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Culinary Arts & Cooking vocabulary · Service & Plating

À la minute

Meaning in culinary arts & cooking, with examples

phraseCommon term

In culinary arts & cooking, à la minute means: Prepared or finished immediately before serving, usually in response to an order.

In Turkish: sipariş üzerine son anda hazırlanmış

How it is used

Used for timing in professional cooking rather than a literal one-minute duration.

Example sentences

  1. The sauce is finished à la minute for each order.

    The final preparation happens when the dish is required.

  2. We cook these delicate vegetables à la minute.

    The phrase distinguishes immediate cooking from advance production.

Common collocations

  • cook à la minute
  • finish à la minute
  • serviceThe period when a restaurant is open and the kitchen is cooking and sending out orders, such as lunch service or dinner service.
  • fireIn a kitchen, to start cooking a dish or a course for a table, called out by the chef at the pass when the timing is right.

More terms: Service & Plating

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