Meaning & use
en brochette
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Meanings
phrasefixed phraseformal
Cooked on a thin stick and usually served that way, especially in restaurant menus.
Grammar: Comes after the name of the food: prawns en brochette. It is not used before a noun.
Patterns
- something en brochette
- served en brochette
The menu listed lamb en brochette with rice and salad.
We ordered prawns en brochette, and they arrived still on their sticks.
At the wedding, the caterers served chicken en brochette as a starter.
phrasefixed phraseformal
Arranged in a row on a long pin, as small pieces of food are for grilling.
Grammar: Used mostly in writing about food or cooking rather than in everyday speech.
Patterns
- arranged en brochette
- food en brochette
The chef arranged the vegetables en brochette before putting them on the grill.
In the photo, the mushrooms are laid out en brochette on a white plate.
Common combinations
- chicken en brochette
- Chicken en brochette is a popular dish at this restaurant.
- prawns en brochette
- The prawns en brochette came with a spicy dipping sauce.
- lamb en brochette
- He chose the lamb en brochette instead of the fish.
- served en brochette
- The dish is served en brochette, so you can slide the pieces off the stick.
- vegetables en brochette
- Vegetables en brochette make a simple side dish for a barbecue.
Synonyms and how they differ
- on a skewer
- This is the everyday English way to say it; 'en brochette' sounds more formal and appears mostly on menus.
- on a spit
- Use 'on a spit' for one large piece of meat turning over a fire, not for small pieces on a small stick.
Word family
- brochette noun
- A French word for a small skewer, sometimes used in English menus for the same dish.
Commonly confused: en brochette or brochette? en brochette or baguette?
en brochette vs brochette
'Brochette' alone is the stick or the dish itself; 'en brochette' is the phrase that describes how the food is cooked and served.
en brochette vs baguette
These two French words look similar but mean very different things: a baguette is a long thin loaf of bread.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'en brochette' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'En brochette' is a phrase that follows the food name or the verb, describing how it is cooked: 'cooked the fish en brochette'. Option A has no main verb, option C wrongly uses it as a verb, and option D wrongly uses it as a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “en brochette”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.