Techniques
The methods behind the dishes. Braising, velveting, emulsions, and the rest — written so the Chef can retrieve them.
Braising
Brown, then cook slowly with a little liquid under a lid until collagen turns to sauce. It is weekday patience, not restaurant theatre.
Velveting
A brief marinade — often starch, a little oil, sometimes egg white — that keeps stir-fried meat tender at wok heat.
Deglazing
Adding liquid to a hot pan to lift the browned bits stuck to the metal — the fastest sauce you already paid for.
Emulsification
Forcing fat and water to hold together — mayonnaise, carbonara, a glossy pan sauce that does not split on the plate.
Tempering spices
Blooming whole or ground spices in hot fat so their aroma opens before liquid goes in — tadka, chhonk, a Sichuan oil bloom.