beurre

Butter in Paris

Beurre is the French word for butter, appearing in English mainly in culinary contexts.

Beurre blanc is a classic butter sauce with white wine and shallots.

Beurre noisette is butter cooked until it browns and develops a nutty aroma.

Restaurant menus and cookbooks use these terms to signal French technique.

French

cuisine

Characteristic cooking style

patisserieFrench pastry shop
croissantLayered crescent-shaped pastry
baguetteElongated crusty loaf

boulangerie · gastronomy · tartine · galette · brioche · mille-feuille · madeleine · choux · éclair · palmier

spread

toast

Heated bread; glass-raising honor

tartineSingle-slice topped bread
croissantLayered crescent-shaped pastry
baguetteElongated crusty loaf

brioche · scone · crumpet · radish · compound · salted · fresh · cold · thick · generous

sauce

roux

Cooked fat-flour paste

béchamelMilk-thickened flour sauce
blancPale wine designation
noisetteSmall boneless meat cut

meunière · hollandaise · béarnaise · maître d'hôtel · reduction · emulsion · pan sauce · finishing · mounted · velouté

dairy

cream

Rich milk fat

milkMammalian nursing fluid
churnedStirred vigorously
culturedEducated in arts, manners

pasteurization · creamery · lactose · casein · fermentation · ghee · clarified · unsalted · salted · sweet cream

texture

creamy

Smooth and rich

silkySmooth and lustrous
velvetySoft and smooth-textured
smoothWithout roughness or difficulty

luscious · soft · glossy · unctuous · supple · rich · emollient · mellow · spreadable · whipped

Opposites

fat type/origin

beurremargarine

Vegetable oil spread

shortening · lard · ghee

Family

butter, butterfly, buttery, buttered, buttering, peanut butter, buttermilk, butterscotch, butterfingers

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G