blanche

Quick hot dip

To blanche is to turn white or pale, especially from fear or shock: She blanched at the news.

In cooking, to blanche (more commonly spelled blanch) is to briefly immerse food in boiling water, then plunge it into ice water—a technique that loosens skins, sets colors, or partially cooks vegetables: Blanche the tomatoes before peeling. (Capitalized Blanche is a given name.)

cooking

parboil

Partially cook in water

vegetablesEdible plants, not fruits
almondsEdible tree drupes
tomatoesRed fleshy fruits

peeling · scalding · immersion · ice bath · precook · boiling · plunge · shock · refresh · tenderize

pallor

pale

Lacking color intensity

wanPale and unwell-looking
pallidUnhealthily lacking color
ashenPale, grayish-white

colorless · ghostly · white · drain · bloodless · faded · chalky · sallow · anemic · whitened

recoil

flinch

Involuntary retreat from threat

winceReflexive recoil from distress
shrinkDecrease in size
recoilBackward force from discharge

quail · cower · falter · hesitate · balk · cringe · shudder · tremble · start · withdraw

Categories

card gamespoker, blackjack, solitaire, hearts, spades
saisonssaison, Dupont, grisette

Opposites

cooking method/intensity

blancheslow-cook

Cook gradually with heat

overcook · sear · char · caramelize · brown

color/appearance change

blanchedarken

Diminish light in

redden · flush · blush · brown · blacken

Phrases

carte blancheTotal freedom to choose
blanched almondNut stripped of brown coat
Blanche DuBois

Family

blanch, blanched, blancmange, blanching, blanches, unblanched

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G