shock

Definition

Plunging hot food into ice water immediately after blanching to halt the cooking process and preserve color, texture, and nutrients. The emergency brake for vegetables approaching overcooked mush.

Example Usage

After blanching the green beans for three minutes, shock them in ice water to keep them bright green and crispy.

Origin

Descriptive term referring to the thermal shock experienced by rapidly cooled food

Fun Fact

The scientific term is 'refresh,' but most chefs prefer 'shock' because it accurately describes the dramatic temperature change.

Source: Standard culinary technique terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

croquette

A French culinary creation where leftovers are mashed, breaded, and deep-fried into golden oblivion, transforming yesterday's meat or vegetables into crispy, cylindrical nuggets of redemption. These little deep-fried pillows prove that almost anything becomes delicious when you coat it in breadcrumbs and submerge it in hot oil. Basically, it's the fancy European answer to tater tots.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Intermediate

bridge

A shift worker who covers the gap between lunch and dinner service, usually prepping and maintaining the kitchen during the slow afternoon hours. The unsung hero who keeps everything from falling apart.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Beginner

Foodie

A self-appointed title for someone who takes photos of every meal and has strong opinions about olive oil. Not to be confused with someone who simply enjoys eating, a foodie has turned basic human sustenance into an entire personality and Instagram aesthetic.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Advanced

run the pass

To take charge of the expediting station, coordinating timing and quality control for all dishes leaving the kitchen. The conductor's podium of the culinary orchestra, where reputations are made or destroyed.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Intermediate

glutamate

A naturally occurring amino acid that moonlights as the secret weapon in savory foods, responsible for that addictive umami flavor that keeps you reaching for more chips. When added to food as monosodium glutamate (MSG), it triggers panic in people who believe everything they read on the internet. Despite decades of fearmongering, science confirms it's about as dangerous as table salt.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Beginner

Deglaze

The act of adding liquid to a hot pan to scrape up all the delicious brown bits stuck to the bottom. It's basically salvaging the burnt evidence of your cooking and calling it 'flavor.' The sizzle sound it makes is the most satisfying noise in any kitchen.

🍳 Food / Culinary

Translate This Term

See “shock” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Beginner

brand positioning

The deliberate crafting of how a brand occupies a distinct place in the consumer's mind relative to competitors, usually...