egg – vessel that contains an animal embryo, used as nutritious fast food (eg scrambled eggs) or to bind raw ingredients (eg in burgers). Most eggs are edible but hen’s are the most commonly used. Also popular are duck, quail and goose eggs.
eggnog – traditional drink made from eggs, cream, sugar and brandy or rum or boubon
egg wash – beaten raw egg, used to glaze pastry before cooking so it shines when baked
elver – young eel
emulsion – mixture of mutually insoluble liquids in which one is suspended in another, eg mayonnaise
endive – bitter-tasting Mediterranean plant used raw in salad or braised as a vegetable
enrich – to increase the fat and protein content of a mixture by adding cream, butter or eggs. Some breads, eg brioche, are made from enriched doughs.
entrée – (French: “entrance”) savoury dish. Depending on what part of the world you’re in, it could be served as a main course (North America) or a course after the starter and before the main (France, rest of the English-speaking world).
escalope – (French) thin, boneless slice of meat or fish, often fried in breadcrumbs