flambé the dessert

Meaning

To add liquor (such as brandy, rum, or cognac) to a sweet dish and temporarily ignite it. This process burns off the harsh alcohol content while leaving behind a rich, caramelized flavor. It is often performed tableside in fine dining restaurants for visual flair.

Examples

• The pastry chef is about to flambé the dessert with some high-proof rum.

  The pastry chef is about to flambé the dessert with some high-proof rum.

• Make sure to turn off the range hood before you flambé the dessert to avoid a fire hazard.

  Make sure to turn off the range hood before you flambé the dessert to avoid a fire hazard.

• Guests love it when we flambé the dessert right next to their table.

  Guests love it when we flambé the dessert right next to their table.

• To make a classic Bananas Foster, you must flambé the dessert at the very end.

  To make a classic Bananas Foster, you must flambé the dessert at the very end.

• He was too nervous to flambé the dessert, fearing he might singe his eyebrows.

  He was too nervous to flambé the dessert, fearing he might singe his eyebrows.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We will flame the dessert with cognac.

  ✓ We will flambé the dessert with cognac.

  While 'flame' is sometimes used casually, 'flambé' is the precise culinary term used in professional recipes.

• ✗ Flambé the dessert by pouring cold alcohol directly on it.

  ✓ Flambé the dessert by warming the alcohol before lighting it.

  Cold liquor does not vaporize well and will not ignite easily; the alcohol must be warm to flambé successfully.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Be very careful when you ________, as the flames can shoot up quite high.

  💡 This means to set a sweet dish on fire using alcohol.

  Show answer

  flambé the dessert

• Pour the warm brandy into the pan and carefully ________ to burn off the alcohol.

  💡 The verb is of French origin and ends with an 'é' sound.

  Show answer

  flambé the dessert