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Glite Dictionary
to flambé

to flambé

8.4
To pour alcohol over food and light it so flames cook it
  • verb
  • /flɑːmˈbeɪ/
  • Specialized
: flambear
  • To impress the guests, he decided to flambé the dessert with brandy right before serving.

Examples

  • Can you flambé this dish?

  • She loves to flambé her desserts.

  • He carefully flambéed the steak with brandy to enhance its flavor.

  • The chef will flambé the dessert at your table for a dramatic effect.

  • They watched in awe as the cook began flambéing the bananas foster.

  • The chef will flambé the pineapple in rum to enhance its flavor and presentation.

  • When you flambé a dish, be sure to stand back as the flames can get quite high.

Surface Forms

flambé infinitive
flambéed past
flambéed past participle
flambéing present participle
flambés third person singular

Etymology

Flambé comes from French flamber, which means 'to flame' or 'to burn', and is the same root as English flame. So to flambé food is to pour alcohol over it and set it on fire briefly so a quick flame adds flavor and looks impressive.