White mirepoix of onion, mushroom, parsnip
© Denzil Green
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A White Mirepoix (“mirepoix blanc”) is a component in French classical cooking. It is a combination of lightly coloured, chopped, uncooked vegetables designed to add flavour and aroma to a dish without affecting the colour of the dish.
It is used in dishes where darker ingredients would be wrong for the colour or would negatively impact the colour.
A White Mirepoix is made of some or all of these: onions, celery, parsnips, white mushrooms, leeks, cauliflower. If you are adding garlic, add it at the end (if sautéing) as garlic can darken very quickly and affect the colour.
Cooking Tips
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- Dice finely if using in a recipe that cooks quickly. As a fine dice, they also become part of the sauce and help to make it thicker;
- Dice medium for stocks;
- Dice large for soups and stews.
Language Notes
Mirepoix is pronounced “mir pwah.”