>
Kitchenary
>
R
Sorry - your search didn't have any results. Please try again.
Radiant Heat
Radiant heat in cooking uses electromagnetic energy waves (infrared radiation) to transfer heat directly to food without heating the surrounding air. Unlike convection or conduction, radiant heat penetrates the food's surface through energy waves emitted by electric elements, ceramic surfaces, or gas burners. This method provides even heat distribution and faster cooking times because heat transfers directly to the food rather than through intermediate mediums. Examples include broiling, toasting, grilling over glowing coals, and using infrared cooking appliances.
Ramekin
A ramekin is a small, straight-sided ceramic, porcelain, or glass dish typically holding 3 to 8 ounces, designed for both baking and serving individual portions. Traditionally used for classic French desserts like crème brûlée and soufflés, ramekins are heat-resistant and often feature fluted edges for decorative presentation. They're equally useful for savory applications including French onion soup, individual quiches, baked eggs, and serving condiments or sides. The name derives from French "ramequin," originally referring to cheese-based dishes baked in small molds.
Rechauffé
Reheated leftover food, often transformed with new ingredients or cooking methods to create fresh dishes from previously prepared components. The French term literally means "reheated" and represents both practical food waste reduction and creative culinary technique. Professional kitchens use rechauffé methods to repurpose ingredients efficiently while maintaining food safety through proper heating techniques. The process can range from simple reheating to complete dish transformation using leftovers as base ingredients.
Reduce
To simmer or boil a liquid uncovered to evaporate water content, concentrating flavors and thickening the consistency. This fundamental technique transforms thin liquids into rich, flavorful sauces by removing moisture while intensifying taste compounds. Proper reduction requires maintaining steady heat below boiling point to prevent burning while allowing gradual evaporation. The process can reduce liquid volume by half, three-quarters, or more depending on desired concentration.
Refry
To cook previously cooked food again, typically in fat or oil, to achieve different texture, temperature, or flavor profile. This technique is most commonly associated with refried beans, where cooked beans are mashed and cooked again in lard or oil until creamy. Refrying can also apply to leftover rice, vegetables, or proteins to crisp exteriors while heating interiors. The second cooking stage often improves texture and adds richness through browning reactions.
Remoulade
A creamy, mayonnaise-based sauce of French origin that combines tangy, spicy, and aromatic elements to complement seafood and other dishes. Classic French versions resemble tartar sauce with capers and herbs, while Creole/Louisiana styles add paprika, hot sauce, and bold seasonings for more complex flavor. Key ingredients include mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, pickles or capers, and various seasonings depending on regional variations. The sauce serves as both a condiment and dipping sauce, particularly popular with crab cakes, po' boys, and fried seafood.
Reserve
To set aside specific ingredients or prepared components during cooking for later use in the same recipe. This technique appears frequently in professional recipes where you might strain liquid and reserve it for sauce-making, or cook vegetables and reserve them to add back later. Reserve also refers to saving cooking liquids like pasta water, bacon fat, or mushroom soaking liquid that contain concentrated flavors valuable for the final dish. The term ensures no flavorful components are wasted and that ingredients are added at optimal moments for best results.
Reverse Cream
Adding liquid ingredients to dry ingredients when making batters or doughs, opposite of traditional creaming methods.
Some benefits of reverse creaming can be:
Nearly foolproof method: Much harder to overmix or ruin compared to traditional creaming.
Creates tender, velvety texture: Butter coating flour prevents excessive gluten formation for more delicate crumb.
Produces flatter, more even cakes: Perfect for layer cakes that need level tops and sturdy structure.
The reverse cream method essentially mimics the texture of boxed cake mixes while using better ingredients—it's why many professional bakers prefer this technique for consistently excellent results!
Ribbon Stage
The consistency of beaten eggs and sugar when the mixture becomes thick enough to fall from the beater in wide ribbons that slowly dissolve back into the surface. This technique is crucial in baking for creating proper texture in sponge cakes, genoise, and other foam-based desserts. Achieving ribbon stage typically requires 3 to 5 minutes of beating with an electric mixer on medium-high speed. The mixture should be pale yellow and significantly increased in volume when properly ribboned.
Roast
To cook food with dry heat in an oven, typically at higher temperatures (325°F+) to develop browning.
Roasting Rack
A rack used to elevate food above the pan bottom, promoting air circulation for even browning and preventing soggy bottoms.
Rolling Boil
Water or other liquids at 212°F (100°C) with large, vigorous bubbles continuously breaking the surface and causing visible churning motion. Unlike gentle simmers, rolling boils cannot be stirred down and maintain constant turbulence even when ingredients are added. This technique requires high heat and produces abundant steam as the entire pot contents reach maximum temperature. Rolling boils are essential for pasta cooking, blanching vegetables, and cooking shellfish where consistent high temperature and water movement prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
Roux
A mixture of equal parts flour and fat (usually butter) cooked together to varying degrees of doneness, serving as a thickening agent for soups, sauces, and gravies. The cooking time determines the roux's color and flavor: white roux (3 to 5 minutes) for béchamel and cream sauces, blonde roux (5 to 10 minutes) for velouté, and brown roux (15 to 20 minutes) for darker sauces like espagnole. Proper roux technique requires constant stirring to prevent burning and achieve smooth consistency. The darker the roux, the less thickening power it has but the more complex flavor it provides.
Rough Chop
An informal term for chopping into uneven, larger pieces where precision isn’t required.
Ragout
A French stew characterized by slow cooking meat and vegetables in seasoned liquid until tender, with the name deriving from "ragoûter" meaning "to revive the taste". Unlike soups, ragouts have less liquid and more substantial pieces of ingredients that maintain their shape during cooking. The technique involves initial browning of ingredients, deglazing with wine or stock, then slow braising at low temperatures for 1 to 3 hours depending on ingredients. Ragouts can be made with various proteins or completely vegetarian using legumes and hearty vegetables.
Rare
Rare doneness refers to meat cooked to an internal temperature of 120°F to 125°F (49°C to 52°C), characterized by a cool-to-warm red center and very soft, tender texture. The exterior develops a light sear while the interior remains mostly untouched by heat, resulting in maximum juiciness and bold beef flavor. This level of doneness is preferred for high-quality, tender cuts like filet mignon or premium steaks where the natural meat flavor shines. Due to lower internal temperatures, rare meat requires careful handling and quality sourcing for food safety.
Reconstitute
To restore dehydrated, dried, or concentrated foods to their original state by adding liquid, typically water. This process rehydrates ingredients like dried mushrooms, fruit, bouillon cubes, or powdered milk back to usable forms. Unlike simple rehydrating, reconstituting can apply to concentrated foods that weren't completely dried, such as frozen juice concentrates. The technique preserves ingredients for longer storage while maintaining their essential flavors and nutritional properties.
Refresh
To plunge hot blanched vegetables or other foods immediately into ice water to halt the cooking process and preserve bright colors and crisp texture. This technique, also called "shocking," rapidly reduces food temperature to prevent overcooking while maintaining vibrant appearance and optimal texture. The process involves moving foods from boiling water directly into a prepared ice bath for 1 to 2 minutes before draining. Refreshing is essential for preparing vegetables ahead of time while maintaining restaurant-quality results.
Relish
A chunky, pickled condiment made from finely chopped vegetables or fruits cooked in vinegar-based solutions, designed to enhance main dishes with contrasting flavors and textures. The fundamental components include produce, vinegar, and sugar, often with additional spices and seasonings for complexity. Unlike smooth condiments, relish maintains distinct pieces of ingredients in a subordinate sauce that adds acidic, sweet, or spicy notes to complement bland or rich foods. Popular varieties range from sweet pickle relish for hot dogs to international versions like Indian chutney or Italian mostarda.
Render
To cook animal fat slowly over low heat to separate pure liquid fat from connective tissues and impurities. This traditional technique transforms raw fat into clean, usable cooking fats like lard (pork), tallow (beef), or schmaltz (chicken). The process involves gently heating fat until it liquefies, then straining out solid particles called cracklings. Properly rendered fat has high smoke points, excellent cooking properties, and can be stored for months.
Rest
To let cooked food, particularly meat, sit undisturbed after cooking to allow juices to redistribute throughout the interior. During cooking, heat drives moisture toward the center; resting allows these juices to flow back through the meat fibers for maximum tenderness. This technique prevents juices from running out when the meat is cut, resulting in more flavorful and moist final results. Rest times vary by size, with steaks needing 5 to 10 minutes and large roasts requiring 15 to 30 minutes.
Reverse Sear
A technique where proteins are first cooked at low temperature in the oven, then finished with high-heat searing for perfect doneness and crust. The reverse sear method provides more precise temperature control and even cooking throughout. This technique works especially well for thick steaks where traditional searing might overcook the exterior before the interior reaches proper temperature.
Rind
The tough outer skin or peel of foods like citrus fruits, cheese, or pork, often used for flavoring.
Roasting Pan
A large, heavy-duty pan designed for cooking large cuts of meat or vegetables in the oven.
Rock Salt
Large, coarse crystals of sodium chloride used primarily for ice cream making, crust cooking, and presentation rather than seasoning. Also called ice cream salt, it doesn't directly flavor food but helps create the extremely cold temperatures needed for freezing ice cream in hand-crank or electric makers. The large crystals make rock salt unsuitable for most cooking applications due to its coarse texture and high sodium concentration. It's also used for cooking methods like salt-crusted fish or chicken where the salt forms a protective crust.
Rondeau
A wide, shallow, heavy-bottomed pot with straight sides and two handles, designed for braising, sautéing large quantities, and other cooking methods requiring broad surface area. Typically 3 to 6 quarts in capacity, rondeaus provide excellent heat distribution and are ideal for browning meats before braising or for cooking dishes that benefit from evaporation. The wide base maximizes contact with the heat source while the straight sides contain ingredients effectively. Professional kitchens favor rondeaus for their versatility and heat retention properties.
Rub
A mixture of dry spices, herbs, salt, and sugar applied to food surfaces before cooking to create flavor and textural contrast. Unlike seasonings used both before and after cooking, rubs are specifically designed for pre-cooking application and often contain coarser textures that form flavorful crusts. Traditional rub ingredients include paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, salt, and various spices depending on regional preferences. The mixture penetrates food surfaces and caramelizes during cooking to develop complex flavors and appealing appearance.
