Vocab List, Pastry Edition
Now that I’m working on the Pastry station at Martin Berasategui, I’m learning a whole new set of vocabulary. This list differs completely from the previous vocab list I wrote about Pescados, so hopefully future BasqueStages can use both blogs as helpful cheat sheets when they arrive in the kitchen.
| Abatidor | Blast chiller, freezes at -37˚C!! |
| Bandeja | Tray, as in a wooden cafeteria tray for mise en place or a small metal tray to deliver components to the pass |
| Bayeta | Chammy cloth used for wiping down dirty surfaces, drying dishes, or cleaning spills. |
| Biberón | Squeeze bottle, used for chocolate sauce, mint spheres and apple compote |
| Bombones | Small chocolate confections or truffles |
| Cachi (short for cacharro) | Plastic six-pan in which granizados are kept |
| Chaira | Steel for sharpening knives |
| Congelador | Regular freezer, where we store ice creams, puff pastry and soufflés |
| Cremat | Mille-feuille of smoked eel, foie gras and caramelized apple |
| Deshidratadora | Dehydrator used to make apple chips for the hojaldre dessert |
| Estropajo | Dishwashing sponge (very important word because we do all dishes on station rather than bring them to a dish pit) |
| Espatulita | Offset spatula |
| Espesante | Thickeners, such as Agar Agar for the cucumber geleé or cornstarch |
| Granizado | Granité, which we freeze in the blast chiller and then grind using a cold metal grater. This process produces a really fine ice chip. |
| Harina | Flour (we also use a lot of harina de almendra, almond flour) |
| Hojaldre | Puff pastry |
| Horno | Oven |
| Huevas de Trucha | Caviar, used on the Salmon amuse bouche |
| Lengua | Rubber spatula, literally “tongue” 😉 |
| Liquadora | Juicer used to juice baby cucumbers for the geleé |
| Manga | Piping bag, pastry bag |
| Mantequilla | Butter |
| Nata | Cream (nata montada– whipped cream, Chantilly– sweetened whipped cream) |
| Nevera | Refrigerator |
| Pasta de almendra | Almond paste, used to make an almond foam for amuse bouche |
| Placa | Baking sheet, more closely shaped like a hotel pan lid than an American-sized sheet tray |
| Rasqueta / cornete | Bowl scraper |
| Regla | Ruler, used to measure perfectly cubed cinnamon cookies |
| Rejilla | Oven rack |
| Rotulador | Sharpie |
| Soplete o quemador | Torch used to caramelize sugar on top of Cremat |
| Tijeras | Scissors |
| Turbinar helado | To churn ice cream |
| Varilla | Whisk |
| A toda hostia | On the fly, as fast as you can |
| Cuando puedas | Whenever you can |
| ____ al pase | Bring ____ to the pass, i.e. manga al pase would be a request for a “piping bag to the pass.” Since set up of the pastry station is divided in two by a large work table, those behind the work table will pass items from the refrigerator or the freezer forward to the pass. It often reminds me of an operating room, where a doctor puts his hand out and says “Scalpel.” |
| Recuperando… | “Put this item back in its place,” whenever those at the pass are done with the item requested |
| Sin miedo | “Without fear,” what I was told several times when I was first tempering chocolate because I was being timid with how I spread the chocolate on the marble to cool. |
eat. write. smile. 
LOL…se you tomorrow girl 🙂