Quenelle

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kəˈnɛl/

Definitions

1. A type of food preparation consisting of a smooth blend of components often shaped into an oval or rounded form, commonly made from proteins or vegetables
2. This culinary creation is a delicate orb or oval formed from pureed mixtures, typically served with various sauces or included in soups
3. A smooth and finely blended mixture of ingredients shaped into an oval form, traditionally made from fish, meat, or vegetables to be cooked and served

Etymology: The dumpling family tree is more tangled than it looks. English "quenelle" is a French borrowing, and French took the word from German "Knödel," the dumpling. The same German word also gave English its relatives "knaidel," "knedle," and "knödel," which entered the language by other routes and kept closer to the original German sound. Quenelle is therefore a doublet of those forms: one word that arrived twice, once through German dumplings and once through French kitchens. The French version kept the dumpling's shape but took on a more refined life. In French cooking a quenelle is a smooth, delicately seasoned mixture, usually of fish, poultry, or meat, poached and shaped into an oval. The rough German dumpling became a polished oval in French restaurant cooking, a change in texture and presentation rather than in the basic idea of a boiled ball of dough or paste.