Quizzes Food 12 questions ~6 mins

Cooking Techniques Quiz

Q: What does it mean to 'blanch' a vegetable?

Briefly boil it then plunge it into ice-cold water — Blanching involves a brief scald in boiling water followed by an ice bath, which preserves colour, texture and nutrients while partially cooking the vegetable.

Q: Which cooking method involves submerging food in hot fat at around 180°C?

Deep-frying — Deep-frying cooks food by full immersion in oil heated to around 160–190°C, creating a crisp exterior through rapid moisture evaporation.

Q: What is a 'julienne' cut?

Thin matchstick-shaped strips — A julienne cut produces long, thin matchstick strips approximately 3 mm wide, commonly used for vegetables in salads and stir-fries.

Q: When a UK recipe says to cook something 'au gratin', what technique does this involve?

Covering with breadcrumbs or cheese and grilling until golden — Au gratin refers to topping a dish with grated cheese or breadcrumbs and browning it under a grill or in a hot oven to form a golden crust.

Q: What is the Maillard reaction?

A chemical browning reaction between amino acids and sugars when heated — The Maillard reaction is a non-enzymatic browning process occurring above roughly 140°C that produces hundreds of flavour compounds responsible for the crust on bread and the sear on meat.

Q: Which term describes cooking food sealed in a bag submerged in precisely temperature-controlled water?

Sous vide — Sous vide (French for 'under vacuum') cooks vacuum-sealed food in a water bath held at an exact temperature, yielding consistent results and retaining moisture.

Q: A classic French 'beurre blanc' sauce is an emulsification of butter into a reduction of which two liquids?

White wine and white wine vinegar — Beurre blanc is made by whisking cold butter into a reduced shallot, white wine and white wine vinegar base, creating a light, tangy emulsified sauce.

Q: What does 'braising' mean in cooking?

Slow-cooking in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot — Braising involves searing food first, then slow-cooking it partially submerged in liquid in a sealed pot, breaking down tough connective tissue for tender results.

Q: In British baking, what temperature is described as 'Gas Mark 6'?

200°C (392°F) — Gas Mark 6 corresponds to approximately 200°C (392°F) and is a common moderate-to-hot setting used for roasting and baking in British recipes.

Q: What is the technique of 'tempering' chocolate?

Heating and cooling chocolate to specific temperatures to stabilise its crystals — Tempering involves carefully raising and lowering chocolate's temperature to encourage the formation of stable cocoa butter crystals, giving a glossy finish and satisfying snap.

Blanching, braising, julienne — could you pass a professional kitchen quiz?

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Question 1 of 12

1. What does it mean to 'blanch' a vegetable?

2. Which cooking method involves submerging food in hot fat at around 180°C?

3. What is a 'julienne' cut?

4. When a UK recipe says to cook something 'au gratin', what technique does this involve?

5. What is the Maillard reaction?

6. Which term describes cooking food sealed in a bag submerged in precisely temperature-controlled water?

7. A classic French 'beurre blanc' sauce is an emulsification of butter into a reduction of which two liquids?

8. What does 'braising' mean in cooking?

9. In British baking, what temperature is described as 'Gas Mark 6'?

10. What is the technique of 'tempering' chocolate?

11. Which classic knife cut produces a very fine mince, smaller than a brunoise, often used for garlic and herbs?

12. What is 'en papillote' cooking?

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Quiz comments (5)

How did you do? Compare scores and swap tips — no spoilers, please.

Sam T. 13 Jul 2026 Report

I’ll be honest, I thought "julienne" was just a fancy name for a French guy until about five minutes ago. Probably going to fail this miserably, but let's see how bad it gets.

GazFromLeeds 12 Jul 2026 Report

I can boil a kettle and fry an egg without burning the house down, which is more than I can say for some of these "professionals" nowadays. Who actually uses these words in a real kitchen? It's just fancy talk for chopping carrots and boiling veg. Pass.

Lena K 12 Jul 2026 Report

I managed to get most of these right, but it makes me wonder if we overcomplicate things. Does knowing the formal term for a cut actually make the dish taste better, or is this just culinary jargon used to justify higher prices at fancy restaurants?

Coach Reyes 12 Jul 2026 Report

That's a tough break, Theo, but missing by one just means you're on the verge of mastering it. Are you using a guide finger or a ruler to calibrate your spacing during practice?

Theo from Daily Junction Host 12 Jul 2026 Report

Man, I bombed the julienne section. I thought I had it locked down, but I missed the mark by one answer. Total heartbreaker! Anyone got a trick for keeping those cuts consistent? I’m definitely coming back for a rematch once I’ve practiced my knife work.

Cooking Techniques Quiz

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Quiz comments (5)