauce):
- The chef prepared a simple blanc to serve with the poached fish.
- For this recipe, you start by making a blanc with butter, flour, and chicken stock.
- Noun (Cooking Method):
- The veal was cooked à blanc, resulting in a very tender and delicately flavored dish.
- "Blanquette de veau" is a classic French stew where the veal is cooked in a blanc.
Advanced Usage
- "À blanc": A French culinary phrase meaning "in white." It describes the method of cooking something, typically meat, in a sauce or broth without allowing it to brown, preserving a pale color and mild flavor.
- The kidneys were sautéed à blanc to keep their delicate taste.
- The term is often part of specific dish names, indicating the cooking style, such as (a ragout of white meat in a white sauce).
Variants and Related Words
- Béchamel: A specific type of sauce made with milk. All béchamel is a , but not all sauces are béchamel (as they may use broth instead of milk).
- Velouté: Another foundational "mother sauce" similar to a , but made with a white stock (chicken, veal, or fish) instead of milk.
- Blanquette: A French stew, usually of veal, lamb, or chicken, cooked in a sauce.
- Blanch (verb): A different but related culinary term meaning to briefly boil food, often to loosen skins, preserve color, or remove strong flavors.
Synonyms
- White sauce
- Cream sauce (note: a is not necessarily creamy unless enriched with cream)
- Foundation sauce
Notes on Meaning
The primary culinary meaning of blanc is the white sauce or the cooking method using it. It is a specialized term from French cuisine adopted into English culinary vocabulary. It should not be confused with the French adjective blanc (white), though the sauce is named for its color.
Noun
- a white sauce of fat, broth, and vegetables (used especially with braised meat)