panada

A cook prepares a panada for a simple meal.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A thick paste or porridge: "panada" refers to a mixture made by cooking bread, flour, or other starchy ingredients in water, milk, or broth until it forms a thick, smooth paste. It is often used as a base for stuffing, as a thickener for soups or sauces, or as a light food for invalids.
   • A culinary binder: In cooking, "panada" can also mean a paste used to bind together other ingredients, such as in croquettes or meatballs.

Usage Examples

• Culinary paste:

  • The chef prepared a panada by soaking stale bread in milk and then mashing it into a smooth paste. (A thick mixture of bread and liquid.)
  • For the stuffing, she used a panada made from flour and broth to give it a soft texture. (A starchy base for filling.)

• Thickener:

  • Add a little panada to the soup to make it creamier. (A paste used to thicken liquid.)

Advanced Usage

• "panada as a base for croquettes": A common technique in French and Spanish cuisine where a panada (often made from flour, butter, and milk, similar to a roux) is combined with meat, fish, or vegetables to form croquettes.
  • The classic Spanish croqueta uses a thick panada of flour and milk mixed with ham. (The binder that holds the croquette together.)

Variants and Related Words

• Panade (n): A variant spelling of "panada," often used in French culinary contexts.

  • The panade was seasoned with nutmeg before being shaped into dumplings. (A thick paste used in cooking.)

• Panado (n): A less common variant, sometimes used in Portuguese or Spanish cuisine.

  • He made a panado with breadcrumbs and stock for the fish stuffing. (Similar to panada.)

Synonyms

• Paste: a thick, soft, moist substance.
• Porridge: a dish made by boiling grains or other starches in liquid.
• Batter: a mixture of flour and liquid, though typically thinner than panada.
• Binding agent: a substance used to hold ingredients together.

Related Idioms

• "As thick as panada": An old-fashioned English idiom meaning very thick or dense, often used humorously.
  • The stew was as thick as panada, almost like a pudding. (Extremely thick in consistency.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Panada down (rare): To reduce a mixture to a panada-like consistency by cooking or stirring.
  • Panada down the bread and milk until it forms a smooth paste. (Cook and stir until thick.)

Additional Notes

• Historical use: The term "panada" comes from Spanish/Portuguese (from , meaning bread). It was historically used as a nourishing food for the sick or elderly, as it is easy to digest.