Glossary of terms - J

Jambalaya

A spicy Cajun rice dish from Louisiana with ham, sausage, chillies and tomatoes

Japanese fish sauce

A powerful sauce, made of small fermented fish, used sparingly as a flavouring and as a condiment.

Jardiniere, a la

Garnish of fresh, diced and cooked vegetables. arranged in separate groups.

Jerusalem artichoke

The Jerusalem artichoke belongs to the sunflower family and it is the plant’s underground tubers that are eaten.

Jimmu

Jimmu is a sort of dried grass-like ingredient. It grows in Bhutan and is used only to temper dals and chutneys and has a distinctive flavour.

John Dory

Found in European waters, this white-fleshed sea fish, also known as St Peter's fish, is an odd-looking creature with an oval, flat body and a large, spiny head. The flesh is delicate and mild and can be cooked in a variety of ways including grilling, sau

Joint

1. Prime cut of meat for roasting. 2. To divide meat, game or poultry into individual pieces.

Jugged

Meat dishes, such as jugged hare; stewed in a covered pot.

Julienne

Vegetables or citrus zest shredded or cut into thin matchsticks. The julienne is cooked in butter in a covered pan until quite soft and then used as a garnish, especially for soups and consommés. Raw vegetables to be served as an hors d'oeuvre can also be

Juniper berries

The darkish berries of the juniper tree provide the main flavouring for gin. These spicy, aromatic berries are also used, fresh or dried, crushed or whole, to flavour casseroles, marinades and stuffings, and complement pork, rabbit and beef, especially po

Jus

This French word is roughly the equivalent of 'juice', but it has more specific meanings in French cookery: a. the unthickened juices from a piece of roast meat or the juice squeezed from raw vegetables or fruit