verb
dredge
To coat food lightly with flour or another dry ingredient.
She dredges each piece of chicken in flour before frying it.
Etymology
An older noun names mixed grain or meal. The cooking verb developed around sprinkling that dry material over food, then extended to similar powdered coatings.
More examples
- Dredge the fish lightly in cornmeal.
- He dredged the cutlets in seasoned flour and shook off the excess.
- Dredging tofu in cornstarch gives it a crisp crust.
Forms
dredge · dredges · dredged · dredging