Sometimes, you can ask if a dish can be prepared in a gluten-free manner for you, but don’t take offense if the answer is no. It may be impossible for a restaurant to modify a recipe on short notice. Even if the answer is yes, you might find that in changing the dish for you, the staff errs so far on the side of caution that the dish becomes bland and disappointing. If possible, the best course of action is to choose a dish that's gluten-free to begin with.
Steer clear of items on restaurant menus that are described with the terms below. (Does this mean you’ll never again eat these dishes? Of course not – but you may need to make them for yourself using gluten-free ingredients, or convince a friend who loves to cook to prepare them for you.)
Au Gratin
Cooked with a topping of bread crumbs and sometimes butter and/or grated cheese; also referred to as gratiner.
Battered
Cooked in a coating that usually contains wheat flour, eggs and milk.
Bechamel
A white sauce made by thickening milk with wheat flour and butter.
Beurre Manie
A paste made from flour and butter, used to make sauces thicker.
Bisque
A smooth creamy shellfish soup that’s often thickened with flour.
Bread
To coat with bread crumbs or batter.
Coat
Usually, to cover with flour or crumbs.
Cordon bleu
Chicken or veal dish that often includes a bread-crumb crust.
Croquette
Pureed vegetables encased in bread crumbs and deep fried or sautéed.
Croutons
Cubes of bread, seasoned and lightly baked or fried, popular on salads.
Crusted or Encrusted
Thickly coated with flour or bread crumbs in order to bind ingredients to food item.
Demi glace
A rich, concentrated stock made from beef and veal bones, vegetables and tomato paste, with flour.
Dredged
Dragged through flour, cornmeal or breadcrumbs.
Dumplings
Dough shaped like balls or small pillows, sometimes stuffed with vegetables or meat, and poached with stews or soups.
Dusted
Lightly sprinkled with dry ingredient such as flour.
En groute
Baked in pastry.
Espagnole Sauce
A rich brown sauce thickened with flour.
Farfel
A soup garnish made of finely chopped or minced noodle dough.
Fillo
A flaky, paper-thin pastry.
Fricassee
A stew of meat or poultry in gravy, usually thickened with flour.
Fritter
Food dipped into or combined with batter and fried.
Gnocchi
Pillow-shaped dumplings made from a paste of flour, potatoes and eggs.
Gravy
Sauce made from meat juices, often thickened with flour.
Marinade
May contain soy sauce or other processed ingredients with gluten.
Meuniere
Dusted with flour and sautéed in butter.
Milanaise
Dipped in egg and bread crumbs, then fried in butter.
Phyllo
A flaky, paper-thin pastry.
Raspings
Finely ground bread crumbs.
Roux
A paste of fat (usually butter) and flour that is used to thicken sauces and soups.
Scallopini
Thin sliced meat usually coated with flour and fried.
Souffle
A dish (often a dessert) made from a sauce, egg yolks, beaten egg whites, flour, and a flavoring or puree and baked until puffed up.
Soy Sauce
Most soy sauces include roasted wheat or barley.
Streusel
A crumbly mixture made from flour, butter, sugar and spices.
Teriyaki Sauce
Contains soy sauce.
Tempura
Shrimp, seafood and vegetables battered and fried in a flour-based batter.
Veloute
Sauce thickened with flour; often used as a base for soups, stews and fricassee.
Welsh Rarebit
Cheese sauce made with ale or beer and served over toast or crackers.
