Definition, use, and examples of the word glaze.
For a bit of fun, check out These Stunning, Shining Cakes [That] Are Making the Internet Drool.
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I’m Jenn de la Vega and this is your culinary word of the day.
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Today’s word is glaze.
It is spelled...G-L-A-Z-E.
According to Recipe Tips, glaze
“Refers to a flavorful coating that forms on food as it is cooked. The glaze may be the result of basting food with a liquid, such as a meat stock, during the cooking process.
A glaze may also refer to foods that are coated with substances to give them a more substantial coating, such as a covering of chocolate. Glazes can also be created to make food items more aesthetically pleasing such as adding an egg wash to some baked goods to produce a shiny, golden brown glaze.”
Furthermore, it is a late 14th century variant of Middle English glasen "to fit with glass,"
also "to make shine.”
It is probably influenced or reinforced by the term glazier. From pottery, "cover with a shiny or glossy substance," from c. 1400.
Peter Kump for The Chicago Tribune writes:
“The basic concept behind [vegetable] glazing is simple: The vegetable is cleaned and cut into even pieces. The pieces are placed in a saucepan and just barely covered with water or stock (do not add too much liquid at the start or the vegetables will get mushy). Butter and sugar are added, and the vegetable is cooked covered until the water is partially absorbed. The cover then is removed, and the liquids are cooked away until a glaze is formed, coating the vegetables nicely.
Glazes can be made with water or stock as the liquid. If you use a white stock (chicken or white veal) it will give a lighter glazing than a brown stock. By using two-thirds less butter and sugar in addition to white stock you will make a '’white braise.’'”
Additionally, Emma Christensen of The Kitchn explains another type of glaze used in pastry,
“Getting a golden color on a pie crust usually doesn’t have to do with the crust itself – it’s what you brush on top. From milk to egg yolks, the sugars and proteins in the glaze will caramelize before the crust itself, giving the pie extra color and a burnished look.
Gina Bergman of Real Simple explains another type of glazing,
“A simple mixture of confectioners' sugar and a liquid, such as milk, lemon juice or water, glaze can be made in a variety of consistencies—from thick to thin—which dry to varying degrees of stiffness, but do not harden. Drizzle your favorite glazes atop tea cakes, pastries, cookies, and last but not least, on doughnuts! Glazes can also be flavored in all sorts of ways, from pomegranate to matcha, white chocolate and beyond!”
Finally, Chef Iso adds,
“Mirror glaze (or "glacage mirroir") is a gorgeous technique for decorating cakes. Unlike frosting or fondant, mirror glaze starts as a very viscous liquid which gels as it cools. While somewhat similar to ganache, the gelatin transforms it into something else entirely.
Mirror glaze is delicious relative to the more bland fondant but it also tends to be very sweet, so you should factor this into the final sweetness of your cake. Aside from appearance and taste, it also acts like a crusting buttercream by sealing in the layers.
For a bit of fun, check out These Stunning, Shining Cakes [That] Are Making the Internet Drool.
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I’m Jenn de la Vega and this has been your culinary word of the day.
Next time on Culinary Word of the day, we get reductive.
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