Meaning & use
coup de feu
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableformal
A sudden strong burst of heat, especially the intense heat used to finish a dish quickly.
Grammar: Countable and usually used with 'a': a coup de feu.
Patterns
- a coup de feu
- give something a coup de feu
The chef gave the fish a final coup de feu under the grill.
A coup de feu at high temperature crisps the skin without drying the flesh.
nounsingularspecialist
In a busy restaurant kitchen, a sudden rush of orders or a burst of intense activity.
Grammar: Used in the singular to describe one period of intense pressure.
Patterns
- during the coup de feu
- the evening coup de feu
During the coup de feu the whole team worked without speaking.
The evening coup de feu starts around eight o'clock.
Common combinations
- a final coup de feu
- A final coup de feu under the grill gives the tart a golden top.
- during the coup de feu
- Nobody leaves the kitchen during the coup de feu.
- the evening coup de feu
- The evening coup de feu is the hardest part of the shift.
Synonyms and how they differ
- burst of heat
- A plain English phrase with the same basic idea; use it outside professional cooking.
- rush
- Describes the busy period rather than the heat; it fits the restaurant sense but not the cooking sense.
Commonly confused: coup de feu or coup de grâce?
coup de feu vs coup de grâce
A French phrase meaning a final decisive blow; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with heat or cooking.
Practice
In a restaurant kitchen, what does 'the coup de feu' refer to?
Choose one answer.
'Coup de feu' in kitchen use means a sudden intense rush of orders or activity. A quiet period is the opposite, and the other options are unrelated objects or foods.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “coup de feu”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.